Schwarzenegger Meets With Garamendi on Workers’ Compensation
Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Thursday met with Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi (D) to discuss further workers' compensation reform, the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Salladay, San Francisco Chronicle, 10/24). Gov. Gray Davis (D) this month signed into law two bills (AB 227 and SB 228) to reform the state workers' compensation system and help reduce increased workers' compensation insurance premiums for employers. Some of the provisions in the bills include fee schedules for treatments and prescription drugs; limits on chiropractic and physical therapy visits; reviews that use national standards to determine the proper amount of care for certain injuries; and increased penalties for employer fraud from $50,000 to $150,000 (California Healthline, 10/1). Garamendi said that he and Schwarzenegger discussed their proposals to reform the workers' compensation system and that they agreed on many ideas for cutting costs. Garamendi said that Schwarzenegger's reform plan "reflected many of the suggestions" he has proposed since taking office last year, the Chronicle reports. Garamendi also said that they both suggested calling a summit in the next few months to assemble businesses, labor groups and other interested parties affected by the workers' compensation system (San Francisco Chronicle, 10/24).
Schwarzenegger on Thursday also met with Davis, whom Schwarzenegger will replace next month, the Los Angeles Times reports (Gold et al., Los Angeles Times, 10/24). During the 90-minute meeting, Schwarzenegger and Davis also discussed a range of issues, including health care and insurance, the Chronicle reports (San Francisco Chronicle, 10/24).
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