BILL NUMBER: AB 335CHAPTERED BILL TEXT CHAPTER 544 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE OCTOBER 7, 2011 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR OCTOBER 7, 2011 PASSED THE SENATE SEPTEMBER 7, 2011 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 8, 2011 AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 31, 2011 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 27, 2011 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Solorio FEBRUARY 10, 2011 An act to amend Sections 138.4, 3550, 4060, 4061, 4658.5, and 5401 of the Labor Code, relating to workers' compensation. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 335, Solorio. Workers' compensation: notices. Existing law establishes a workers' compensation system, administered by the Administrative Director of the Division of Workers' Compensation, to compensate an employee for injuries sustained in the course of his or her employment. Existing law establishes, in the Department of Industrial Relations, the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation. Existing law requires that specified notices be provided to injured employees and prescribes the contents of notices that are required to be posted, given to, or mailed to an employee. Existing law provides for specified procedures to be used in notifying employees regarding benefits and required actions in pursuing a workers' compensation claim. This bill would require the administrative director, in consultation with the commission, to prescribe reasonable rules and regulations for serving certain notices on an employee. This bill would require the administrative director, in consultation with the commission, to develop, make fully accessible on the department's Internet Web site, and make available at district offices informational material written in plain language that describes the overall workers' compensation claims process. This bill would require each notice to be written in plain language and to reference the informational material to enable employees to understand the context of the notices. This bill would modify provisions required to be in, and procedures for, specified notices, and would delete a requirement for notice by certified mail, and would make conforming changes. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 138.4 of the Labor Code is amended to read: 138.4. (a) For the purpose of this section, "claims administrator" means a self-administered workers' compensation insurer; or a self-administered self-insured employer; or a self-administered legally uninsured employer; or a self-administered joint powers authority; or a third-party claims administrator for an insurer, a self-insured employer, a legally uninsured employer, or a joint powers authority. (b) With respect to injuries resulting in lost time beyond the employee's work shift at the time of injury or medical treatment beyond first aid: (1) If the claims administrator obtains knowledge that the employer has not provided a claim form or a notice of potential eligibility for benefits to the employee, it shall provide the form and notice to the employee within three working days of its knowledge that the form or notice was not provided. (2) If the claims administrator cannot determine if the employer has provided a claim form and notice of potential eligibility for benefits to the employee, the claims administrator shall provide the form and notice to the employee within 30 days of the administrator's date of knowledge of the claim. (c) The administrative director, in consultation with the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation, shall prescribe reasonable rules and regulations, including notice of the right to consult with an attorney, where appropriate, for serving on the employee (or employee's dependents, in the case of death), the following: (1) Notices dealing with the payment, nonpayment, or delay in payment of temporary disability, permanent disability, supplemental job displacement, and death benefits. (2) Notices of any change in the amount or type of benefits being provided, the termination of benefits, the rejection of any liability for compensation, and an accounting of benefits paid. (3) Notices of rights to select the primary treating physician, written continuity of care policies, requests for a comprehensive medical evaluation, and offers of regular, modified, or alternative work. (d) The administrative director, in consultation with the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation, shall develop, make fully accessible on the department's Internet Web site, and make available at district offices informational material written in plain language that describes the overall workers' compensation claims process, including the rights and obligations of employees and employers at every stage of a claim when a notice is required. (e) Each notice prescribed by the administrative director shall be written in plain language, shall reference the informational material described in subdivision (d) to enable employees to understand the context of the notices, and shall clearly state the Internet Web site address and contact information that an employee may use to access the informational material. SEC. 2. Section 3550 of the Labor Code is amended to read: 3550. (a) Every employer subject to the compensation provisions of this division shall post and keep posted in a conspicuous location frequented by employees, and where the notice may be easily read by employees during the hours of the workday, a notice that states the name of the current compensation insurance carrier of the employer, or when such is the fact, that the employer is self-insured, and who is responsible for claims adjustment. (b) Failure to keep any notice required by this section conspicuously posted shall constitute a misdemeanor, and shall be prima facie evidence of noninsurance. (c) This section shall not apply with respect to the employment of employees as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 3351. (d) The form and content of the notice required by this section shall be prescribed by the administrative director, after consultation with the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation, and shall advise employees that all injuries should be reported to their employer. The notice shall be easily understandable. It shall be posted in both English and Spanish where there are Spanish-speaking employees. The notice shall include the following information: (1) How to get emergency medical treatment, if needed. (2) The kinds of events, injuries, and illnesses covered by workers' compensation. (3) The injured employee's right to receive medical care. (4) The rights of the employee to select and change the treating physician pursuant to the provisions of Section 4600. (5) The rights of the employee to receive temporary disability indemnity, permanent disability indemnity, supplemental job displacement, and death benefits, as appropriate. (6) To whom injuries should be reported. (7) The existence of time limits for the employer to be notified of an occupational injury. (8) The protections against discrimination provided pursuant to Section 132a. (9) The Internet Web site address and contact information that employees may use to obtain further information about the workers' compensation claims process and an injured employee's rights and obligations, including the location and telephone number of the nearest information and assistance officer. (e) Failure of an employer to provide the notice required by this section shall automatically permit the employee to be treated by his or her personal physician with respect to an injury occurring during that failure. (f) The form and content of the notice required to be posted by this section shall be made available to self-insured employers and insurers by the administrative director. Insurers shall provide this notice to each of their policyholders, with advice concerning the requirements of this section and the penalties for a failure to post this notice. SEC. 3. Section 4060 of the Labor Code is amended to read: 4060. (a) This section shall apply to disputes over the compensability of any injury. This section shall not apply where injury to any part or parts of the body is accepted as compensable by the employer. (b) Neither the employer nor the employee shall be liable for any comprehensive medical-legal evaluation performed by other than the treating physician, except as provided in this section. However, reports of treating physicians shall be admissible. (c) If a medical evaluation is required to determine compensability at any time after the filing of the claim form, and the employee is represented by an attorney, a medical evaluation to determine compensability shall be obtained only by the procedure provided in Section 4062.2. (d) If a medical evaluation is required to determine compensability at any time after the claim form is filed, and the employee is not represented by an attorney, the employer shall provide the employee with notice either that the employer requests a comprehensive medical evaluation to determine compensability or that the employer has not accepted liability and the employee may request a comprehensive medical evaluation to determine compensability. Either party may request a comprehensive medical evaluation to determine compensability. The evaluation shall be obtained only by the procedure provided in Section 4062.1. (e) The notice required by subdivision (d) shall be accompanied by the form prescribed by the administrative director for requesting the assignment of a panel of qualified medical evaluators. SEC. 4. Section 4061 of the Labor Code is amended to read: 4061. (a) Together with the last payment of temporary disability indemnity, the employer shall, in a form prescribed by the administrative director pursuant to Section 138.4, provide the employee one of the following: (1) Notice either that no permanent disability indemnity will be paid because the employer alleges the employee has no permanent impairment or limitations resulting from the injury or notice of the amount of permanent disability indemnity determined by the employer to be payable. If the employer determines permanent disability indemnity is payable, the employer shall advise the employee of the amount determined payable and the basis on which the determination was made and whether there is need for continuing medical care. (2) Notice that permanent disability indemnity may be or is payable, but that the amount cannot be determined because the employee's medical condition is not yet permanent and stationary. The notice shall advise the employee that his or her medical condition will be monitored until it is permanent and stationary, at which time the necessary evaluation will be performed to determine the existence and extent of permanent impairment and limitations for the purpose of rating permanent disability and to determine the need for continuing medical care, or at which time the employer will advise the employee of the amount of permanent disability indemnity the employer has determined to be payable. (b) If either the employee or employer objects to a medical determination made by the treating physician concerning the existence or extent of permanent impairment and limitations or the need for continuing medical care, and the employee is represented by an attorney, a medical evaluation to determine permanent disability shall be obtained as provided in Section 4062.2. (c) If either the employee or employer objects to a medical determination made by the treating physician concerning the existence or extent of permanent impairment and limitations or the need for continuing medical care, and if the employee is not represented by an attorney, the employer shall immediately provide the employee with a form prescribed by the medical director with which to request assignment of a panel of three qualified medical evaluators. Either party may request a comprehensive medical evaluation to determine permanent disability or the need for continuing medical care, and the evaluation shall be obtained only by the procedure provided in Section 4062.1. (d) The qualified medical evaluator who has evaluated an unrepresented employee shall serve the comprehensive medical evaluation and the summary form on the employee, employer, and the administrative director. The unrepresented employee or the employer may submit the treating physician's evaluation for the calculation of a permanent disability rating. Within 20 days of receipt of the comprehensive medical evaluation, the administrative director shall calculate the permanent disability rating according to Section 4660 and serve the rating on the employee and employer. (e) Any comprehensive medical evaluation concerning an unrepresented employee which indicates that part or all of an employee's permanent impairment or limitations may be subject to apportionment pursuant to Sections 4663 and 4664 shall first be submitted by the administrative director to a workers' compensation judge who may refer the report back to the qualified medical evaluator for correction or clarification if the judge determines the proposed apportionment is inconsistent with the law. (f) Within 30 days of receipt of the rating, if the employee is unrepresented, the employee or employer may request that the administrative director reconsider the recommended rating or obtain additional information from the treating physician or medical evaluator to address issues not addressed or not completely addressed in the original comprehensive medical evaluation or not prepared in accord with the procedures promulgated under paragraph (2) or (3) of subdivision (j) of Section 139.2. This request shall be in writing, shall specify the reasons the rating should be reconsidered, and shall be served on the other party. If the administrative director finds the comprehensive medical evaluation is not complete or not in compliance with the required procedures, the administrative director shall return the report to the treating physician or qualified medical evaluator for appropriate action as the administrative director instructs. Upon receipt of the treating physician's or qualified medical evaluator's final comprehensive medical evaluation and summary form, the administrative director shall recalculate the permanent disability rating according to Section 4660 and serve the rating, the comprehensive medical evaluation, and the summary form on the employee and employer. (g) (1) If a comprehensive medical evaluation from the treating physician or an agreed medical evaluator or a qualified medical evaluator selected from a three-member panel resolves any issue so as to require an employer to provide compensation, the employer shall commence the payment of compensation or promptly commence proceedings before the appeals board to resolve the dispute. (2) If the employee and employer agree to a stipulated findings and award as provided under Section 5702 or to compromise and release the claim under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 5000) of Part 3, or if the employee wishes to commute the award under Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 5100) of Part 3, the appeals board shall first determine whether the agreement or commutation is in the best interests of the employee and whether the proper procedures have been followed in determining the permanent disability rating. The administrative director shall promulgate a form to notify the employee, at the time of service of any rating under this section, of the options specified in this subdivision, the potential advantages and disadvantages of each option, and the procedure for disputing the rating. (h) No issue relating to the existence or extent of permanent impairment and limitations resulting from the injury may be the subject of a declaration of readiness to proceed unless there has first been a medical evaluation by a treating physician or an agreed or qualified medical evaluator. With the exception of an evaluation or evaluations prepared by the treating physician or physicians, no evaluation of permanent impairment and limitations resulting from the injury shall be obtained, except in accordance with Section 4062.1 or 4062.2. Evaluations obtained in violation of this prohibition shall not be admissible in any proceeding before the appeals board. SEC. 5. Section 4658.5 of the Labor Code is amended to read: 4658.5. (a) Except as provided in Section 4658.6, if the injury causes permanent partial disability and the injured employee does not return to work for the employer within 60 days of the termination of temporary disability, the injured employee shall be eligible for a supplemental job displacement benefit in the form of a nontransferable voucher for education-related retraining or skill enhancement, or both, at state-approved or accredited schools, as follows: (1) Up to four thousand dollars ($4,000) for permanent partial disability awards of less than 15 percent. (2) Up to six thousand dollars ($6,000) for permanent partial disability awards between 15 and 25 percent. (3) Up to eight thousand dollars ($8,000) for permanent partial disability awards between 26 and 49 percent. (4) Up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for permanent partial disability awards between 50 and 99 percent. (b) The voucher may be used for payment of tuition, fees, books, and other expenses required by the school for retraining or skill enhancement. No more than 10 percent of the voucher moneys may be used for vocational or return-to-work counseling. The administrative director shall adopt regulations governing the form of payment, direct reimbursement to the injured employee upon presentation to the employer of appropriate documentation and receipts, and other matters necessary to the proper administration of the supplemental job displacement benefit. (c) This section shall apply to injuries occurring on or after January 1, 2004. SEC. 6. Section 5401 of the Labor Code is amended to read: 5401. (a) Within one working day of receiving notice or knowledge of injury under Section 5400 or 5402, which injury results in lost time beyond the employee's work shift at the time of injury or which results in medical treatment beyond first aid, the employer shall provide, personally or by first-class mail, a claim form and a notice of potential eligibility for benefits under this division to the injured employee, or in the case of death, to his or her dependents. As used in this subdivision, "first aid" means any one-time treatment, and any followup visit for the purpose of observation of minor scratches, cuts, burns, splinters, or other minor industrial injury, which do not ordinarily require medical care. This one-time treatment, and followup visit for the purpose of observation, is considered first aid even though provided by a physician or registered professional personnel. "Minor industrial injury" shall not include serious exposure to a hazardous substance as defined in subdivision (i) of Section 6302. The claim form shall request the injured employee's name and address, social security number, the time and address where the injury occurred, and the nature of and part of the body affected by the injury. Claim forms shall be available at district offices of the Employment Development Department and the division. Claim forms may be made available to the employee from any other source. (b) Insofar as practicable, the notice of potential eligibility for benefits required by this section and the claim form shall be a single document and shall instruct the injured employee to fully read the notice of potential eligibility. The form and content of the notice and claim form shall be prescribed by the administrative director after consultation with the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation. The notice shall be easily understandable and available in both English and Spanish. The content shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (1) The procedure to be used to commence proceedings for the collection of compensation for the purposes of this chapter. (2) A description of the different types of workers' compensation benefits. (3) What happens to the claim form after it is filed. (4) From whom the employee can obtain medical care for the injury. (5) The role and function of the primary treating physician. (6) The rights of an employee to select and change the treating physician pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 3550 and Section 4600. (7) How to get medical care while the claim is pending. (8) The protections against discrimination provided pursuant to Section 132a. (9) The following written statements: (A) You have a right to disagree with decisions affecting your claim. (B) To obtain important information about the workers' compensation claims process and your rights and obligations, go to applicable Internet Web site(s)], or contact an information and assistance (I&A) officer of the state Division of Workers' Compensation. You can also hear recorded information and a list of local I&A offices by calling applicable information and assistance telephone number(s)]. (C) You can consult an attorney. Most attorneys offer one free consultation. If you decide to hire an attorney, his or her fee will be taken out of some of your benefits. For names of workers' compensation attorneys, call the State Bar of California at telephone number of the State Bar of California's legal specialization program, or its equivalent]. (c) The completed claim form shall be filed with the employer by the injured employee, or, in the case of death, by a dependent of the injured employee, or by an agent of the employee or dependent. Except as provided in subdivision (d), a claim form is deemed filed when it is personally delivered to the employer or received by the employer by first-class or certified mail. A dated copy of the completed form shall be provided by the employer to the employer's insurer and to the employee, dependent, or agent who filed the claim form. (d) The claim form shall be filed with the employer prior to the injured employee's entitlement to late payment supplements under subdivision (d) of Section 4650, or prior to the injured employee's request for a medical evaluation under Section 4060, 4061, or 4062. Filing of the claim form with the employer shall toll, for injuries occurring on or after January 1, 1994, the time limitations set forth in Sections 5405 and 5406 until the claim is denied by the employer or the injury becomes presumptively compensable pursuant to Section 5402. For purposes of this subdivision, a claim form is deemed filed when it is personally delivered to the employer or mailed to the employer by first-class or certified mail.