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By Eman Yazdchi, Esq. · Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law, State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization
In California, Labor Code section 4600.3 (and the related §4600 predesignation provision) allows a California injured worker to predesignate a personal physician for industrial injury treatment. The section 4600.3 California rule overrides §4616 medical-provider-network steering when predesignation is properly made before injury.
California Labor Code section 4600.3 (and the related California Labor Code §4600 California predesignation framework) allows a California injured worker to predesignate a personal physician for treatment of industrial injuries before any injury occurs. Under section 4600.3, when the California worker properly predesignates a personal physician in writing — and the predesignated physician has agreed in advance to treat the worker for industrial injuries — the predesignated physician provides initial medical treatment after a subsequent injury, overriding the California employer's California Labor Code §4616 California medical-provider-network steering. The section 4600.3 California rule lets California workers preserve continuity of care with a trusted doctor rather than being routed into the employer's MPN at the moment of injury.
Under California Labor Code section 4600.3 and the related California Labor Code §4600 California predesignation regulations, the California valid predesignation requires several elements: (1) the predesignation is made in writing before any industrial injury occurs; (2) the California worker has a pre-existing relationship with the named physician (typically meaning the physician has previously directed the worker's medical treatment for non-industrial conditions); (3) the predesignated physician has agreed in advance to accept the predesignation and to treat the California worker for industrial injuries; (4) the predesignation form is delivered to the California employer; and (5) the predesignation contains the physician's name, address, and practice information. The section 4600.3 California predesignation must be made before the injury, not after.
Under California Labor Code section 4600.3, the California "personal physician" eligible for predesignation is generally limited to a California-licensed medical doctor (MD) or osteopath (DO) who: has previously directed the California worker's medical treatment; has a pre-existing relationship with the worker; and maintains records demonstrating that relationship. The section 4600.3 California rule does not allow predesignation of just any doctor — the doctor must be the California worker's actual personal physician, with documentation supporting the prior treating relationship. The section 4600.3 California rule limits predesignation to general practice; certain specialty providers are not eligible for direct predesignation under section 4600.3 California.
Under California Labor Code section 4600.3 and California Labor Code §4616 (medical-provider-network), the California predesignation overrides the California employer's MPN steering. The California Labor Code §4616 California rule normally requires the California injured worker to obtain initial treatment from a physician within the employer's MPN — but the section 4600.3 California predesignation carve-out lets the California worker bypass the MPN and go directly to the predesignated personal physician. The section 4600.3 California override applies only when the predesignation was properly made before the injury and the predesignated physician has agreed to provide treatment. The section 4600.3 California carve-out is one of the limited paths around California Labor Code §4616 California MPN containment.
Under California Labor Code section 4600.3 (predesignation), California Labor Code §4600 (medical-treatment duty), and California Labor Code §4616 (MPN), the California treatment-access framework operates in layers. California Labor Code §4600 California establishes the California employer's general duty to provide reasonably required medical treatment. California Labor Code §4616 California then allows the California employer to channel that treatment through its MPN. Section 4600.3 California creates the predesignation carve-out: when properly invoked before injury, the section 4600.3 California predesignated physician provides initial treatment outside the California Labor Code §4616 California MPN. The three California sections together define how a California injured worker actually accesses California Labor Code §4600 California reasonable medical treatment after an industrial injury.
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Tap to call →Last reviewed by Eman Yazdchi, Esq., May 2026.
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