What Is Form LS-1?
What Is Form LS-1. How Do I Get One?
What the Form Does
The LS-1 is the employer's authorization for you to be examined and treated for your work injury. It's the document that tells the clinic and the carrier that treatment has been approved and identifies who's responsible for the bill.
You can name your choice of physician on the form. That's the point at which your right to choose your doctor becomes a paperwork reality rather than an abstraction.
How to Get One
Ask your employer for it. DOL's own guidance to injured workers is direct about this: notify your employer, request authorization for treatment using Form LS-1, and include your choice of physician if you have one.
The form is available at dol.gov, and your employer's safety or HR office will normally have it.
If it's an Emergency
Get treated first. In a medical emergency you can request authorization from your employer or their insurance carrier after you've obtained emergency treatment.
If Your Employer Won't Give You One
This happens, and it isn't necessarily the end of the road. Talk to your Longshore claims examiner at the district office. The Long Beach suboffice covers the LA/Long Beach complex and document your request in writing. Keep a copy of what you sent and when.
You should also make sure you've given written notice of the injury on Form LS-201 within 30 days, because that deadline runs independently of any authorization dispute.
What Your Doctor Does With it
Once you've been seen, your physician completes the initial report portion of the LS-1 and submits it within 10 days. The original goes to the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, with a copy. Plus the bill for services on a standard billing form going to the employer or carrier identified on the form. Reports after that are made regularly on Form LS-204 or in narrative form for as long as you're under care.
Bring it if You Have it
If your employer has given you an LS-1, bring it to your first appointment. If they haven't, come anyway. We'll help you figure out what's missing and who to ask.
Navigating Your Medical Rights
Under the LHWCA, you have the right to choose your own physician. You are not required to see a doctor selected by your employer or insurance carrier. This ensures your medical care is focused solely on your recovery and accurate documentation of your injury.
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