california division of workers' compensation

Liberty Mutual Plays “IBR (and IMR) Chicken” on UPS Claim

Two unfortunate necessities exemplify the broken state of California’s dysfunctional workers’ comp system:Too often, payers deny an injured worker's care, and the work...

CA DWC: Providers Must Use RFA Form (While Payers Can Do What They Please)

In California, before treating an injured worker, a physician must obtain prior approval from the payer for all treatment. The California Division of Workers’ Compensation (C...

NY WCB Is Right to Celebrate. What Can CA Learn?

New York's Workers' Compensation Board (NY WCB) recently issued a bulletin touting its accomplishments over the last several years. While it’s hard not to be skeptical of a g...

CA SIBTF Paid $725,570 in Med-Legal Costs For a Single Claim

California employers pay four times more in Medical-Legal costs for Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund (SIBTF) claims than for standard workers' comp claims. The ...

CA: Sedgwick Hits 359,626 Violations (and Counting)

Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc. is routinely non-compliant with California workers' comp payment laws and regulations. Among its violations: repeatedly faili...

Zurich's MPN Violates CA Law (Again) - Tesla Should Be Asking Questions

To ensure injured workers' access to care, California has laws governing Medical Provider Networks (MPNs). Zurich Insurance North America continues to treat those laws as opt...

CA: Sedgwick's Flagrant Second Review Violations Continue

Third-Party Administrator (TPA) Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc. continues to deny California providers’ Second Review appeals at high rates for an incorrect, laugha...

CA Employers Need to Know: Is It the Injury or the UR System?

Last year, California raised employers’ workers' comp premiums by 8.7% while other states continued to cut rates, some for over a decade straight. Across the nation, premiums...

CA: Vast Majority of IBR Requests Involve Interpreter Services

Interpreterservices are vital to California workers’ comp. Unfortunately, Independent Bill Review (IBR) data suggest that interpreters face seriou...

CA: Maximus Indicates "IBR Chicken" Is Real

Maximus, the private company that the state of California contracts to conduct Independent Bill Review (IBR) to resolve workers' comp payment disputes, h...

CA DWC to Enact Useless New UR Regulations

The California Division of Workers’ Compensation (CA DWC) will enact new regulations to (theoretically) streamline authorization for injured workers’ care, effective April 1,...

CA Fee Schedule Update: Physician Services (Q2 2026)

The California Division of Workers’ Compensation (CA DWC) issued a second-quarter update to the Physician and Non-Physician Practitioner Fee Schedule for workers’ compensatio...