05/13/21
The concept of a statewide MPN (Medical Provider Network) is dead for the foreseeable future.
The California Medical Provider Network (CAMPN) was originally proposed under Assembly Bill 1465, sponsored by California Assembly members Eloise Reyes and Lorena Gonzalez. The proposal would have required the California Division of Workers Compensation to build out a statewide physician network which injured workers could have accessed as an alternative to the MPN used by their employer or employer s insurer or TPA.
The impetus for the bill? For years applicant attorneys have cited anecdotal problems with obtaining treatment for workers under MPNs.
The AB 1465 proposal came under heavy fire from employers and insurers. An April 2021 study by the California Workers Compensation Institute (see link below) raised questions about the need for the proposal and the feasibility of it. CWCI claimed that based on its data, the time to initial medical treatment for injured workers cove
In a first among 15 states with workers compensation formularies, the California Division of Workers’ Compensation this month launched its process for adopting COVID-19 treatment protocols into its drug formulary for treating injured workers.
02/05/21
WorkersCompensation.com
San Francisco, CA (WorkersCompensation.com) - The California Division of Workers Compensation (DWC) is pleased to announce dates for its 28th annual educational conference. The conference will take place on a virtual platform from March 24-26, 2021. Sessions will also be available to view on demand through April 9, 2021 for registered participants.
This annual event is the largest workers compensation training in the state and allows claims administrators, attorneys, medical providers, return-to-work specialists, employers, human resources and others to learn firsthand about the most recent developments in the system, including any new laws or requirements. Speakers from the Division of Workers Compensation and the private sector will address topics pertinent to claims administrators, medical providers, attorneys, rehabilitation counselors and others involved in workers compensation.
01/28/21
WorkersCompensation.com
Oakland, CA WorkersCompensation.com) - The monthly count of COVID-19 job injury claims reported to the California Division of Workers Compensation (DWC) soared to a record 32,549 cases in December, bringing the total number of COVID-19 claims for accident year (AY) 2020 to 103,712, or more than one out of every six workers comp claims with a 2020 injury date according to a new analysis by the California Workers Compensation Institute (CWCI). With additional year-end claims continuing to be filed, CWCI projects that the ultimate COVID-19 claim count for December will be 43,290 claims, while the projected count for all of AY 2020 is 117,989 COVID-19 claims.