adjustercom.com
adjustercom.net
The Stockwell Firm adjustercom publishes your thoughts and ideas...
Home
News

 Features


Other Claims News
People
Forums
The Comp Examiner Directory
The Liability Adjuster Directory
Service Provider Directory
Post a Job
View Jobs
Resumes
View Resumes
Contact Us

Adjusters Friend

jobs.adjustercom.com

 

Place Your Banner Here With A Click

 

adjustercom.net - FraudFromInsideAndOutsideTheCourtroom

 


Welcome Guest! | Login | Register with adjustercom
 
 
News

News Archive

Email a Friend Email A Friend

More News

March 25, 2024
California Division of Workers' Compensation Posts Adjustments to Official Medical Fee Schedule (Physician Services / Non-Physician Practitioner Services)

March 19, 2024
Nearly half of all litigated workers' compensation claims in the Los Angeles basin are cumulative trauma claims.

March 7, 2024
California's Division of Workers' Compensation Posts Adjustment to Official Medical Fee Schedule (Ambulance Services)

March 6, 2024
Accident Claims The Life of AdminSure Claims Adjuster Alexis Wicker



Governor Proposes New Worker Compensation Rules
By Tom Chorneau, Associated Press Writer - December 27, 2004

SACRAMENTO (AP) _ The Schwarzenegger administration has released a sweeping set of regulations aimed at revising how doctors evaluate permanent injuries to workers and how much compensation they are paid.

The new regulations, unveiled Thursday, are a key element of the landmark reform of the state's compensation system approved by the Legislature last spring and aimed at cutting billions from the rates employers pay for insurance.

The new proposal calls for the use of guidelines developed by the American Medical Association for measuring permanent disabilities. The administration also wants to employ a new formula for translating the degree of injury into dollars paid in compensation.

Union officials and worker advocates said the new regulations will result in cutting benefits for workers. Critics also complain the public only has a few days to comment on the plan before they could be adopted.

"Gov. (Arnold) Schwarzenegger is making these cuts at a time when most people will not be paying attention," said Art Pulaski, executive secretary treasurer of the California Labor Federation. "Injured workers deserve better than a weekend attack like this. If the governor is going make drastic cuts in their payments, he should at least give them a chance to respond."

The new rules have been sent to the Office of Administrative Law, which has up to 10 days to consider the regulations.

The proposed rules have been in the making since the passage of the worker's compensation reform legislation last spring.

Reforming the workers' compensation system was a major milestone for Schwarzenegger in his efforts to improve the California economy. The 91-year-old system was known for charging the nation's highest insurance rates while delivering inadequate care to workers.

Rates paid by employers for worker compensation insurance jumped an average of 149 percent from 2000 to 2003, according to the Department of Insurance.

The reform legislation included caps on disability payments and a requirement that injured workers must choose physicians authorized by employers and insurance companies.

The other big change focused on how permanent disabilities were evaluated and compensated.

Supporters said the administration's new regulations provide a major step forward in bringing down the cost of workers' compensation insurance.

"For the first time, California will have a system that measures permanent impairment based on clear, objective factors," said Allen Zaremberg, president of the California Chamber of Commerce.

But critics, like David Schwartz, president of the California Applicants' Attorneys Association said the new rules will "severely reduce permanent disability benefits to injured workers" because of how the new compensation formula works.

Pulaski said that many injured workers will get fewer benefits under the new system and some will not get any compensation at all.

"Gov. Schwarzenegger made a promise to injured workers that they wouldn't suffer as a result of workers compensation reform," said Pulaski. "Now he is slashing benefits in half for workers on permanent disability."

Not so, said Sen. Chuck Poochigian, R-Fresno, who was the lead author of the reform legislation, who called the proposed system in line with what the Legislature agreed to last spring.

"Even with the implementation of a new permanent disability schedule, California's overall benefit system remains more generous than many states," Poochigian said.

___


 

 
 

 Hot Jobs


Adjuster / Examiner
Claims Examiner
Santa Ana Unified School District
Santa Ana, CA
View All Jobs

The J Morey Company

Build Your Brand

jobs.adjustercom.com

The J Morey Company


    Copyright 2024 | Privacy Policy | Feedback |  

Web site engine's code is Copyright © 2003 by PHP-Nuke. All Rights Reserved. PHP-Nuke is Free Software released under the GNU/GPL license.