Judge Rules Against Interpreters

The insurance industry has won another round in an ongoing legal battle over whether interpreting services are compensible during medical treatment visits. In Alfonso Pineda v. Employers Direct Insurance Co., LBO 0353598, Workers' Compensation Judge Pamela Pulley ruled against Joyce Altman Interpreters, which had billed the insurer for five treatment visits in early 2004. Pulley relied on a strict interpretation of California Code of Regulations section 9795.3, which allows for interpreting fees during medical-legal evaluations or examinations requested by the claims adjuster, the Division ...