Fewer Liens a Product of Several Reform Provisions, Observers Say

New lien filings dropped 60% in 2013 and are on pace to decrease by another 2% this year, a fact that users of California's workers' compensation system attribute to several provisions in Senate Bill 863. In addition to the mandatory $150 filing fee and 18-month window to file a claim, the 2012 reform bill included other provisions aimed at reducing frictional costs over billing disputes. The bill created independent bill review to resolve billing disputes through an administrative process without going to the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board. It also tightened up the rules for...