CAJPA supports legislation that preserves the original intent of the workers’ compensation system: to deliver prompt and fair benefits to workers who are injured on the job, at a reasonable cost to employers. We believe that the system should be designed to promote employee health and function, and keep them on the job. With respect to our public agency members, we resist legislation that would result in increased litigation; excessive costs; expansion of injury “presumptions” for certain classes of employees; or erosion of workers’ compensation as the exclusive remedy for work-related injuries.
CAJPA Supports:
· Continued enforcement of workers’ compensation as the exclusive remedy for injuries arising out of and in the course of employment.
· Statewide fee schedules that control the cost of all forms of medical care for work-related injuries
· Preserving objective standards for evaluating permanent disability, and directing permanent disability benefits to injured workers with actual earnings loss.
· Medical treatment which is consistent with evidence-based, peer-reviewed and nationally recognized standards of care, and maintaining a system of utilization review to certify appropriate treatment.
· Streamlining the system to minimize expensive and unnecessary litigation
· Efforts to reduce or eliminate fraud within the workers’ compensation system, perpetrated by any party to the system.
· Coordinating workers’ compensation with public agency service and/or disability retirement benefits to avoid redundant compensation.
· Retaining medical fee schedules, cost containment and utilization review controls as part of any universal health care plan.
CAJPA Opposes:
· Injury “Presumptions” for certain classes of employees.
· Deterioration in the legal standard for reasonable and appropriate penalty assessments.
· Extending workers’ compensation benefits to any person other than employees, as defined by law, except in the case of dependent death benefits.
· Any effort to segregate unique benefits or claims handling processes for certain classes of employees.
(2007)