New DIR, DWC Leaders Speak to SIBTF & Other Issues

The Division of Workers’ Compensation’s annual educational forum opened last week under the direction of a new leadership team at the Division and the Department of Industrial Relations. DIR Director Jennifer Osborn noted that she is still months away from her first anniversary in the position, and acting DWC Administrative Director Nicole Richardson has been … Read More »

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WCIRB Files Regulatory Changes

The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau officially requested approval of across-the-board increases to the dual wage thresholds, as well as increases in payroll minimums and maximums in limited classes. The … Read More »

Prepaid Debit Card Authorization Bill

The Assembly Insurance Committee is carrying AB 1683 to end the sunset date on a program that allows workers’ comp carriers, third-party administrators, and self-insured employers to distribute workers’ comp indemnity benefits via prepaid debit cards. The prepaid cards have been authorized under a pilot program since 2018. A report released last fall showed that … Read More »

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California Single Payer Bill and Workers’ Comp

Assemblyman Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) is bringing back – for a third time – a bill to create a single-payer health care system in California. Past attempts failed to clear their house of origin. The latest version of the bill to create the CalCare program includes a provision for an advisory board to develop a … Read More »

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UR Reg Comments

The Division of Workers’ Compensation received numerous comments in response to its third 15-day public comment period regarding a proposal to update the regulations for California’s utilization review system. The agency was forced to circulate an updated proposal after the Office of Administrative Law rejected the regulations the Division filed earlier. OAL said DWC failed … Read More »

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Governor Signs Most Workers’ Comp Bills

Gov. Gavin Newsom closed out the legislative session with a couple of key vetoes. One of the bills would have created the only workers’ compensation presumption that applies to private sector workplaces, but otherwise gave his approval to a host of workers’ comp measures. Included among the new laws were bills to crack down on … Read More »

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Workers’ Comp Bills Signed And Vetoed

Gov. Gavin Newsom is working through the stacks of bills legislators passed this session and vetoed a bill aiming to reform the Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund (SIBTF) while signing measures to improve the med-legal process and extend a heart presumption to more peace officers. The SIBTF bill promised to cut costs in the runaway … Read More »

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