| • |
CWCIA
submitted an appeal to the Administrative Director for relief
from extra-legal payment reductions being taken by State Fund
in four categories. Results to date: Two of the issues addressed
remain unresolved with CWCIA pressure continuing.
|
| |
July
2003, and On-Going |
| • |
Demands
for extraneous information not required by other payers or statute
made By State Fund were quietly withdrawn and policy restoring
the statutory minimum for interpreter payments implemented.
|
| |
September
2003 |
| • |
Hosted
first CWCIA Autumn Seminar, "SB228: ITEMS OF POTENTIAL
INTEREST TO THE INTERPRETER COMMUNITY", by David L. Keyes
of Keyes and Kerkorian. Attended by more than one hundred fifty. |
| |
November
2003 |
| • |
Initiated
formal contact with State Fund seeking areas of common motivation
that might help reduce interpreter lien volume going to the
boards. (Brief face-to-face talks were held in San Francisco
on March 11, with more formal talks suggested by State Fund
for a later date. |
| |
November
2003 and On-going |
| • |
Organized "GET OUT THE LIENS", a lien filing effort
prior to the effective date of new Labor Code Section 4903.05,
(re: lien filing fees). Over 9000 liens were filed against SCIF
for Title 8 CCR, Section 9795.3(b)(2) violations. |
| |
December
2003 |
| • |
Successfully
lobbied to change L. C. Section 4903.05 (the Alarcon Amendment
to SB899) to exclude interpreters and copyists from the list
of medical providers subject to lien filing fees. (But recent
action by the Administrative Director has the potential to negate
this amendment). |
| |
January
2004 |
| • |
First
formal meeting of the Central California (Fresno) CWCIA Chapter.
Attendees from the local area, Sacramento, Bay Area, Central
Coast, and Southern California were present for this organizing
meeting. |
| |
March
2004 |
| • |
Held
initial meetings with CPS to propose a joint CPS/CWCIA study
and analysis of a single issue with two faces: Are there enough
Certified Interpreters actually available and able to cover
all med-legal assignments generated by the needs of injured
workers now in the system? If so, are there also enough to cover
treating assignments as well? |
| |
March
2004 |
| • |
CWCIA
submitted oral and written arguments supporting the Alarcon
Amendment on March 11, at public hearings held in San Francisco
as part of the rule making process that would confirm the changes
wrought by the Alarcon Amendment. The CWCIA position (in favor)
was among the overwhelming majority (ten oral submittals in
favor, one opposed. All but one of the written submittals were
in favor, State Fund opposed). But after his review of public
hearing submittals, this AD overrode this consensus and reinstated
filing fees for interpreters. This occurred the day before the
Governor fired him. There is no news yet on what Andrea Hoch,
the new Administrative Director, will have to say about this,
but other issues are holding up implementation. |
| |
March
2004 and On-going |
| • |
First
annual CWCIA DAY AT THE CAPITOL, April 27. Events included a
hosted breakfast at the Capitol, lunch and dinner meetings with
guest speakers from the Senate and Assembly, and Jose Sigala,
our legislative advocate. Assemblyman Marco Firebaugh, Chairperson
of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, held a briefing
on SB899 for us in the Assembly Chambers, dwelling on the many
next steps about which we should be aware. Following this, we
met with Ralph Romo, Assistant Chief Clerk of the State Assembly,
who briefed us on "How a Bill Becomes Law", Next,
we broke into three teams for meetings scheduled with eighteen
legislators, Senators and Assemblymen, and key staff. |
| |
April
2004 |
| • |
A
meeting was held bringing together CPS staff and State Personnel
Board
(SPB) representatives with members of the CWCIA IP&O committee.
Its purposewas to establish parameters and set methodology for
a (proposed) Certified Interpreter Availability Study. As now
envisioned, it will include a CWCIA task team, CPS and SPB management. |
| |
April
2004 and On-going |
| • |
Follow-up
contacts are continuing for the purpose of exchanging information
data, and agendae between CWCIA staff and staff members of key
legislators, legislative committees, and representatives other
state agencies with Interests in the Workers Compensation System.
|
| |
April
2004 and On-going |
