How to Check a Texas Workers' Comp Provider Network Before a Visit

Start with the written network notice

If your employer uses a certified workers' compensation health care network, Texas Department of Insurance guidance says the employer must give you a written notice explaining the network's service area, rules, procedures, and provider list. Ask your employer or the network for another copy if you do not have it.

Use the network name and contact information shown on that notice. A general web search can help you find contact details, but it does not replace the provider list for your specific network.

Ask for the current provider list

TDI says employers must keep a current list of network providers and give it to employees who ask. Find the exact doctor and clinic location on that list rather than assuming every office in a medical group participates in the same network.

When you contact the network, ask whether the provider and street address you plan to visit are listed for your network. Write down the network's answer, the date, and the contact information you used so you can refer to the same details later.

Confirm whether the service area applies to you

Workers' compensation networks operate in geographic service areas, usually by county. The employer's notice should describe the service area and the rules that apply to employees who live inside or outside it.

Tell your employer or network where you currently live and ask how the service-area rules apply to your claim. The clinic should not decide your network status, and this guide cannot make that determination for you.

Check referral rules before scheduling a specialist

TDI's network guidance says an employee in a network gets a referral from the treating doctor before going to a specialist. If you are being referred, ask the treating doctor's office and the network what approval or scheduling steps are required.

Do not treat a provider directory result as a referral or approval. Confirm the process with the network named in your notice, especially when the appointment is at a different office or with a different provider.

Confirm the clinic details before you travel

After checking with the network, call the clinic to confirm the doctor's name, the exact location, posted hours, and what claim information the staff wants you to bring. Keep your employer, carrier, network, claim number if assigned, and adjuster contact details nearby.

Call Injury Centers of Texas at (832) 801-5099 with visit-planning questions. A clinic phone call does not establish network participation, authorize care, decide coverage, or promise payment. For official claim help, contact Texas DWC at 800-252-7031, option 1. This guide is general educational information, not medical or legal advice.

Frequently asked questions