Within how many days must an employee be offered a choice of participating physicians after a request is received?

• A. 2 days
• B. 5 days
• C. 7 days
• D. 10 days

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is ensuring the employee can access medical care promptly after requesting a choice of physicians. Under a California Self-Insurance Plan, once the employee requests a panel of participating physicians, the insurer or employer must offer that panel within five days. This short window helps the employee start appropriate treatment quickly and ensures they have a real, timely option to choose from among SIP-participating providers. The other timeframes would either be impractical to assemble a panel in or would delay care beyond what the policy intends. So five days is the correct requirement.