Stakeholders Say Low Penalties Encourage Carrier Delays

By Greg Jones, Western Bureau ChiefAllegations that Sedgwick CMS repeatedly denied care to an injured worker who suffered from a fatal infection contracted during surgery illustrates that California workers' compensation carriers have no incentive to authorize treatment or pay benefits or bills on a timely basis because the penalties for violations amount to little more than a slap on the wrist, attorneys, vendors and providers said on Monday.Injured worker advocates said the prevalence of unreasonably delayed payments increased after lawmakers lowered fines and instituted a cap on the max...