In this guide8 sections
Many California employers send injured workers to a Concentra clinic for their first visit, usually because Concentra is in the employer’s or insurer’s Medical Provider Network (MPN). You can treat there, and many workers do. But the first clinic is not your only option: after your first visit you may choose another doctor within the MPN, and you have the right to second and third opinions and to challenge denied treatment.
Key takeaways
- Concentra is a national occupational health company. Employers often use it for first visits because it is in their medical network.
- After the first visit, you may change to another treating doctor within the MPN (Labor Code §4616.3(b)).
- Once you file a claim form, your employer must authorize treatment within one working day, up to $10,000 while the claim is under review (Labor Code §5402(c)).
- Treatment denied through utilization review is challenged through Independent Medical Review, usually within 30 days of the denial.
- Your treating doctor’s reports on work status, restrictions and impairment shape your temporary and permanent disability benefits, so keep copies and correct errors.
What Concentra is and why you were sent there
Concentra says on its website that it operates more than 625 occupational health centers and more than 410 onsite employer clinics, serving patients in 47 states. Employers and insurers use occupational health clinics like Concentra for work injury care, drug screens and pre-employment physicals.
When you report a work injury, your employer must arrange an initial medical evaluation and begin treatment (Labor Code §4616.3(a)). If your employer or its insurer has an MPN, it chooses the doctor for that first visit, and that is often a Concentra clinic. If your employer has no MPN, it generally controls your care for the first 30 days after you report the injury, unless you properly predesignated your own doctor (Labor Code §4600(c), (d)).
Because the clinic has an ongoing relationship with employers, some workers feel the doctor is the “company doctor.” Whether or not that is a fair description of any particular clinic, the practical point is the same: you have choices, and the reports written about you matter.
Your rights at a Concentra clinic
| Right | What it means | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Claim form within one working day | Your employer must give you a claim form (DWC-1) within one working day after learning of an injury that needs more than first aid or causes lost time | Labor Code §5401(a) |
| Treatment while the claim is reviewed | Within one working day after you file the claim form, treatment must be authorized, up to $10,000, until the claim is accepted or denied | Labor Code §5402(c) |
| Change doctors in the MPN | After the first visit, you can choose another MPN doctor based on specialty or expertise for your injury | Labor Code §4616.3(b), (d) |
| Second and third opinions | If you disagree with an MPN doctor’s diagnosis or treatment, see another MPN doctor, then a third, then request MPN independent medical review | Labor Code §§4616.3(c), 4616.4 |
| Timely appointments | First treatment within 3 business days of asking the MPN’s medical access assistant; first specialist visit within 20 business days of a reasonable request | 8 CCR §9767.5 |
See how to change your workers’ comp doctor in the MPN for the steps, and whether you can choose your own doctor for when you can treat outside the network.
Common concerns and what you can do
- “They won’t order an MRI or refer me to a specialist.” Ask the doctor to note your symptoms and the request in your chart. If the doctor won’t request it, you can change to an MPN specialist. If a request is sent and denied in utilization review, you can request Independent Medical Review.
- “I was sent back to full duty but I’m still hurting.” A full-duty release can end temporary disability benefits. You or your lawyer can object in writing to the treating doctor’s finding under Labor Code §4062, which leads to a QME or AME evaluation. The objection deadline is 20 days from receiving the report if you have a lawyer, 30 days if you don’t.
- “The visit was short and the report is wrong.” Describe every symptom and injured body part at each visit. If the report leaves something out, raise it at the next appointment and keep your own notes.
- “I’m on modified duty my employer can’t provide.” If your restrictions can’t be accommodated, temporary disability is generally owed.
Example (hypothetical): Jorge, a forklift operator, strains his shoulder and is sent to an occupational clinic. He is given ice, anti-inflammatories and modified duty. Three weeks later he still can’t lift overhead and asks for an imaging referral. He chooses an orthopedic doctor from the MPN list, who requests an MRI. When utilization review denies it, he files for Independent Medical Review within the deadline in the letter.
QME, AME and IMR: which process fits
These three processes are easy to confuse. A disagreement with your treating doctor about issues like work status, restrictions or causation is a Labor Code §4062 objection. If you are not represented, it goes to a panel QME. If you have a lawyer, it goes to a panel QME or to an AME both sides agree on. A denial of requested treatment by utilization review goes to Independent Medical Review instead. Under Labor Code §4610.5(h), you must request IMR within 30 days after service of the denial, or 10 days for a drug formulary dispute.
Steps if you are treating at Concentra now
- Make sure you filed a claim form with your employer, and keep a copy.
- Request copies of your medical records and every work status slip.
- Keep a daily log of symptoms, pain levels and tasks you can’t do.
- Ask for the MPN provider list if you want to change doctors, and choose a doctor whose specialty fits your injury.
- Note the date you receive each report and each denial letter, since deadlines run from those dates.
- Get free help from the DWC Information and Assistance Unit, or talk to a lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to go to Concentra for workers’ comp?
For the first visit, your employer generally chooses the doctor if it has an MPN. After that first visit, you may switch to another MPN doctor. If you predesignated a personal physician before the injury, or the MPN isn’t valid, you may have other options.
Can I go to my own doctor instead?
Only in certain situations, such as a valid predesignation under Labor Code §4600(d), an employer with no MPN after the first 30 days, or an MPN that doesn’t meet legal requirements. See what makes an MPN invalid.
Can Concentra’s records hurt my case?
They can affect it. The insurer relies on treating doctor reports for work status and impairment. Accurate, complete reports help you, which is why you should report all symptoms and keep copies.
What if my claim is denied while I’m treating?
Until the claim is accepted or denied, the employer is liable for up to $10,000 in treatment. If it is denied, a lawyer can help you challenge the denial. See denied workers’ comp claims.
Talk to a California workers’ comp lawyer
Employees First Labor Law represents workers exclusively in workers’ compensation and employment cases. We offer free virtual consultations to review your treatment, work status and options for changing doctors. Contact us online or call (310) 853-3461.
This article is general information about California law as of 2026, not legal advice for your situation. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
