The Department must certify the plans. A self-insured employer may also have its plan certified by the Department. Managed care companies are required to have a system of communicating with employees, employers and medical providers. They must establish a place of business in South Dakota where records are kept and the plan is administered. It must also provide employers a monthly report on the employees it is involved with.
Workers still have the right to choose the first physician they see.
The plan also has control over subsequent consultations or referrals. Employees are required to tell the treating physician which plan covers them before treatment is provided. Employers must also report the injury to the plan within 24 of the time it is reported to them. The plan then has to contact the physicians and inform them of its rules. Every injury has to be reported to the employer's managed care plan.