Bill Would Make Prepaid Card Option Permanent

A California lawmaker introduced a bill that would indefinitely extend authorization for employers to use prepaid debit cards to pay indemnity benefits. AB 1683, introduced Monday by the Assembly Insurance Committee, would eliminate statutory language that would shut down the debit card pilot program at the start of 2027. State Compensation Insurance Fund is the only carrier that offered prepaid cards under the definition of the pilot created in 2018, according to a report that the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation released for public comment in December. Be...