Employer Groups, Injured Worker Reps Spar Over Statewide MPN Proposal

Proponents of a bill that would create a statewide medical provider network say the legislation would improve the quality of care for California’s injured workers, but insurer and employer representatives argue that the network would be too expensive and would unravel a system that’s already efficient. Stakeholders from both sides also have disagreed over the relevancy of a recent California Workers’ Compensation Institute study, which found the bill would essentially negate contractual discounts and force employers to pay an extra quarter of a billion dollars to pr...