After you've received your Medical Portal credentials, you can access the training by selecting the Medical Portal icon on the top right of the Board's website homepage (wcb.ny.gov). After logging into the Medical Portal, under Medical Provider, select Training, and then Training Requirements for Provider Authorization. You will see a listing of the required courses by provider type with links and instructions for accessing the courses via the learning management system, CourseMill.
Providers Who Can Be Authorized
The following medical providers may be authorized to treat injured workers in the NYS Workers' compensation system. As of January 1, 2020, providers who can be authorized must be authorized to treat injured workers.
- Physicians
- Chiropractors
- Podiatrists
- Psychologists
- Physical Therapists
- Occupational Therapists
- Acupuncturists
- Nurse Practitioners
- Physician Assistants
- Licensed Clinical Social Workers
What Providers Seeking Authorization Need to Know – October 2022: Video / Slides
How to Apply
To apply for authorization, you must:
- Sign up to use the NYS Workers' Compensation Board Medical Portal and/or login with the credentials that have been assigned to you;
- Complete the required training specific to your profession;
- Complete the New Provider Authorization Request online application.
Sign up to Access the Medical Portal
To access the Medical Portal and new provider training, you must have an NY.gov ID. This is not the personal NY.gov ID that you may have with other agencies, such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Taxation and Finance, etc. The NY.gov User ID and temporary password will be generated for you when you submit a request for Medical Portal access.
More information is available on the Medical Portal Access and Administration web page.
Complete Required Training
Complete the New Provider Authorization Request
Once you've completed the required training, you can begin the New Provider Authorization Request online application form, which you can access from the Medical Portal login. Because the application must be done in a single sitting (you can't save and come back later), it is important to have the following information readily available before you begin:
- Your individual National Provider Identifier (NPI)
- Mailing and practice address(es)
- NYS license number(s)
- Board certification(s), if applicable
- Certificate of completion of an approved residency program (if you have completed a residency)
- Disciplinary information
- Curriculum vitae/resume
- (Physician Assistants Only) Supervising Physician Affirmation Letter - this must be completed by your supervising physician and attached to your application
Once you have completed your application and attached all necessary documents (e.g., certifications, CV/resume, disciplinary action), you submit it electronically to the Workers' Compensation Board. The Board will then review your application, notify you whether you have been approved for authorization to treat injured workers, and advise on next steps.
Important Notes for Physicians
Certificate of completion of an approved residency program
Physician applicants for authorization to treat injured workers must demonstrate that they qualify for a specialty rating. This requirement can be satisfied in one of three ways:
- Currently active certification in the medical specialty for which the physician has applied, by a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialties or the American Osteopathic Association, and for those physicians subject to periodic recertification or maintenance of certification requirements, demonstration that the physician is participating in maintenance of certification, or
- Completion of a residency or fellowship accredited by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education or American Osteopathic Association, in the medical specialty for which the physician has applied, or
- Completion of a residency accredited by CanERA (Canadian Excellence in Residency Accreditation) or one of its recognized historic residency accreditation equivalents (e.g., the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada) that would satisfy the training requirements of a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialties or American Osteopathic Association.
Review by Medical Society
Applications submitted by physicians are initially reviewed by either the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) or the New York State Osteopathic Medical Society (NYSOMS).
When completing the online application, you will be asked to select the medical society you wish to perform the initial review of your application. If selecting MSSNY, you'll be asked which county medical society you want to send the application to for review. This should be the county where you practice the majority of your time.
Be advised that the medical society to which you submit your application may charge a fee to process your application.
After the medical society submits their recommendation to the Board, it will be reviewed, and you will be advised of the final authorization determination.
If you have any questions about the application process, please call the Medical Director's Office at (800) 781-2362, or send an email to provider@wcb.ny.gov.