By Michael Castillo
Wednesday, April 14, 2021 | 3
While legislative efforts to reduce delays in providing medical care to injured workers have only just begun, insurance and employer groups’ continued renouncement of the “heaven falling” started early and has become even more absurd.
Michael Castillo
CAAA-sponsored Congregation Act 1465, enacted by Congregation Wives Eloise Reyes, San Bernardino, D, and Lorena Gonzalez, San Diego, D, would create a nationwide network of medical providers to provide opportunities for injured workers Without the delays of the current medical care to avail piece by piece MPN system.
A coalition of employers and insurance groups claim there is no need to set up a statewide MPN as their current MPNs, which are often characterized by denial of care to save money, are working fine.
But if the statistics are any indication, then that’s just not true. The delays in medical care under the current system often create permanent disabilities for workers who cannot receive timely care.
A study recently published by the Employee Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau confirmed this, showing that in a group of workers surveyed who received no treatment within 30 days, 71% of claims received permanent disability. Alternatively, in cases that received timely medical treatment in the first 30 days, only 51% had a permanent residual disability.
What’s worse is that a 2018 study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute found that California’s employee compensation system ranks as the slowest from injury to treatment date for anyone but the first medical exam.
They also claim that the creation of a new statewide MPN system, labeled CAMPN under the bill, would override employers’ MPN systems – another false claim.
The statewide MPN would only give the injured worker the option of choosing a treating doctor in one of the two networks, which allows more freedom and the ability for workers to choose a doctor or specialist in their area so that they do not travel hundreds of miles need to find him one under the restrictive MPN of the employer.
The evidence clearly shows that the system is fraught with delays. As injured workers lawyers and other work groups seek to help workers and establish a system that works for workers, corporate and insurance groups continue their smoke and mirrors campaign so they can continue to make record profits while freeing themselves from their duty to protect can their injured workers.
Michael Castillo is the director of communications for the California Applicants’ Attorneys Association. This statement is republished with permission from the CAAA website.
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