How to Engage Your Medical Provider Network (MPN)

Your MPN is only useful if your team knows how to use it.

Here’s a common scenario: An employee gets injured at work and nobody knows where they’re supposed to go for treatment. The supervisor is scrambling. The employee is confused. And the claim gets off to a bad start before treatment even begins.

That’s exactly the kind of situation a Medical Provider Network (MPN) can help prevent.

For California employers, an MPN can help injured employees access appropriate care, improve communication throughout a claim, and support a more effective return-to-work process. But it only works when supervisors and employees understand what the MPN is – and how to use it – before an injury occurs.

What Is an MPN – and Why Do You Have One?

An MPN is a group of doctors and other medical providers contracted by your workers’ compensation insurance carrier to treat employees with work-related injuries. The network includes providers who specialize in occupational injuries, as well as doctors with expertise in general areas of medicine.

Employees have a choice of providers within the MPN. Unless an employee has predesignated a physician before a work-related injury, employers must refer them to a provider within the contracted network.

The goal is simple:

• Get injured workers access to appropriate medical care quickly
• Connect employees with providers experienced in occupational injuries
• Improve coordination between employers, adjusters, and treating physicians
• Support timely return-to-work efforts

Using the established MPN can also benefit employers. MPNs have negotiated fee schedules that can help reduce medical costs while allowing the employer and insurance carrier to maintain greater control and coordination throughout the claim.

Know Where to Send an Injured Employee

Don’t wait until an injury happens to figure out where an employee should go for treatment. Your workers’ compensation poster should list your MPN Administrator’s phone number and website, where you can access providers across different specialties.

For the initial medical assessment of a work-related injury, we recommend using an MPN Urgent Care Provider. When possible, call ahead to let the provider know the employee is coming, what they are being seen for, and whether modified duty may be available.

Initial urgent care visits are typically walk-in appointments, with follow-up treatment scheduled as needed.

When locating a provider, keep in mind:

• Urgent Care providers should be located within 15 miles of the employer’s location.
• Specialist providers should be located within 30 miles of the employer’s location.
• MPN provider website directories aren’t always intuitive. You may need to search under categories such as First Treatment Sites, Urgent Care, Family Practice, General Practice, or Internal Medicine to find the appropriate provider.

Why MPN Engagement Matters

Having an MPN isn’t enough. When employees and supervisors don’t understand how to use it, relatively simple breakdowns can create bigger problems throughout the claim.

Consistency matters. Everyone responsible for responding to an injury should understand the same basic process.

Six Ways to Improve MPN Engagement

1. Train Your Supervisors First
Make sure supervisors know how to report an injury, where to send an injured worker for treatment, and who to contact internally. They shouldn’t be figuring out the process after an injury happens.

2. Introduce the MPN During Onboarding
Review the MPN during orientation so employees understand what it is, how to report an injury, and what to expect if they need treatment.

3. Keep MPN Information Visible and Current
Post MPN and injury-reporting information where employees and supervisors can easily find it, including worksites, break rooms, safety boards, employee portals, and new-hire materials. Periodically verify that provider information is still current.

4. Build Relationships with Occupational Clinics
Work with providers who understand your industry and the physical demands of your employees’ jobs. When an employee needs treatment, give the provider relevant information about their job duties and let them know if modified duty may be available.

5. Stay Involved After the Claim Is Reported
Maintain communication with the injured employee and claims team throughout the process. Staying engaged can help address questions, work restrictions, and return-to-work needs before they create unnecessary delays.

6. Have a Return-to-Work Program Ready
Identify modified-duty opportunities before you need them. Depending on an employee’s restrictions and your workplace, options might include administrative work, training, inventory, inspections, or other tasks that can be safely performed within their restrictions.

Is Your Team Ready Before an Injury Happens?

An MPN shouldn’t be something employees and supervisors learn about only after an injury. Knowing which network and providers to use, training your team, keeping information current, and having return-to-work options ready can help create a smoother process when an injury occurs.

Download our MPN Readiness Checklist to make sure your team knows what to do before an injury, when an injury occurs, and throughout treatment and return to work.