Newsletter Archives
All past years issues of our newsletter are posted in downloadable Adobe® Acrobat® PDF format.
2024 ARCHIVES
- KNOWLEDGE OF DANGEROUS EXPOSURES AND STEPS FOR PROTECTION
- THE NEWEST THREAT BY COVID-19
- BROADEN THE PERSPECTIVE
- AB2200 ANOTHER ATTACK AT THE CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION?
- POSTING OF WORKERS’ RIGHTS FOR REPRESENTATION AB1870
- NURSE CASE MANAGERS HAVE THE POWER OF DOCTORS
- IMPACTS ON MEDICAL CARE, EMPLOYMENT AND DISABILITY
- TEMPLATE USED BY SOME EMPLOYERS
- FAILURES THAT NEED TO BE CORRECTED
- SENATE BILL 636 STILL NEEDS TO GROW
- COMMISSION ON HEALTH AND SAFETY IN WORKERS’ COMPENSATION STUDY DUE DATE OF 01/01/2029 ON PTSD
2023 ARCHIVES
- GHOST DOCTORS AND THEIR ROLE AS A JUDGE
- REVIEW OF MEDICAL CARE
- RESTORATION OF BASIC RIGHTS II
- SENATE BILL 636 PROTECTS SOME WORKERS
- BIG BUSINESS BENEFITS VERSUS THE LITTLE INJURED WORKERS’ NEEDS
- INCENTIVES FOR THE EMPLOYER TO PROVIDE TIMELY AND APPROPRIATE MEDICAL CARE
- SECURED ALTERNATE DISPUTE RESOLUTION(CARVE-OUT) WITH NO FORCED MPN AND ACCOUNTABILITY
- SUPREME COURT NOT EXPANDING MEDICAL COVERAGE TO INFECTED FAMILIES WITH COVID-19
- MEDICAL CARE FOR PREEXISTING CONDITIONS
- TIME LIMITS TO OBTAIN A DISABILITY RETIREMENT PROTECTION
- LEGISLATION, PASSSAGE, VETOES AND EXPANSION OF MEDICAL EVIDENCE UNDER LABOR CODE 4605
- SPECIFIC INJURY, CUMULATIVE TRAUMA, AND ANCILLARY INJURY
- KEEP YOUR ARMORED VEST, KEEP YOUR BACK-UP WEAPON
2022 ARCHIVES
- AB 1751 COVID PRESUMPTION POSSIBLE EXTENSION TO 1/2025, MORE WORKERS’ COVERAGE SB213, SB 1400 HIGH COST? (TAX TRAP)
- SENATE BILL 1127 WILL PROVE BENEFICIAL TO BOTH INJURED EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS
- LONG COVID / LONG HAULERS
- THE ACTUAL EXPENSE OF CARVE-OUTS TO INJURED WORKERS
- PROTECTION FROM LEAD POISONING IS NEEDED NOW – NOT LATER
- LEAD POISONING: A SERIOUS PROBLEM
- EXCEPTIONS TO THE “EXCLUSIVE REMEDY RULE” MAY BENEFIT EMPLOYEES’ FAMILIES
- ALL DOCTORS PRACTICING MEDICINE IN CALIFORNIA NEED A CALIFORNIA LICENSE UNLESS WAIVED BY THE INJURED WORKER (RESTORATION OF BASIC RIGHTS)
- DON’T LET TURNOUTS TURN INTO CANCER FOR YOU AND/OR YOUR FAMILY
- THE PUSH SHOULD BE FOR THE BEST MEDICAL CARE; HOME MEDICAL CARE: GOOD OR BAD?
- BALANCED COMMUNICATION WITH THE DOCTOR
- AMENDMENT ON SOME PRESUMPTIONS SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR – 9/29/22
- TAX TRAP
2021 ARCHIVES
- HAVING A COVID-19 PREVENTION PROGRAM IS NOT AN OPTION; IT IS A NECESSITY: LONG COVID IS HERE
- CALOSHA FINES EMPLOYERS MORE THAN $1,000,000 FOR COVID-19 PROTECTION VIOLATIONS
- WAS THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION A MOVE TO CORRECT SOME OF THE WRONGS REGARDING ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE (RESTORATION OF BASIC RIGHTS)
- EQUALITY, NOT DISCRIMINATION
- SENATE BILL 335 PROVIDES SIGNIFICANT ADVANCEMENT FOR INJURED WORKERS TO BE CURED OR RELIEVED
- FIVE YEARS TO OBTAIN MORE JUSTICE; NO TIME LIMIT ON MEDICAL CARE
- COVID/LONG HAULERS/LONG COVID
- THE LATEST COVID THREAT: COMORBIDITY
- CATASTROPHIC EVENTS & ARTIFICIAL LIMITS
- MUTUAL EQUALITY
- OPIOID MEDICALLY-CORRECT CUTBACK OR CUTOFF OR CONTINUATION
- KNOWLEDGE IS POWER FOR TREATMENT
- PTSD PRESUMPTION; 90 DAY RULE SHOULD BE REDUCED TO 30 DAYS & REMOVE THE EXPIRATION DATE OF 1/1/2025
- IMMUNITY FROM COVID-19 VACCINATION; IMMUNITY AFTER RECOVERING FROM COVID-19?
- DENIAL: 30 DAYS OR 90 DAYS? LOWER COSTS WITH 30 DAYS?
2020 ARCHIVES
- AWARENESS OF PTSD IMPACT ON YOUR FAMILY, CAREER AND PRIVACY RIGHTS IS ESSENTIAL
- CORONAVIRUS AND OTHER AEROSOL-TRANSMITTED DISEASES POSE MAJOR RISK FOR SAFETY WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES
- NEW DWC PROCEDURES – NOT ESTABLISHED BY STATUTE – THREATEN THE CALIFORNIA WORKERS’ COMPENSATION SYSTEM
- UPDATES: 1. COVERAGE FOR CORONAVIRUS ATTACK ON SAFETY PERSONNEL/AND MANY HEALTHCARE WORKERS
- STATE COMPENSATION INSURANCE FUND’S NEW POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, ASSEMBLY BILL 664 AND SENATE BILL 1159 ALL PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
- EXECUTIVE ORDER N-62-20
- COVID-19 LEGISLATION TO DATE
- COVID-19 -WILL IT EVER BECOME PERMANENT AND STATIONARY? WILL IT CAUSE HARM TO OTHER BODY SYSTEMS?
- NEW RULES FOR COVID-19; SENATE & ASSEMBLY TO MEET ON 7/29/20 FOR LEGISLATION
- PROTECTORS NEED PROTECTION TOO
- GOVERNOR NEWSOM SIGNED SENATE BILL 1159 – ASSEMBLY BILL 685
- Know your rights 1
- Know your rights 2
- “LONG COVID”
- LATEST COVID-19 DEVELOPMENT: EMERGENCY REGULATIONS TO BE CONSIDERED
- COVID-19 VACCINE IS NOW AVAILABLE, BUT NOT ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE; ROADMAP FOR DISTRIBUTION IS NEEDED
- PROTECTION FROM COVID-19
- DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS ESTABLISHES COVID-19 PREVENTION PROGRAM
2019 ARCHIVES
- PROTECTION FOR INJURED WORKERS UNDER THE FIVE-YEAR WINDOW
- MEDICAL CARE CAN EXPAND
- PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE LABOR CODE
- OVERVIEW AND PREPARATION
- THE INCREASE IN HOMELESSNESS AND THE CORRESPONDING RISE IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES CONSTITUTE A MAJOR PROBLEM; SAFETY WORKERS MUST HAVE SPECIAL PROTECTION
- THE “FIREFIGHTER RULE”
- COPD, ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND OTHER CONDITIONS MAY HAVE CONNECTIVITY TO YOUR WORK
- CARVE-OUT AND FALL-OUT
- INSURANCE PREMIUM RATES CUT AT WHO’S EXPENSE?
- CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT JUSTICE STATES LEGISLATURE MAY NEED TO EXAMINE UR SAFEGUARDS FOR SUFFICIENT INCENTIVES TO ENSURE COMPETENT AND CAREFUL UR REVIEW(RESTORATION OF BASIC RIGHTS)
- THE WAIVER RISK
- PASSAGE OF SENATE BILL 542 PROTECTS SAFETY WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES
- CALIFORNIA STATE AUDITOR’S FINDINGS
2018 ARCHIVES
- ASSEMBLY BILL 1749 PROVIDES PROTECTION NEEDED FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS By Scott O’Mara
- CONTINUATION OF 420-WEEK EXTENSION FOR FAMILY MEMBERS OF DECEASED SAFETY OFFICERS TO ACCESS DEATH BENEFITS IS NEEDED By Scott O’Mara
- UR & IMR PROBLEMS CONTINUE; SAFETY WORKERS UNFAIRLY CRITICIZED; WORKERS’ COMP REFORM NEEDED TO RESTORE CHECKS AND BALANCES By Scott O’Mara
- PSOB — THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S PROGRAM TO PROTECT PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS AND THEIR FAMILIES By Scott O’Mara
- SUPREME COURT TO DECIDE UR DOCTOR ACCOUNTABILITY IN KING CASE – FIRST STEP IN CORRECTING FAILURES OF THE CALIFORNIA WORKERS’ COMPENSATION SYSTEM? By Scott O’Mara
- BILL 899 SEEKS TO ELIMINATE DISCRIMINATION BASED ON HEREDITARY OR GENETIC BACKGROUND By Scott O’Mara
- RECENT SUPREME COURT DECISION IN JANUS v. AFSCME RAISES QUESTIONS FOR ASSOCIATIONS By Rick Pinckard
- FAILURE TO ADEQUATELY COMPENSATE FORENSIC DOCTORS HAS CAUSED A MAJOR DECREASE IN QMEs AND AME’s By Scott O’Mara
- MANY PENDING LEGISLATIVE AND JUDICIAL DECISIONS WILL IMPACT CALIFORNIA INJURED WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES By Scott O’Mara
- THE DREAM THAT BECAME A NIGHTMARE By Scott O’Mara
- REVIEW OF WORKERS’ COMPENSATION BILLS ENACTED OR VETOED BY THE GOVERNOR By Scott O’Mara
2017 ARCHIVES
- Understanding The Retirement System And The Important Distinction Between Actual and Prophylactic Restrictions
- Changes Are Needed To Restore The California Worker’s Compensation System To Fulfill It’s Purpose As Defined In The California Constitution.
- Plight Of San Bernardino County Employees Injured In 12/2/15 Attack Highlights Failure Of UR/IMR System
- San Bernardino School Violence Tragically Supports The Need For Work Comp System Changes In Assembly Bill 44
- Healthy California Act (SB562) May Impact Injured Workers
- Workers Compensation Medical Care: At Last The Door Is Opening
- Treating Doctors Must Be Proactive To Obtain Approval For Treatment For Injured Workers
- Recent Litigation Finally Is Challenging The MPN System But Further Change Is Needed
- The Umbrella Of Protection Should Extend To All Safety Officers Who Risk Their Lives To Protect And Serve Us
- Securing Firearms In Vehicles
- California Law Enforcement Officers Deserve Protection Consistent With Their Oath Of Office And The Labor Code
- New Standards Established For High Blood Pressure / Hypertension Cases
2016 ARCHIVES
- Safety Officers are a Unique Group of People Performing High-Risk Work in the Public Interest and are Entitled to an Expansion of Work Comp Benefits
- Recent Case Shows UR & IMR Decisions May be Subject to Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
- A Review of Three New Legislative Proposals: SB 563, AB 2407 & AB 2577
- Concerns About Efficacy of UR and IMR and Motivation of Their Doctors continue to be Raised
- Time Limits for Whom & Buying of Doctors
- The Presumption of Work-Related Injury Should be Extended to All Safety Members
- Third Leading cause of Death: Medical Errors, A Problem Compounded by UR and IMR
- Longer Recovery Time Proposed for Injured Safety Worker; What “Catastrophic Injury” Means; Doctors Should Pursue Objectivity Based on Medical Need, Not Financial Reward
- UR Doctors Must Be Held Accountable; Medical Care Must Comport With The California Constitution
- More Developments Affecting California Injured Workers
- You are Entitled to Privacy
- The Current Workers’ Compensation System Is In Violation Of The California Constitution
2015 ARCHIVES
- The current workers’ compensation system violates the bargain between employers and workers and creates a burden on society
- Legislative history of the presumptions for safety employees and the importance of being aware and being proactive
- Retired or considering retirement? then don’t forget to consider this!
- Sacramento judge recognizes miscarriage of justice; finds “rogue utilization review” invalid
- Proposed legislation to restore the workers’ compensation system to conform with the constitutional mandate
- Types of injuries: specific and cumulative
- Los Angeles study ignores the risks faced by safety workers and the significant role they play in society
- SB 563 offers new hope to right the wrongs of SB 863
- Much needed reform legislation, SB 563, is a step in the right direction for California workers
- Review of medical care
- California supreme court ruling in Brandon Clark case a very favorable decision for California
- Utilization review and independent medical review need to be eviscerated
- The California work comp system can be corrected… but urgent change is needed
2014 ARCHIVES
- Secretive IMR process and its constitutionality facing legal challenges
- Failure of workers’ comp medical system causes harm to both employees & employers
- The negative impact of senate bill 863 and the need to remove the shroud of secrecy
- Workers and employers need an medical system which is transparent and accountable
- The presumptions and retirement considerations; proactive steps to protect you and your family
- Recent litigation — the Rodriguez case — reversed the denial of a peace officer’s disability retirement
- Proposed legislation seeks to remove the limitations imposed by labor code §4656
- New court rulings on labor code §4850 & 4605 and admissibility of doctors’ reports
- The Dubon case and its favorable decision to be reviewed, placing workers at great risk
- Medical care provided to California injured workers is to cure or relieve the effects of their injuries
- New decision in the Dubon case a huge setback for California injured workers
- The current status of the workers’ compensation system is unfair to workers
- Two-year limitation on labor code §4850 benefits harmful not only to workers, but employers as well
2013 ARCHIVES
1. The Importance of Pre-designating a Personal Physician (with Pre-designation Form Attached)
4. The Impact of SB 863 on California Workers: the Good and the Bad
5. Ambiguity of SB 863 and Inequitable Death Benefit Error
8. Steps to Obtain Medical Treatment
9. Senate Bill 863: Changes are Needed; Good News: Death Benefit Extended to 420 Weeks on 5/13/14
10. Failure of the IMR Process Mirrors the Federal Government’s Medical Care Fiasco
11. Extend of Entitlement to Labor Code §4850 Benefits at Issue