If you are already receiving workers' compensation benefits, you should be aware of the fact that your medical treatment can be subject to utilization review. This is a process in which the insurance company challenges whether your medical treatment is reasonable and necessary, not whether the treatment is related to the injury. Once the insurance company receives the medical provider's bill and notes, it can file for utilization review, which allows the insurance company to avoid paying for the treatment. When the insurance company does this, a medical provider with the same specialty as your medical provider reviews the treatment.

You should know that there are specific time limits for invoking utilization review, and even if the treatment is found not to be reasonable and necessary, you still have rights. You cannot be held responsible for paying the medical bill and you can take an appeal of that decision. In fact, utilization review is not only available to the insurance company - you, too, can file for utilization review if necessary. If you receive a Request for Utilization Review Determination or think the insurance company is refusing to pay for treatment recommended by your doctor, call The Workers' Compensation Institute to find out your rights.

Often, an insurance company will not pay for a medical bill because it believes the treatment is not related to the work injury. You should not let these bills sit around even though you know they are related to the work injury. By not dealing with the issue, the bill could be reported to a collection agency and the doctor could even refuse to treat you. You need to address these issues and should call The Workers' Compensation Institute. There are ways to force the insurance company to pay these bills.