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| Preserve the right of injured workers to full medical treatment |
| Any changes to our workers’ compensation system must preserve the Constitutional right of injured workers to full medical treatment to be cured and relieved from on-the-job injuries. |
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| Fund the Division of Workers Compensation |
| Employers and workers are entitled to a prompt, fair hearing on disputed claims. Budget cuts have devastated the court staff who process these cases. A recent RAND report called for increasing staffing at WCAB offices. Governor Schwarzenegger should adequately fund the Division. We await the governor’s budget proposal. |
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| Additional judges and support staff should be hired to assure that disputes are resolved quickly and inexpensively, for the benefit of injured workers and employers. |
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| Additional auditors should be hired to make certain claim administrators are paying claims accurately and timely. |
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| Regulate workers’ compensation insurers |
| The current situation is really an "insurance crisis" caused by price hikes following an irresponsible price war. California must regulate workers’ compensation insurers. |
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Require prior approval of proposed rates to prevent
predatory pricing |
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Prohibit excessive rates |
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Mandate a rate reduction |
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| There will be no definite employer savings unless the industry is regulated. |
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| Increase penalties on employers and insurance carriers who refuse or unreasonably delay payment of injured workers’ benefits. |
| Current penalties are not sufficient to deter late payments. One of every four audited claims has late payments of benefits to injured workers. |
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| Meaningful penalties should be adopted for the audit process. |
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| Combat fraud |
| Anti-fraud efforts should be concentrated on areas where fraud has a major impact on employers’ costs. Task forces should be created under the Attorney General’s office to coordinate investigation and prosecution of fraud by employers and providers. |
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| Impose penalties for employers who refuse to get workers’ compensation insurance, understate their payroll or otherwise fail to meet their obligations. |
