CWCI Releases SB 228/AB 227 Workers’ Comp Reform Training Materials

The California Workers’ Compensation Institute (CWCI) has developed a training manual, a PowerPoint presentation, and a guide for requesting a change in Primary Treating Physician to help workers’ compensation professionals understand provisions and requirements of SB 228 and AB 227, the workers’ comp reform bills signed by Governor Davis at the end of September. Many of the changes mandated by these bills take effect Jan. 1, 2004, so CWCI produced and distributed these materials to nearly 1,200 attendees at its recent seminar, “SB 228 & AB 227: New Directions For California Workers’ Comp in 2004.” Following the seminar, the Institute produced an additional supply to meet the demand for in-house training and reference materials.

The manual contains sections looking at specific provisions related to the Official Medical Fee Schedule; the Primary Treating Physician; Utilization Review (with a sample of an ACOEM guideline); Miscellaneous Issues (claims adjuster certification, insurance rates, funding and administrative issues, and penalties and fraud); and Voc Rehab and the new Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit. The Legislation section includes CWCI’s 16-page summary of SB 228 and AB 227, copies of the chaptered legislation, and a summary of other workers’ comp bills passed in 2003. Appendices include an overview of how Medicare pays for medical services; an NCCI comparison of drug costs and patterns of use in workers’ comp and group health; reprints of key WCAB decisions; CWCI Bulletins, Significant Decision Summaries, and testimony on proposed regs; and an analysis of the new SJDB voucher system and VR issues by consultant Allan Leno.

Companies that want to do in-house training may also purchase a diskette of the PowerPoint slides used for the Institute seminar, as well as CWCI’s new guide, “How To Get Your Petition For Change of PTP Granted… Follow The Rules,” which reviews Primary Treating Physician duties and rules (including current forms); instructions, requirements and forms for claims personnel; pertinent case law on issues related to the change of PTP; details on the appeals process; and DWC guidelines for filing a petition.

The price of the manual is $50 for CWCI members, $65 for nonmembers, with a discount of $15 per manual for orders of 10 or more. The PowerPoint diskette is $100 for CWCI members, $150 for nonmembers; and the Change of PTP Guide is $12 for CWCI members, $18 for nonmembers. All prices include tax and shipping. For further information or to request an order form, call the Institute at 510-251-9470, or visit the Newsroom in the CWCI Web site at
http://www.cwci.org.