Some Calif. MDs Quit Worker Comp System

AP ^ | 2/6/5 | STEVE LAWRENCE

[SmithL]

Sacramento -- Francis Pecoraro is trading a San Francisco Bay area medical practice that mainly serves injured workers for one in Wilmington, N.C., that he believes will be more doctor friendly. Pecoraro, who specializes in chronic pain cases, is among a number of California doctors who say they are fighting time-consuming, uphill battles to get necessary care for workers' compensation patients. As a result, some are limiting their workers' comp practices or dropping them altogether.

Pecoraro said he decided to move to a state with a "less cumbersome" workers' comp system rather than spend "more time in the office generating reports and begging for medical care for my patients and less time with my family."

Such complaints are coming "a lot more often these days" from doctors since the state imposed a system of treatment guidelines and utilization review in an attempt to hold down skyrocketing workers' comp costs, said Nileen Verbeten, a vice president with California Medical Association.

Those changes, part of a two-year effort to overhaul the system that treats job-related injuries, made guidelines developed by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine "presumptively correct" in treatment decisions until the state develops its own standards of care. Officials said they don't know when the state guidelines will be finished.

[Brian328i]

Gee, more legal paper work stunts treatment? Who woulda thought?

[longtermmemmory]

The only way socialized medicine has a chance in the USA is to make it the ONLY way doctors can obtain employment.

[DoughtyOne]

Don't let the barn door hit you on the backside men.

California's workers comp was killing us. Good ridance to that old system. BTW, it isn't fixed all the way yet, so these guys are going to be a lot less happy in upcoming years.

[hocndoc]

A couple of years ago, Texas WC- which for years has paid less than Medicare while requiring extra paperwork, demand for free copies and record review, and notorious for late payment that was completely arbitrary and outside of any sort of regulation or accountability - decided that they would have Dr.s go through an extra paper work and a course in order to become "designated doctors."


I took it as an opportunity *not* to become a "designated doctor."

[RicocheT]

Many chronic pain clinics are sort of shady. The docs charge a high price for treatment and the WC insurance companies audit the bills to keep the pain clinics from abusing the system.

As long as the patient has had adequate treatment, therapy and medication, the pain should be bearable. Many chronic pain patients need to be told to suck it up and bear it.

[Plutarch]

There is no doubt that California's WC system was in need of reforming.

As it is now, the WC adjusters deny and delay everything, without regard for its medical justification. One gets the impression that if a worker loses a limb, it would take months deny, delay and review to get authorization to apply a tourniquet.

[blastdad51]

Try employing people in Calif. My rates for workers comp ins is staggering. No wonder the cost of building houses here is so darned high!!!! $60 per hundred payroll goes to State fund.

[John Lenin]

Interesting, I went to a workers comp forum on the net and they are crying like babies about it being hard to get claims. Why are the rates still going up 30% a year ?

[From many - one.]

Just curious since i don't know much about California law.

Could it be illegal aliens filing claims?

[blastdad51]

In Calif the inmates run the asylum, if a worker says they're hurt then they're hurt.They also get to say when they're healed too!!! Mostly claims for back injuries which are very hard to prove.