CA - State Fund Only Carrier Providing Benefits Through Prepaid Card
12/19/2025 | 0
State Compensation Insurance Fund is the only carrier offering benefits through prepaid cards, according to a draft Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation report released for public comment.
California lawmakers created the pilot program with Senate Bill 880 in 2018, which allowed all payers to use prepaid debit cards. The bill required injured workers' consent in writing and prohibited almost all fees typically associated with prepaid cards.
CHSWC said 30 carriers representing about 88% of market-share premium, and 32 third-party administrators that account for 90...
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A divided Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania overturned the denial of a police officer’s mental injury claim and rebuked the workers’ compensation judge who presided over the matter for her conduct and her unsupported factual findings.
Case: Russo v. Upper Darby Township (WCAB), No. 1093 C.D. 2024, 12/08/2025, published.
Facts: Steve Russo served the Upper Darby Township Police Department as a canine patrol officer.
On Nov. 20, 2020, officers were instructed to be on the lookout for Jeffrey Laudermilt II, an “armed and dangerous” man suspected of beating up...
A New York appellate court ruled that a worker was entitled to partial summary judgment on his Labor Law claims and that a property owner was entitled to partial dismissal of the claims against it.
Case: Garcia v. 100 Church Fee Owner LLC. Nos. 158554/18 and 595447/19, 12/09/2025, published.
Facts: R&S Construction Contracting Inc. was the general contractor for a project to add floors and install a freight elevator to a building owned by 100 Church Fee Owner LLC and managed by SL Green Realty Corp.
R&S subcontracted with Stephen Foy Mechanical Service Corp. to move and install...
A Louisiana appellate court overturned a finding that a worker failed to establish his degree of impairment where he presented an impairment rating provided by a physical therapist that was adopted by his treating physician.
Case: Loewen v. New Orleans Louisiana Saints LLC, No. 25-CA-304, 12/04/2025, published.
Facts: Mitchell Loewen played football at the University of Arkansas, where he also earned a bachelor's degree in business administration. During his college days, he suffered a broken foot and two ligament tears in his left knee.
In May 2016, Loewen entered into a contract with ...
With the advent of new case law from the 2nd District Court of Appeal effectively ending the Patterson doctrine, defense attorneys have to question whether the WCAB's en banc decisions in Dubon I and II could eventually be challenged as well.
The appellate court’s decision in Illinois Midwest Insurance Agency v. WCAB (Rodriguez) could impact important Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board decisions on utilization review and independent medical review.
To be more specific, the pivotal WCAB en banc decisions in Dubon v. World Restoration Inc. and...
West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld a determination that a bakery worker was entitled to benefits for a knee injury.
Case: Bimbo Bakeries Inc. v. Marcum, No. 25-ICA-237, 12/04/2025, published.
Facts: Roy Marcum worked for Bimbo Bakeries Inc. He saw physician assistant Jacob Short in September 2024 for knee pain. Marcum denied a direct injury.
Short assessed a right knee sprain.
A few days later, Bimbo filed an injury report indicating that Marcum had “felt a pull in the back of his right knee” while hurrying to fix a tray jam.
Marcum completed a report o...
A former California Highway Patrol officer was sentenced to 270 days in jail and ordered to pay more than $360,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to fraud, the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office announced.
Jordan R. Lester was taken off work after reporting a work injury in July 2021.
Prosecutors said Lester had requested a transfer that would allow him to work in Quincy, where he recently purchased property. After the request was denied, he allegedly offered to pay a retired CHP officer for assistance in getting a medical retirement, which would pay 85% of his salary for...
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined an Ohio bakery $394,849 for allegedly exposing workers to unsafe conditions.
The agency said New Horizons Baking Co. exposed workers to chemicals as well as caught-between, caught-in, pinch-point and struck-by hazards.
Additionally, OSHA said it cited the employer for three repeat violations of failing to train workers on lockout/tagout procedures, failing to lock out and tag out machines during maintenance and failing to guard dangerous machines.
The company has 15 business days to comply, request an informal confe...
The California Division of Workers’ Compensation announced a new online platform for submitting and tracking requests for public records.
The new service that went live Dec. 1 gives the public an accessible, transparent and efficient way to request records, the division said in a statement Thursday.
In addition to being able to submit and track requests for records, the new system also allows users to receive records electronically, make payments for applicable fees and communicate directly with DWC staff.
The division said the platform also allows it to automate certain tasks, r...
The Arizona Court of Appeals upheld an award of benefits to a worker for his knee injuries despite his lengthy delay in filing his claim.
Michael Beierle worked for Transact Campus. He allegedly felt a popping sensation in his knees while working in California in August 2021. He complained of pain to a co-worker, and he reported an injury to an off-site supervisor that day.
Beierle saw physician assistant Anthony Nelson about three weeks later. Nelson noted significant left knee swelling and recommended an ultrasound.
The ultrasound showed a possible meniscus tear in the left knee. In ...
A New York appellate court reinstated a Labor Law claim by a kitchen cabinet installer against a builder for his injuries from a fall.
Case: Sullivan v. Flynn, No. CV-24-1643, 12/04/2025, published.
Facts: The owners of a property contracted with Gerald Flynn to build them a new home. The owners also placed an order for custom kitchen cabinetry with Loren Sullivan.
While construction was underway, Sullivan visited the premises to take measurements of the kitchen. He tripped on a wooden construction brace between the kitchen ceiling and floor, suffering injuries as a result.
Procedural hist...
An Ohio appellate court upheld the denial of a worker’s request for additional temporary total disability benefits after her claim was expanded to include an additional condition.
Case: State ex rel. Williams v. Industrial Commission, No. 24AP-462, 12/04/2025, published.
Facts and procedural history: Alisa L. Williams worked for Active Day Inc. She suffered injuries to her neck and back at work in April 2021. Williams began receiving temporary total disability benefits.
Dr. Howard A. Pinksy opined that Williams was at maximum medical improvement in August 2023 and that she could retur...
West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals overturned the denial of a widow’s claim for benefits, finding the Board of Review had failed to properly analyze the Occupational Pneumoconiosis Board’s conclusion that occupational pneumoconiosis had not contributed to a worker’s death.
Case: Gardner v. Murray American Energy, No. 25-ICA-158, 12/04/2025, published.
Facts: Richard Gardner Sr. spent more than 40 years working in jobs that exposed him to the hazards of dust.
The Occupational Pneumoconiosis Board examined him and issued a report in January 2018 in...
More than half of the health care providers that the Texas Division of Workers' Compensation audited in 2025 were rated as "high-tier" performers.
The 2025 audits analyzed the completeness of providers' work status reports, including whether the reports included a satisfactory medical explanation for why a worker's injury prevented a return to work. Providers were separately rated on the timeliness of medical evaluation reports.
The division said 68 of the 129 providers whose medical evaluation reports were reviewed for timeliness were rated as high-tier, while ano...
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation is holding its 2026 Insurance Summit April 14-15 in Tallahassee.
“Florida has one of the most complex insurance markets in the world, and our upcoming Insurance Summit will bring together top experts, consumer advocates and regulators to discuss Florida’s evolving market,” Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky said in a statement.
The event will feature presentations from OIR officials about the agency's oversight and transparency efforts, as well as national perspectives of insurance regulators from across the country.
Ea...
The Workers Compensation Research Institute is hosting a webinar Jan. 15 to present findings from its recent study, "Psychosocial Factors and Functional Outcomes Following Physical Therapy."
WCRI analyzed data from 65,000 episodes each of knee and shoulder physical therapy from 2021 to 2024 to explore how risk factors such as poor recovery expectations, fear avoidance, poor coping, catastrophizing and perceived injustice affect recovery in injured workers undergoing physical therapy.
The study found that psychosocial risk factors are common among injured workers with knee and shoul...