News and comment about California Workers' Compensation — Page 10

"As our reliance on computers increases, Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) such as Carpel Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) are hitting epidemic proportions. More than 28 million Americans use computers each day and, according to officials at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, (OSHA) many risk coming down with carpal tunnel syndrome, the painful, debilitating condition that is the number one disability reported by insurance companies today."...

From the San Francisco Chronicle (archived): "Former state Sen. John Burton said Monday he feels betrayed by new rules that will cut disability payments to injured workers and regrets helping Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger steer a workers' compensation reform bill through the Democrat-controlled Legislature in April."

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.

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 >>>.

The pure costs are down according to the WCIRB. Insurance rate cuts should follow. Will they? Article here >>>.

Voters Injured at Work is seeking political clout according to this story in the Sacramento Union >>> (archived). The question remains, does the governator care?

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...

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...

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)

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...