Home page — 2005-04-03
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Terry Schiavo dies...
From the USAToday.com (archived) site: PINELLAS PARK, Fla. --- Terri Schiavo, the severely brain-damaged woman whose 15 years connected to a feeding tube sparked an epic legal battle that went all the way to the White House and Congress, died Thursday, 13 days after the tube was removed, her husband's attorney said. She was 41. > posted by Charles Wear > 3/31/05; 7:50:01 AM Comment [0] (link unavailable) LA Times: From injury to insult... Mark Lifsher's article, which includes an interview with Administrative Law Judge, Pamela Foust, highlights the backlogs and uncertainties preventing injured workers from getting the benefits they deserve. Read the article here >>>. > posted by Charles Wear > 3/31/05; 7:48:26 AM Comment [0] (link unavailable) Pure costs are down...rate cuts coming? The pure costs are down according to the WCIRB. Insurance rate cuts should follow. Will they? Article here >>>. > posted by Charles Wear > 3/25/05; 7:00:40 PM Comment [0] (link unavailable) Voters Injured at Work... Voters Injured at Work is seeking political clout according to this story in the Sacramento Union >>> (archived). The question remains, does the governator care? > posted by Charles Wear > 3/18/05; 7:40:27 AM Comment [0] (link unavailable) Confirmation battle continues The battle for the confirmation of Administrative Director Andrea Hoch continues. Insurance groups are weighing in and staying out of the fray. Read this article for more details >>> (link unavailable). The regulatory process has gummed up the workers comp system and Andrea Hoch bears the responsibility. In regard to the new permanent disability schedule she met the deadline but failed to follow the law. Years of litigation are sure to follow with massive windfall profits to the insurance carriers. Rob Reiner for governor? Is this our only hope? > posted by Charles Wear > 3/17/05; 7:10:35 AM Comment [0] (link unavailable) Consolidation? I recently heard that one of the largest applicant attorney's firms based in Southern California is consolidating its operations by closing satellite offices. Is this a harbinger of things to come? A new governor is what is needed to stem the tide. Even the Administrative Director, according to workcompcentral.com is studying the denial of care that utilization review is causing. Rob Reiner, where are you? > posted by Charles Wear > 3/15/05; 7:24:41 AM Comment [0] (link unavailable) CHP work comp fraud unit head under scrutiny... The California Highway Patrol, under recent attack for a high number of workers' compensation claims, has temporarily removed the current head of the work comp fraud unit because he has a contested claim for injury. Read the whole article here in the Sacramento Bee>>>. (link unavailable) > posted by Charles Wear > 3/13/05; 7:12:33 PM Comment [0] (link unavailable) CWCI reports on Utilization Review and Treatment The California Workers' Compensation Institute has issued a new report that looks at utilization review and the use of medical treatment guidelines in California workers’ compensation and compares the low back treatment guidelines of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) to those of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), which the state has been considering adding to the workers’ compensation medical treatment utilization schedule. Their news release is here >>>. (archived) I have heard that the report is critical of delays and denials of treatment under the ur system. It is only a matter of time before this failure of the system becomes clear. > posted by Charles Wear > 3/10/05; 6:36:54 AM Comment [0] (link unavailable) Hoch nomination in trouble... The Andrea Hoch nomination is in trouble...read more here >>> (archived). Rob Reiner for Governor! Can the Meathead take the Terminator? > posted by Charles Wear > 3/7/05; 7:56:03 AM Comment [0] (link unavailable) Further analysis on Reiner for Governor For more analysis on Rob Reiner for Governor and celebrities and politics, click here >>> (link unavailable) > posted by Charles Wear > 3/6/05; 8:03:38 AM Comment [0] (link unavailable) Rob Reiner for governor? Proving the point I have been trying to make for several weeks now, Rob Reiner leads the field of possible democratic candidates (link unavailable) that might face the governor in the next election. But can he beat him? Only time will tell. > posted by Charles Wear > 3/4/05; 7:07:10 AM Comment [0] (link unavailable) A different way of processing people? I know this isn't on the subject, but I can't help commenting. On February 28 over 100 Iraqis were killed by a suicide bomber (link unavailable), while they were waiting in line to be processed by a clinic. Is it just my imagination, or are most of the casualties of the suicide bombers, especially when there are large numbers, potential recruits who are in line or maybe on a bus? Can't we learn a different way of processing these people so that they aren't such easy targets? > posted by Charles Wear > 3/4/05; 7:05:05 AM Comment [0] (link unavailable) Small business owners optimistic, still concerned Owners of small businesses are optimistic about the economic outlook for 2005 despite continued concerns about California's worker's compensation system, according to an article recently published in the Los Angeles Daily News. (link unavailable) Keitaro Matsuda, an economist with Union Bank is quoted as saying: "Maybe it will take more time. After all, the final changes to California's workers' compensation system began taking effect as of Jan. 1 of this year," he said. "And insurers probably need to verify lasting reductions in costs of workers' compensation policies before they start cutting rates." According to the California Applicant's Attorney Association (archived), insurer profits for the fourth quarter and 2004 are up 25-36% over 2003. Is that enough verification? > posted by Charles Wear > 2/23/05; 5:38:13 AM Comment [0] (link unavailable) Opposition to director's confirmation rising According to workcompcentral.com (link unavailable), opposition is mounting to the confirmation of Andrea Hoch as the administrative director of the California Division of Workers' Compensation. With her confirmation hearing postponed and news conferences pending, injured workers and their lawyers and labor are mounting pressure to have her nomination overturned by May 3, the statutory deadline. > posted by Charles Wear > 2/22/05; 8:19:29 AM Comment [0] (link unavailable) Gov. backs off of plan to "blow up the boxes"... "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Thursday he was backing off a controversial proposal to abolish 88 state boards and commissions that oversee everything from licensing doctors to running recycling programs." The rest of the story here >>> (archived). > posted by Charles Wear > 2/18/05; 6:07:17 AM Comment [0] (link unavailable) Group backing Gov. Arnold sues to remove limits... Citizens to Save California is suing to remove campaign contribution limitations they are violating in supporting the Governor's reforms. The story is here >>> (link unavailable) > posted by Charles Wear > 2/10/05; 5:29:49 AM Comment [0] (link unavailable) More signs that reform is working... Doctors flee the work comp system (archived) and State Fund president retires (link unavailable). We are on a roll now. > posted by Charles Wear > 2/7/05; 7:42:17 PM Comment [0] (link unavailable) Another sign reform is working....medical treatment being refused Here's another sign that reform is working. Needed medical treatment is being refused>>> (archived) > posted by Charles Wear > 2/6/05; 2:50:15 PM Comment [0] (link unavailable) Reform is working, Zenith doubles fourth quarter profits Thank goodness, the reforms are working, Zenith has doubled its fourth quarter profits compared to 2003! Results are here >>> (link unavailable) > posted by Charles Wear > 2/4/05; 5:21:39 AM Comment [0] (link unavailable) A reader responds... From Donald Kottler: "You asked where all the savings are going. Swartznegger is just like Bush. The savings will go to whoever donates the most $$$$ to his cause. And now that he is going to ask for more $$$$ from special interests across the country, I feel he has lost touch with the people he is supposed to represent. Signed an injured worker-6 years and counting." > posted by Charles Wear > 1/30/05; 8:57:59 AM Comment [0] (link unavailable) Zenith CEO calls governor's plan "ridiculous" Via WorkCompCentral: "Stan Zax, CEO of Zenith National Insurance Co. and vice chair of the Little Hoover Commission, angrily denounced Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to eliminate 88 state boards as "revolting" and "ridiculous," in a Little Hoover Commission hearing." Apparently even an insurance executive realizes you can go too far with "reform". > posted by Charles Wear > 1/27/05; 9:12:31 AM Comment [0] (link unavailable) State Fund unveils medical provider network... State Compensation Insurance Fund, California's largest workers' compensation insurer has unveiled its medical provider network which includes physicians from Blue Cross, Kaiser and others. Spokespersons claim that physician choices will not be curtailed. See the Sacramento Bee article here >>> (archived) > posted by Charles Wear > 1/26/05; 6:12:33 AM Comment [0] (link unavailable) Action group for injured workers forms....sues! Voters Injured at Work has joined with the California Applicant's Attorney Association to file suit to stop implementation of the proposed permanent disability evaluation schedule. It seems the courts will be left to decide. There is apparently no political will left in the legislature to deal with the draconian cuts the administrative director, Andrea Hoch, is proposing. > posted by Charles Wear > 1/23/05; 7:54:42 PM Comment [0] (link unavailable) Premiums make double digit drops... Workers' compensation insurance premiums have dropped in the double digits in the last six months according to the article posted here >>> (link unavailable) These drops are not deep enough, or quick enough to please governmental officials and employers. One question that keeps coming to mind: Why should California's workers' compensation costs be anything less than the highest in the nation? I know this is always quoted as a bad thing, but do we want to be lower than who? South Dakota? > posted by Charles Wear > 1/20/05; 12:22:59 AM Comment [0] (link unavailable) Governor to cut public pensions One of the ways the Governor will cut state expenditures is by changing the public pension program from defined benefit to defined contribution. This simply means that retiring public employees will receive lower pension benefits, making state jobs less attractive. This isn't always clear from the news reports. Read an article on the subject here >>> (archived) > posted by Charles Wear > 1/17/05; 1:02:54 AM Comment [0] (link unavailable) Apparently Gov. Arnold doesn't believe in his own reforms... The governor has proposed 30% increases in the State's workers' compensation budget over the next two years. Is this an example of the savings and efficiency he is bringing to California government? See the full article here >>> (link unavailable) Draft Michael Douglas, or Martin Sheen for governor in 2006. Or what do you think, would Rob Reiner have a chance? > posted by Charles Wear > 1/14/05; 2:12:07 PM Comment [0] (link unavailable) Study shows that windfall to workers is not cause of crisis A recent study conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California says that the cause of the alleged workers' compensation crisis is neither a sudden jump in claims, nor a windfall in benefits to workers. For the entire article click here >>> (link unavailable) > posted by Charles Wear > 1/14/05; 2:01:01 PM Comment [0] (link unavailable) Some are helped, some are hurt.... Reforms are helping some employers and injured workers and hurting others. You can read more here >>> (archived) > posted by Charles Wear > 1/11/05; 8:05:16 PM Comment [0] (link unavailable) Hang on to your hats, 2005 will be a wild political ride The terminator has picked a fight with educators, public employees, correctional officers and the legislators. This LA Times article outlines the situation clearly. (link unavailable) This means that a special election is inevitable. Watch carefully, the insurance carriers and businesses may take this opportunity to attempt to eliminate workers' compensation benefits. Here's the question, will the people let them do that? > posted by Charles Wear > 1/9/05; 11:39:52 PM Comment [0] (link unavailable) Oh boy, make things more complex, then impossible! Via WorkCompCentral.Com: "Is California reform going too far? Though barely mentioned in his State of the State speech Wednesday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to wrap the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board, the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and the Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board into one, nine-member commission has many in the industry alarmed and concerned that the technical specialty needed to resolve policy rendering decisions will be lost." With 15 years of experience in practicing worker's compensation law, and constant continuing education, I am able to somewhat competently handle a system that with the SB899 reform has been made more complex. Now, in the name of savings, the Governor proposes that, for the sake of streamlining government, three areas of the law should be overseen by one board. It is highly unlikely that persons experienced in other areas of Labor Law will be able to navigate the workers' compensation system. > posted by Charles Wear > 1/7/05; 7:55:51 PM Comment [0] (link unavailable) |