Need True Reform of Workers’ Comp Law
As president of the California Society of Industrial Medicine & Surgery (CSIMS), I too am concerned about unnecessary problems in the workers’ compensation system.
While recent workers’ comp legislation, such as the Margolin/Greene Reform Act of 1989, has helped to guide the system in the right direction, much remains to be done. One example is the insufficient staffing of the Industrial Medical Council (IMC), which was established to ensure the delivery of quality health care, appropriate utilization of medical procedures and the enforcement of fee schedules. But it cannot adequately meet the demands of the system until its 28 staff positions have been filled. To date, the Administration has made only one appointment.
Like many other participants in the workers’ comp system, CSIMS is taking its own steps to ensure the elimination of misconduct. The group’s executive committee recently passed a resolution to support anti-fraud legislation pertaining to workers’ compensation and medical misconduct.
It is imperative that all participants in the workers’ comp system work together to expedite full implementation of the Reform Act. With adequate oversight, California’s workers’ comp system can remain an excellent source of protection for the injured worker.
ROLF SCHERMAN M.D.
Sacramento
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