Indiana lawmakers are considering legislation that would give injured workers the right to choose their treating physician in workers compensation and occupational disease claims.
H.B. 1069, introduced Friday, would amend Indiana law to require employers to pay for an “attending physician” selected by the employee after June 30, 2026, regardless of when the underlying injury or occupational disease occurred.
Under the bill, employers would remain responsible for providing medical care and may select a physician only when an employee is unable to choose, declines to choose, or when an emergency requires immediate treatment. Employers must continue to provide a physician whenever an employee has not yet made a selection.
The measure applies during temporary total disability and, if the employer elects to continue furnishing care after a permanent partial impairment award, the worker would also be entitled to select the treating physician or surgeon at that stage.
The attending physician must consult with the employee’s personal physician when medically advisable or at the employee’s request. The bill preserves existing provisions on travel reimbursement, wage loss for time spent obtaining treatment, second injury fund prosthetic benefits, and sanctions for refusing reasonable medical care.
This article was first published in Business Insurance
