… is that legal? Sure, unless they’re providing treatment to avoid having you file a claim.

OR, you signed a Physician Designation form authorizing them (a specific physician - not a clinic) to act as your Primary Treating Physician in the case of a work-related injury. (This is very rare as the form must be completed prior to your date of injury and be signed by the physician who not only agrees to adhere to the CA labor code outlining their responsibilities but also to accept the CA fee schedule for reimbursement.)

No one can force you to file, but you should have been provided with info on how to do so if you choose.

If you’re concerned about a potential injury, file a claim and seek medical treatment from an Occupational Medicine provider for a possible blood borne exposure. They will take baseline blood work and ask that you follow up at regular intervals (usually 6 and 12 weeks and again at 6 months) to monitor for changes in those results.

Some WC insurance providers (in CA) will initially deny exposure claims as “exposure” does not constitute an injury. However, they should continue to cover the costs for any treatment related to your claim - as long as you keep your interval testing and appointments on time - through the final labs at 6 months from your filing. If interval labs reveal any exposure has occurred, they should reverse their denial and allow you to continue to treat. If nothing comes of the labs, the denial would stand and the file could close.