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 covered under MPNs was not significantly different than for non-MPN claims. Moreover, CWCI claimed that based on its data, geographic access to treatment was not significantly different for workers under MPNs when compared with workers not covered by MPNs.