On November 17, 2021, the California Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) officially invited all stakeholders to provide ideas, comments, and other input on strategies for improving quality of care and efficiency of the state’s workers’ compensation program. In this article, our Sacramento workers’ compensation defense attorneys provide a more detailed overview of the public invasion from the DWC.
DWC Seeking Public Comments on Improving Workers’ Compensation (Zoom Meeting)
California regulators are seeking public input regarding strategies to improve the quality of care that injured workers receive and the efficiency of the workers’ compensation insurance system. The DWC emphasizes that it wants to bring all stakeholders to the table to get thoughts on ensuring that our state’s workers’ compensation program is as fair, efficient, and cost effective as possible. Here are the specific details regarding the call for public comment from the California Division of Workers’ Compensation:
- The DWC will hold a public hearing over Zoom;
- The hearing will be held on November 30, 2021, from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM;
- Any party can speak (insurers, claims administrators, employers, attorneys, workers, health care providers etc);
- Each speaker will be asked to identify themselves and will be granted up to three minutes;
- The meeting can be joined online or by calling 216-706-7005 or 866-434-5269; and
- California regulators are primarily interested in ideas/comments to improve workers’ compensation.
California’s Last Comprehensive Workers’ Compensation Reforms Were Enacted in 2012
California’s workers’ compensation insurance system was created in 1911. Initially, it was a voluntary program for employers/employees. By 1917, The Workmen’s Compensation Insurance and Safety Act was passed which set up the mandatory workers’ compensation insurance system that the state still largely operates under to this day. Of course, workers’ comp in California has been reformed many times over the past century.
The most recent comprehensive reforms to the California workers’ compensation insurance system were passed into law in 2012. In September of that year, then Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 863 (SB 863). The law modified the state’s workers’ compensation insurance claims process in several ways, including:
- Increasing available benefits for injured workers;
- Creating a new Independent Medical Review (IMR) process; and
- Revising the existing Qualified Medical Examiner (QME) process.
Since 2012, there have been other more modest legal reforms—including COVID-19 specific workers’ compensation regulations. The DWC is once again seeking input from stakeholders to determine if there are any reasonable reforms that could improve our state’s workers’ comp system.
Schedule a Confidential Consultation With a Workers’ Compensation Defense Attorney
At Yrulegui & Roberts, our California workers’ compensation defense lawyers are committed to promoting a culture of honesty, integrity, and personalized legal representation. We always provide solutions-driven guidance and support. Give us a call now or send us a message online for a strictly private initial case review. Our law firm serves clients throughout the whole region, including in Sacramento, Rancho Cordova, Folsom, Roseville, Elk Grove, Stockton, Modesto, and Vacaville.
