HB 25-1300

House Bill 25-1300, which has been signed into law in Colorado, gives workers more control over their medical care when they get hurt on the job. Specifically, it lets injured workers choose their own doctor from a list of approved doctors, as long as those doctors are within a reasonable distance. If an injured worker can't or won't pick a doctor, then the employer or insurance company has to do so. Additionally, employers and insurers must follow specific guidelines set by the state when deciding whether to cover medical treatments recommended by workers' compensation doctors. This law aims to ensure that injured workers receive appropriate care and that their treatment is covered fairly.

Official Summary

The act requires an employer or the employer's insurer to use the division of workers' compensation's (division) utilization standards when responding to a request for authorization from a treating physician, and, if they do not, the director of the division may deem the services as authorized, reasonable, and necessary and require payment for the services by the employer or the employer's insurer. The act provides injured workers control over the selection of their primary treating physician in workers' compensation cases, allowing them to choose from any level I or level II accredited physician through the division subject to geographic limitations. The act creates the mechanism by which an injured worker may select the treating physician and requires the employer or insurer to choose the physician when an injured worker is unable or unwilling to select the treating physician. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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