Opinion ID: 430490
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Authorization for Change of Physicians

Text: 31 Section 7(b) of the Act provides in part that [c]hange of physicians at the request of employees shall be permitted in accordance with regulations of the Secretary. 33 U.S.C. Sec. 907(b) (1976). Under the regulations, if the employer has made the initial selection of a physician, the employee subsequently may change physicians upon obtaining written authorization from the employer or, if consent is withheld, from the Deputy Commissioner. 20 C.F.R. Sec. 702.405 (1983). Once the employee has made his initial, free choice of an attending physician, he may change physicians only upon obtaining prior written consent of the employer, the carrier, or the Deputy Commissioner. Id. Sec. 702.406. Such consent shall be given when the employee's initial choice was not of a specialist whose services are necessary for, and appropriate to, the proper care and treatment of the compensable injury or disease; consent may be given in other cases upon a showing of good cause for change. Id. In the present case, the ALJ found that Mr. Lloyd changed physicians from Dr. Gordon to Dr. Azer and then to Dr. Schuster without ever requesting or obtaining authorization from the employer, the carrier, or the Deputy Commissioner. 32 In reversing the ALJ's decision and order, the Board did not expressly address the issue of Mr. Lloyd's failure to comply with the change-of-physicians provisions of section 7(b) and the regulations. The Board did find, however, that the employer's physician refused to provide further treatment to Mr. Lloyd. If this finding were proper, Mr. Lloyd's failure to obtain authorization to see Dr. Azer, and possibly his failure to obtain authorization to see Dr. Schuster, might be excused under the Board's holding in George O. Buckhaults, 2 BEN.REV.BD.SERV. (MB) 277, 280 (Sept. 19, 1975), that [t]o relieve the employer of the liability for necessary employment related medical expenses merely because a claimant has failed to request permission to change physicians after effectively being refused any further medical treatment is not within the spirit of the Act. In the present case, however, the ALJ's findings that Dr. Gordon did not refuse to provide further treatment and, in any case, was not the employer's physician, are conclusive. We therefore affirm the ALJ's findings and conclusion that Mr. Lloyd unjustifiably failed to comply with the requirements of section 7(b) of the Act and sections 702.405 and 702.406 of the regulations when changing physicians.