Sacramento, CA – In a major win for labor rights, the California Labor Commissioner’s Office (LCO) secured $942,604 in settlements to pay back wages to 187 former employees of Baked in the Sun, a Vista-based bakery that abruptly closed, leaving workers unpaid. Each worker will now receive over $3 for every $1 originally owed, a […]
Sacramento, CA – The Guardian Group, LLC, a Med-Legal Exam firm based in California, has embraced an innovative staffing model; it employs foreign-trained medical doctors in support roles. Although these roles are temporary, they offer international doctors a crucial stepping stone toward a career in US medicine. Consequently, this mutually beneficial arrangement leads to high-quality
Foreign MDs Find Path to US Residency Placement in Med-Legal Industry Read Post »
Pilot Program by Cal/OSHA to Enhance Workplace Safety and Inclusivity Cal/OSHA Launches New Translation App to Break Down Language Barriers Sacramento, CA—To improve worker safety and bridge communication barriers, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has introduced an advanced translation app in a pilot program. Developed by TranslateLive, this tool enables Cal/OSHA
Payments for medical-legal evaluations and reports used to resolve medical disputes in California work injury claims have increased more than expected since a new Med-Legal Fee Schedule (MLFS) took effect in April 2021 according to a new CWCI study, with the average payment for a comprehensive exam up 52%, primarily due to new per-page fees
California Workers’ Comp Med-Legal Costs Rise Read Post »
Oakland, CA – Private self-insured claim volume in the California workers’ compensation claims system fell 9.5% in 2023, producing the biggest year-to-year decline in private self-insured claim frequency in more than 15 years, but double-digit increases in the average amounts paid and incurred on these claims drove total paid and incurred losses for private self-insured
Fewer Claims, Higher Losses for CA Workers’ Comp Self-Insureds Read Post »
Oakland, CA – Migraine Drugs represented less than 1% of all prescriptions dispensed to California injured workers in 2023 but they consumed 4.7% of workers’ compensation drug payments, a nearly 8-fold increase since 2018, which a California Workers’ Compensation Institute (CWCI) study links to the emergence of several high-cost brand drugs that are not listed
Are Migraine Drugs Becoming a New WC Cost Driver? Read Post »
Folsom, CA – A former California Highway Patrol (CHP) captain, Matthew Stover, has been arrested on charges of workers’ compensation fraud and perjury, authorities reported. Stover, 51, a 22-year veteran of the CHP, was detained in Folsom on October 17, 2024, after a multi-year investigation by the CHP’s Workers’ Compensation Fraud Investigations Unit. The investigation
Former CHP Captain Arrested for Workers’ Comp Fraud & Perjury Read Post »
Cal/OSHA has cited Ruiz Farm Labor in Dixon for failing to protect its employees from heat illness, imposing a penalty of $17,550 for three serious heat illness violations of California’s heat illness prevention standard. The investigation began in June after reports surfaced that the farm labor contractor allegedly fired a group of workers, known as
Cal/OSHA Fines Ruiz Farm Labor for Heat Illness Violations Read Post »
The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California (WCIRB) has released its Quarterly Experience Report. This report is an update on California’s statewide insurer experience valued as of June 30, 2024. Highlights of the report include: The full report is in the Research Studies and Reports section of the WCIRB website and at the following link: Conclusion The
California Workers’ Comp Premium Trends and Insights Read Post »
A Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) study reveals that, as of March 2023, medical payments per workers’ compensation claim in California were 10% below the median of a 17-state sample. Titled CompScope Medical Benchmarks for California, 25th Edition, the report assesses med payment, pricing, and utilization in California compared to 16 other states. It covers
California Workers’ Comp Medical Payments 10% Below Median Read Post »
