Pain doctors for lien cases in Michigan

Who regulates care in Michigan

• Physician licenses: Michigan Board of Medicine (LARA)
• Work injuries: Michigan Workers' Disability Compensation Agency
• Medicaid program: Michigan Medicaid

Treatment on a lien or letter of protection in Michigan

Lien and letter-of-protection rules are set by each state, and Michigan's rules differ from California's. Ask the provider and your attorney which arrangement they use in Michigan and what you would owe if the case does not settle.

A medical lien (or letter of protection) lets an injured client get treatment now while the provider waits to be paid from the settlement. The attorney signs the lien, the provider bills at its stated rates, and the lien is negotiated and paid when the case resolves. If the case loses, the client may still owe the bill, so read the lien terms.

• The registry listings below show where pain specialists practice. They do not show who accepts liens; confirm with the office.
• Work injuries go through workers' compensation instead (Michigan Workers' Disability Compensation Agency), which has its own billing rules.
• Ask for the provider's fee schedule up front so the lien amount at settlement is not a surprise.

Choosing a pain doctor in Detroit

• Check the license with the Michigan Board of Medicine (LARA). Physicians can also be looked up on DocInfo.org.
• Ask whether the doctor is board certified in pain medicine (through anesthesiology, PM&R or neurology).
• Ask which procedures are done in the office and which at a surgery center, and who reads your imaging.
• Bring a list of medicines, prior imaging (MRI, X-ray) and the dates your pain started or changed.