Panel Moves Bill to Apply Calif. Law to Carrier-Employer Disputes

By Greg Jones, Western Bureau ChiefSACRAMENTO -- California employers would no longer have to resolve disputes with their insurance carriers using the laws of another state, under a bill approved by the state Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.Senate Bill 684 addresses a problem that usually occurs only with large-deductible policies, according to the bill’s author, Senate Majority Leader Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro, and sponsor, the Department of Insurance. These policies usually include side agreements that cover how disputes between the insurer and the policyholder will be resolve...