Dictating to a Physician

Employers, insurers, claimants, or the representatives may not dictate to any physician the type of treatment, duration of treatment, or degree of physical impairment.  This statutory prohibition should not be interpreted to mean, however, that a managed care or cost containment measure authorized in a workers’ compensation case is prohibited.  Dictating to a physician is impermissible; designating a treating physician “in the first instance” is not.  Similarly,  establishing a network of medical providers in advance of a particular claim is not illegal.  (See “DIRECTING CARE AND CHAIN OF REFERRAL”).  (Section 8-43-503(3), C.R.S.).