Pain doctors for lien cases in Virginia

Who regulates care in Virginia

• Physician licenses: Virginia Board of Medicine
• Work injuries: Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission
• Medicaid program: Virginia Medicaid (Cover Virginia)

Treatment on a lien or letter of protection in Virginia

Lien and letter-of-protection rules are set by each state, and Virginia's rules differ from California's. Ask the provider and your attorney which arrangement they use in Virginia 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 (Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission), 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 Virginia Beach

• Check the license with the Virginia Board of Medicine. 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.