Administrative Director predicts no rise in PD rates
Via WorkCompCentral:
California's top workers' compensation official said Wednesday that she
will not adjust the Permanent Disability Rating Schedule to increase
benefits if research now underway shows a significant increase in the
number of injured workers who return to their jobs.
During an interview with WorkCompCentral, Division of Workers' Compensation Administrative Director Carrie Nevans said her agency is now studying return-to-work rates to compare with the results of a 2003 study by the Rand Institute for Civil Justice. After that work is done, she said the DWC will spend another 18 months comparing wage losses of permanently disabled workers to find out if the rating schedule effective in January 2005 cut too deeply into benefits.
"My hunch is that return-to-work rates are going to be much higher," Nevans said. "If that's the case, then I don't think there will be any adjustment until we see the actual wage loss."
During an interview with WorkCompCentral, Division of Workers' Compensation Administrative Director Carrie Nevans said her agency is now studying return-to-work rates to compare with the results of a 2003 study by the Rand Institute for Civil Justice. After that work is done, she said the DWC will spend another 18 months comparing wage losses of permanently disabled workers to find out if the rating schedule effective in January 2005 cut too deeply into benefits.
"My hunch is that return-to-work rates are going to be much higher," Nevans said. "If that's the case, then I don't think there will be any adjustment until we see the actual wage loss."