Human behavior is a fascinating thing.
People lining up in the dead of night outside electronics stores for a chance to stampede for teaser deals. Long haul truckers taking philosophy classes downloaded into their iPods off of iTunes. We’re all writers and editors now. There’s an encyclopedia-Wikipedia.org-that everyone, everywhere is free to create and edit.
We live in an era where you can choose; you can create or you can grab stuff off the shelf.
So it is in comp. too. The California Division of Workers’ Compensation has now shifted direction on implementation of post surgical therapy limits.
Instead of drafting its own regulations, the DWC now intends to use the ODG guidelines on post surgical therapy treatment.
For background on this, see my October 26, 2007 post “Implementing the Nava Bill”:
ttp://www.workerscompzone.com/index.php?entry=entry071026-102628
This is an issue of great importance for disabled workers who have surgery. The Nava bill (AB 1073) loosened the rigid limitations on therapy in post-surgical cases.
On November 20th the DWC announced that it was adopting the ODG guidelines that are created by the Work Loss Data Institute. Those proposed guidelines are now available for public comment:
http://www.dir.ca.gov/dwc/ForumDocs/Pos … ations.pdf
As of today there has been only one public comment. It’s hard to believe, but during many “forums” on DWC’s regulations there have been very few members of the public commenting. It would appear that injured workers and members of of the “comp community” aren’t paying all that much attention to the regulatory process.
After the public comment period these guidelines will go through the formal rulemaking process. Stay tuned.
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Julius Young
http://www.boxerlaw.com/verdicts.html
Category: Medical treatment under WC
510.835.8870