What is a designated treating physician?

A designated treating physician (DTP) is a specific type of doctor who is assigned to review and treat someone’s work-related illness or injury in the state of Virginia. In the Workers Compensation Law of Virginia, a DTP is responsible for all medical care related to the injury or illness. This includes necessary diagnoses, treatments, rehabilitative therapies, and medical decisions associated with the work-related injury or illness. The DTP is first appointed by the employer or workers’ compensation insurer. The employer or workers’ compensation insurer must provide the employee with a list of approved DTPs within a given radius, so the employee can choose from this list. The employee can also request an additional list of DTPs from the state Workers’ Compensation Commission. To ensure the quality of medical care and safety of the employee, the DTP must be a state-licensed doctor who is certified specially for workers’ compensation cases in Virginia. The DTP will provide periodic reports to the employer or workers’ compensation insurer regarding the employee’s medical status. The employee cannot change the DTP without permission from the employer or workers’ compensation insurer. The DTP is very important because the employee’s medical care and recovery depend on the quality and timeliness of the medical care provided by the DTP. If the DTP incorrectly diagnoses or treats the work-related injury, then the employee may not be able to recover and work again. Therefore, it is essential that the employer and employee both select an experienced DTP who can properly treat any work-related illness or injury.

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What is a designated treating physician?

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