Frequently Asked Questions About Workers' Compensation

At Orthopedic Associates, we understand that you may have questions relating to workers' compensation, or work comp. To help you find the answers you are looking for, we have the following frequently asked work comp questions listed below. If you have additional questions or concerns relating to workers' compensation or an injury, please call us at (314) 569-0612.

What is a workers' compensation doctor?

A workers' compensation doctor, or work comp doctor, is a medical provider who accepts workers’ compensation cases. These doctors are highly skilled in assessing, diagnosing, and treating work injuries and have extensive experience in providing injured workers with work injury compensation medical care.

Where are workers' compensation doctors?

Just like regular doctors, work comp specialists can be found in a variety of settings, such as in an orthopedic practice.

Our doctors who specialize in providing work-related injury compensation care see injured employees at our Missouri office locations in St. Louis, Bonne Terre, and Troy as well as at our Illinois office location in Columbia.

What do I do if I have been injured in the workplace?

Employees who have sustained a workplace injury should report the accident and their injury to a supervisor or a person who has been designated by their employer. Immediately reporting an accident that has resulted in an injury will ensure that the worker gets the medical attention they need. It also ensures that the workplace injury is properly documented.

Who can I receive treatment from if I have been injured at work?

Employees who have sustained an injury in the workplace can receive medical treatment from a doctor who provides work-related injury compensation care. In Missouri, the employer or their insurance carrier will choose the medical specialist that the employee sees for treatment. In Illinois, the employee is able to choose their own doctor.

Do I need to have workers' compensation insurance to be treated by a workers' compensation provider?

No. Employees are not responsible for purchasing workers' compensation insurance. This type of insurance is required by law to be provided by most employers. It is also not required to be seen by a doctor who specializes in providing work-related injury compensation care since most of these specialists also offer care and treatment for injuries and conditions that are not work-related.

Can I make a same-day appointment with a doctor who treats injured employees with job-related injuries?

Yes. However, this will depend upon where the employee is receiving their medical attention for their injury.

At our practice, we are dedicated to offering superior access to expert care and diagnostic services and provide injured workers with same-day and next-day appointments through our workers' compensation program.

How do I look for a doctor who treats job-related injuries?

Depending on the state the injury occurred in, the employee may have to go through a case manager or workers’ compensation coordinator. For Missouri cases, employees are required to go through a case manager, but for Illinois cases, they are not.

What do I look for in a workers' compensation provider?

The work comp specialist should be an experienced provider who is highly skilled at assessing, diagnosing, and treating injuries caused by an on-the-job accident.

How can I book an appointment online with a workers' compensation doctor in St. Louis?

At Orthopedic Associates, all of our patients, including those with an on-the-job injury, are able to schedule an appointment online on our website. However, since the work injury occurred in Missouri, the injured worker may need to coordinate an appointment with their appointed workers’ compensation case manager.

Can I be treated by a workers' compensation doctor in Missouri if the injury occurred in Illinois?

Yes, we can treat workers' that were injuried in Illinois.