California Applicants' Attorneys Association - Workers’ Comp Fraud Harms Injured Workers - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, February 24, 2014 - SACRAMENTO, CA - The California Applicants’ Attorneys Association (CAAA), whose members represent Californians injured on the job, today responded to the indictment of Sen. Ron Calderon and the guilty plea by Dr. Michael Drobot for workers’ compensation fraud. CAAA President Jim Butler said, “When workers’ compensation insurers, physicians, or attorneys act without high ethical standards, injured workers ultimately suffer. Over and over we have seen the use of unacceptable practices by a few as a platform to assault the basic rights of injured workers.”.....

 

CAAA Women’s Caucus & Women’s Legislative Caucus Spotlight California Working Women’s Injuries: Call for More Research, Attention to Safety Gear, Eliminate Bias from AMA Guides & Other Standards Women Injured More Frequently as they Age, while Men are Injured Less Often - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 - SACRAMENTO, CA - The California Applicants’ Attorneys Association’s (CAAA) Women’s Caucus today hosted a “Working Women’s Injuries Symposium: Causes, Consequences and Prevention,” co-hosted by the California Legislative Women’s Caucus. Over 100 legislators, regulators, labor leaders, workplace safety advocates, and injured workers’ attorneys examined the causes of working women’s on-the- job injuries, and.....

 

Round 5: Sedgwick v. Juan Jose Gonzalez 
SEDGWICK VS. THE PEOPLE “DENY & DELAY CARE TO DRIVE INJURED WORKERS AWAY” - X-Ray Technician’s Injury Tests Insurer, Sedgwick Fails: Defies Judge’s Order, Refuses to Provide Medical Care 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, February 7, 2014 Sacramento, CA – The California Applicants’ Attorneys Association (CAAA), whose members represent Californians injured on the job, today released the fifth in their “Sedgwick vs. the People” series detailing Utilization Review (UR) abuses by insurance companies.....

 

California Applicants' Attorneys Association Report: Insurers Deny 1 in 5 Doctors’ Treatment Requests; Up to 3,500,000 Denied Per Year
Significant UR Problems Undermine SB 863 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, February 5, 2014
SACRAMENTO, CA - The California Applicants’ Attorneys Association (CAAA), whose members represent Californians injured on the job, today released a report estimating that insurance carriers’ Utilization Review (UR) denies one in five physicians’ requests for medical treatment - up to 3,500,000 per year. CAAA based its report on information from the Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC), and rejected insurers’ estimates of UR denials as “incorrect and misleading.”  ....

 

CAAA Women’s Caucus & Women’s Legislative Caucus to Co-Host California Working Women’s Injuries Symposium: Causes, Consequences & Prevention
MEDIA ADVISORY FOR: Wednesday, February 12, 2014
SACRAMENTO, CA - The California Applicants’ Attorneys Association’s (CAAA) Women’s Caucus today announced a “Working Women’s Injuries Symposium: Causes, Consequences and Prevention,” co-hosted by the California Legislative Women’s Caucus, to examine the causes of working women’s on-the- job injuries, and build upon recent research to generate policies and practices to reduce, and better address, women’s workplace injuries. “We are excited to join together.....

Injured Workers’ Advocates Convene: CAAA Releases eBook on AMA Guides -
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, January 23, 2014
Rancho Mirage, CA - The California Applicants’ Attorneys Association (CAAA), whose members represent Californians injured on the job, today convened more than 1,000 workers’ compensation professionals, the overwhelming majority advocates for Californians injured on the job, in Rancho Mirage for a four-day convention. As the Convention opened, CAAA announced the release of its first eBook, “The Pearls of the AMA Guides,” containing an unprecedented wealth of information, including practice tips, videos and analysis on how to navigate each chapter of the AMA Guides ....

 

Injured Workers’ Advocates to Convene, Release eBook, Examine Women’s Workplace Injuries

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR : Thursday, January 23, 2014 Contact: Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546, Steve@hopcraft.com; Twitter: @shopcraft

Rancho Mirage, CA - The California Applicants’ Attorneys Association (CAAA), whose members represent Californians injured on the job, will convene more than 1,000 workers’ compensation professionals, the overwhelming majority advocates for Californians injured on the job, in Rancho Mirage for a four-day convention beginning Thursday, January 23. “Our Winter Convention will be one of our largest ever, and will feature numerous panels addressing a wide range of issues,” said CAAA President Jim Butler. ....

UR Denied Story Form 

We seek stories that show both how delay affects injured workers, and how the delays add unnecessary costs.  Reducing UR delays and denials will help workers and reduce costs.   Are you aware of egregious cases by insurers engaging in a pattern of misconduct? Click on the Read More to open the form. 

IMR Top 10 Tips - New UR / IMR Practice Tip #15

“CAAA is dedicated to ensuring injured workers get SB 863’s promised prompt access to necessary medical care,” said CAAA President Larry Stern. “We are closely following implementation of the new IMR process to resolve medical disputes, and want all interested parties to have access to our expertise to improve how IMR is working. “  We hope these practice tips will improve understanding and operation of IMR towards its objective of fair, prompt resolution of medical treatment disputes....
More information on #15 - IMR Top Ten Tips

California Applicants' Attorneys Association Calls for Working Group to Examine Utilization Review (UR): Costly UR Abuse Undermines SB 863 -
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, November 22, 2013
SACRAMENTO, CA - The California Applicants’ Attorneys Association (CAAA), whose members represent Californians injured on the job, today called for the Division of Workers’ Compensation to form a Working Group to examine “rampant Utilization Review (UR) denials of recommended medical treatment for injured workers, and find solutions.” CAAA President Jim Butler said, “We must bring out-of-control, costly Utilization Review (UR) to heel, as it threatens ....

 

  To share a memory of Marvin, go to the tribute page and complete the form.  Click on the read more button.

In case you missed it: Workcompcentral's - The Problem with IMR is UR by Adam Dombchik and Tom Martin Published: November 13, 2013 -
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, November 14, 2013
We read David DePaolos timely column, "IMR The New Game in Town" (Sept. 24) with great interest, and we wish to suggest a completely different explanation for the current independent medical-review crisis: out-of-control utilization-review (UR). We have witnessed utilization-review denial after denial for many years...

In case you missed it: David DePaolo’s Work Comp World - This Ain't Gonna Work Published: October 31, 2013
Injured Workers not Returning to Former Job Suffer Total Earnings Loss, 25% of Injured Workers Lost Disability Ratings under SB 899
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, November 7, 2013 I'm not sure what to expect from the Rand report on earnings losses that was prepared for the California Commission on Health Safety and Workers' Compensation as directed by the legislature in SB 863 to determine the handling of the $120 million slush fund....

Marvin Shapiro, 1936 - 2013

CAAA is deeply saddened by the loss of one of our finest

Marvin Shapiro, Past CAAA President, 1982-1983
 

Click here to see a video tribute to Marvin

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