Dealing With Concentra on a California Workers' Comp Claim

What Is Concentra?

Concentra is a chain of occupational medicine clinics that many California employers use for work injury care. It is not your employer and not your insurance company.

If your employer sent you to Concentra after a work injury, you may wonder exactly what the clinic is. Concentra describes itself as an occupational health clinic operator, founded in 1979, that treats work injuries in many states. Some California clinics that once operated as U.S. HealthWorks now operate under the Concentra name: as of November 6, 2026, the U.S. HealthWorks website forwards automatically to Concentra's own website. This page does not describe Concentra's size, ownership history, or business practices beyond that, since those are not matters of workers' compensation law.

Yazdchi Law P.C. is not affiliated with Concentra. Nothing here suggests a Concentra doctor, or any other treating doctor, is biased for or against an injured worker. The rules below come from the California Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) and the Labor Code, and they apply the same way no matter which clinic your employer uses.

Why Did My Employer Send Me to Concentra?

Employers often direct the first visit after a work injury to a clinic in their medical provider network, or to any licensed doctor if no network applies.

California law lets an employer or insurer set up a Medical Provider Network (MPN). An MPN is a list of doctors approved to treat work injuries (Labor Code 4616). If your employer has an MPN and Concentra is in it, your employer can direct your first visit there. If there is no MPN, Labor Code 4600, subdivision (c), lets the employer choose the treating doctor for the first 30 days after you report the injury. Either way, your first visit to Concentra does not by itself decide your whole claim. It also does not take away the choices covered next. For the full rules on how a network works, see what an MPN is and how it works in California.

Can I See My Own Doctor Instead of Concentra?

Only if you named that doctor in writing before you were hurt. Otherwise, the employer's choice of clinic usually controls the first visit.

Under Labor Code 4600, subdivision (d), you may be able to keep your own doctor from the date of injury. Three things must be true. Before you were hurt, you gave your employer written notice naming that doctor. Your doctor is your regular primary care physician who already keeps your medical records and agreed in advance to be named this way. You also had group health coverage for non-work injuries on the date of injury. This is called predesignation. If you did not predesignate before the injury, you generally cannot start it after the injury for that same claim. A separate rule, Labor Code 4600, subdivision (c), lets you choose your own doctor after 30 days from reporting the injury, but only if your employer has no medical provider network. For a full walk through of this choice, see should you use the MPN or predesignate your doctor.

Can I Switch to a Different Doctor After My First Concentra Visit?

Usually yes, if Concentra is part of your employer's medical provider network. You can pick another network doctor once your first visit is finished.

State regulations require the employer or insurer to tell you about this right. You can be treated by a doctor of your choice within the network after your first visit. They must also tell you how to get the list of network providers (8 CCR 9767.6, subdivision (d)). Your choice of treating doctor, and of any later doctor, must fit that physician's specialty or experience with your type of injury (Labor Code 4616.3, subdivision (b)). If your employer has no medical provider network at all, a separate one time change of physician right can apply instead. See the one time change of physician rule for how that works.

What if I Disagree With the Diagnosis or Treatment Plan?

You can ask for a second opinion from another network doctor, and a third opinion if you still disagree, before the dispute goes any further.

If you dispute the diagnosis or treatment a Concentra doctor recommends, Labor Code 4616.3, subdivision (c), lets you seek a second opinion. That opinion comes from another doctor inside the network. Title 8 regulation 9767.7 sets the steps. First, you tell the person your employer or insurer designated that you dispute the diagnosis or treatment. The insurer then gives you a list of available network doctors or specialists to choose from. You generally have 60 days to make the appointment once you receive that list. If you still disagree with the second doctor, you can ask for a third opinion inside the network the same way. A denied treatment request is different from a disputed diagnosis. A denial usually goes through Utilization Review and, on a timely appeal, Independent Medical Review; see how Utilization Review and Independent Medical Review work for that separate process.

What if I Need Emergency Care?

Go to the nearest emergency room or call 911. A true emergency is never limited to the network or to Concentra's hours.

State regulations define emergency health care services as care for a medical condition. The symptoms must be acute, and severe enough that going without immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to put the patient's health in serious jeopardy (8 CCR 9767.1(5)). A medical provider network must also have a written policy. That policy must let an injured worker get emergency health care from a hospital or provider who is not in the network (8 CCR 9767.5, subdivision (j)). In practice, a severe injury, such as a chemical splash to the eyes, a deep cut, chest pain, or trouble breathing, should go to the nearest emergency room first. Tell your employer and the clinic about the visit as soon as you reasonably can afterward.

What if Concentra or the Insurer Denies or Delays My Treatment?

A treatment denial follows the state's utilization review process, and you have a separate right to appeal it.

A request from your treating doctor, including one at Concentra, can be approved, changed, delayed, or denied through Utilization Review. A timely denial is normally appealed through Independent Medical Review. The Division of Workers' Compensation offers free help with this process through its Information and Assistance Unit. If a dispute does not resolve informally, a worker can ask the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board to decide it. A workers' compensation attorney may help in a few situations: when treatment stays denied, when the network will not give you a workable doctor, or when the claim itself is disputed. A workers' compensation judge must approve any attorney's fee before it is paid (Labor Code 4906). The fee request is usually 15% to 18%. See how workers' comp attorney fees work in California for the full breakdown.

Your Rights When You Are Sent to a Clinic Like Concentra

The table below lines up common situations with the rule that applies, so you can see your options at a glance.

If you were sent to Concentra or another clinic after a California work injury and have questions about your treatment rights or a denied request, Yazdchi Law P.C. serves injured workers across California from its office in Palmdale. The firm reviews each matter individually and decides separately whether it can take a case. Call (661) 273-1780 or use the contact form for a free consultation.