Q4 – 2021 – December 28, 2021
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Research Quarterly Update on Insurer Experience. CWCI’s review of the WCIRB’s latest data on insured experience valued through the third quarter of 2021 found that total DWP through September was $10.4 billion (3% less than the total reported for the first 9 months of 2020 (which contained some pre-pandemic data), continuing the decline from the 2016 peak. The estimated average charged rate per $100 of payroll for policies incepting in the first 9 months of 2021 was $1.68, 6% less than the avg rate charged in the first 9 months of 2020 and the lowest average charged rate in decades. WCIRB projected claim severity for AY 2020 indemnity claims (excluding COVID claims) would jump to $69,356, up 2.4% from AY 2019, the combined effect of a 1.2% increase in medical severity (projected at $29,314) and a 6.3% increase in indemnity severity (projected at $28,157) while average ALAE was projected to fall 2.6% to $9,548 and average medical cost containment was projected to fall 5.5% to $2,338. The projected ultimate combined loss & expense ratio for AY 2020, including COVID claims, was 104%, up 8 points from 96% projected for AY 2019 due to the decline in premium and moderate increase in claim severity. Excluding COVID claims, indemnity claim frequency was down 5.7% between AY 2019 and 2020, likely due to the pandemic fueled job losses and the large number of employees working from home; but, including COVID claims, claim frequency was up 8% between AY 2019 and 2020, with initial data from the first 9 months of AY 2021 indicating that claim frequency continues to trend up. Indemnity claim closure rates, which improved steadily in the 7 years following passage of SB 863, have declined during the pandemic, and that trend continued through the first 3 quarters of 2021. Executive Briefing (12/22/21) (members only) COVID Claims December 13 Update. CWCI’s COVID-19/Non-COVID-19 interactive app updated through Dec. 13 showed that the surge in COVID diagnoses and hospitalizations since the emergence of the Omicron variant had yet to impact the monthly count of COVID WC claims. The monthly COVID claim count peaked at 7,901 claims during this summer’s surge brought on by the Delta variant, but then tailed off with the monthly totals in the latest tally falling to 3,829 in September; 3,497 in October; and 2,214 in November. Additional claims from those months are still being reported, but CWCI’s projections also show the sharp upturn in July and August followed by a decline that lasted through the fall. Current projections show COVID claim counts of 8,224 for August; 4,068 for September; 3,917 for October; and 3,033 for November. If the fall projections hold true, COVID claim counts will be far below the comparable figures from a year earlier, when the 2020 year-end surge began. Among the recent trends: the regional distribution of COVID claims has shifted with an increasing share of COVID claims coming from the Central Valley, the North Counties/Sierras, and the Inland Empire/Orange Co since the summer peak., while L.A. County, the Bay Area, and San Diego have accounted for a smaller share. Interactive Tool (12/13/21) (public) Executive Memo (12/17/21) (members only) Executive Briefing (12/22/21) (members only) Increasing Indemnity Claims & Severity Drove Up Public S-I Paid and Incurred Losses in FY 2020/21. CWCI’s review of OSIP’s initial data on public self-insured employers’ FY 2020/21 WC claims noted that med-only claim volume declined, but the number of lost-time claims increased, while claim severity, fueled by increased indemnity costs drove up total workers comp paid and incurred losses for California public self-insureds in the first full year of the pandemic. CWCI’s review of the data found that the number of employees covered by public self-insured employers last year declined 4.4% from the total noted in the FY 2019/20 initial report, though the total number of reported claims fell less than 1% to 107,161 cases. Despite having fewer workers and slightly fewer claims, public self-insureds’ total claim payments at the first report increased by more than $30 million to $445 million, 7.3% more than the comparable figure for FY 2019/20, and $130.7 million (41.6%) more than the $314.3 million noted in the first report for FY 2013/14, which was the low point for the past decade and the first year following enactment of SB 863, the 2012 workers’ comp reform bill signed by Governor Brown. CWCI noted that the decline in overall claim volume among public self-insureds was completely due to a 19.7% drop in med-only claims, while the number of lost-time claims increased by 8,957 claims (15.5%). Average indemnity paid per FY 2020/21 lost-time claim at the first report was $4,256, so the addition of the 8,967 lost-time cases was the key factor fueling the increase in public self-insured payments last year. CWCI noted that the recent increase public sector indemnity claims was likely due, at least in part, to the addition of COVID claims to the claim mix, as the public self-insured work force includes many essential workers (i.e., police, firefighters, prison guards, and state hospital workers) who have a presumption of compensability if they contract the virus, and who were hard hit by COVID last year. The introduction of COVID claims into workers’ comp also coincided with a spike in public S-I death claims, which more than doubled from 104 claims in FY 2019/20 to 220 claims in FY 2020/21. Executive Briefing (12/22/21) (members only) Bulletin (12/14/21) (members only) News Release (12/14/21) (public) COVID Claims November 29 Update. Data from CWCI’s COVID-19/Non-COVID-19 interactive data app updated through November 29 showed there were 3,676 California WC COVID 19 claims with October dates of injury recorded by the DWC, continuing the downtrend that began after COVID the summer surge in COVID claim volume peaked in August. Though overall claim volume has declined this fall, the latest breakdown by industry sector shows a sharp increase in the proportion of COVID claims coming from public safety and government workers. There were 12,582 COVID claims statewide from July and August, of which 25.7% were public safety/government workers and 22.9% were health care workers, but the data from September and October show that thus far there have been 6,908 COVID claims statewide, of which 31.7% were public safety/government workers, and 18.7% were health care workers. Interactive Tool (11/30/21) (public) CWCI Reviews CY 2020 Nonfatal Work Injury and Illness Data for California and the U.S. The Institute’s summary of work injury and illness data compiled by DIR and the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics from OSHA’s Injury and Illness Census in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) examines changes in the volume and mix of reportable work injuries during the first year of the pandemic, breaking down the results for private sector employers, the state government, and local government. The summary notes that public & private employers in California reported an estimated 448,300 nonfatal work injuries and illnesses last year, which was 35,000 fewer than the estimated total for 2019. At the same time, however, the pandemic drove the state’s unemployment rate up from 3.9 percent at the end of 2019 to a record 15.5 percent by April of 2020 and as a result, California’s nonfatal work injury and illness rate showed little change, only declining from 3.6 to 3.5 cases per 100 full-time employees between 2019 and 2020. Executive Briefing (11/30/21) (members only) Bulletin (11/18/21) (members only) CWCI Update on IMR Activity Through Q3 2021. After declining 16.6% between 2019 and 2020, the number of independent medical review determination letters has plateaued in 2021, edging up 0.7% over the first three quarters of this year according to the latest CWCI analysis, which uses data from more than 1.1 million IMR determination letters issued from Jan 2015 through Sept 2021, of which 102,789 were issued in the first 3 quarters of 2021. Results show that after the state incorporated the Chronic Pain and Opioid Guidelines into the MTUS in late 2017 and implemented the MTUS formulary in 2018, IMR volume, spurred by reductions in pharmaceutical disputes – especially those involving opioids – fell sharply in 2019. That decline accelerated in 2020 and continued in early 2021 as the economic effects of the pandemic reduced claim and IMR volume. But as the year progressed and the state’s economy reopened, the number of IMR determination letters increased. Beginning in May 2021, monthly IMR volume has exceeded 2020 levels, with the latest numbers showing overall volume for the first three quarters of this year up by 683 letters compared to the first three quarters of last year. Executive Memo (11/24/21) (members only) COVID Claims November 15 Update. The Institute’s COVID-19/Non-COVID-19 interactive data app’s latest tally of California WC COVID 19 claims recorded by the DWC as of November 15 showed that COVID claim volume declined steadily from January through May of this year, then surged between June and August, then as was the case in 2020, declined in September and October. Of the nearly 20,000 COVID WC claims reported since June, 27.0% have been from the public safety/govt sector; 21.5% have been from the health care sector; 10.9% have been from the transportation sector; 9.1% have been from the retail sector; 5.5% have been from the food service sector; and 4.8% have been from the manufacturing sector. Interactive Tool (11/15/21) (public) News Release (11/23/21) (public) CWCI’s Summary of NASI’s Report on CY 2019 WC Benefits, Coverage, and Costs. CWCI’s review of the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) report on CY 2019 workers’ comp benefits, coverage, and costs across different jurisdictions within the U.S. highlights key findings and the results for California. The Institute noted that that in the final year before the pandemic, California accounted for 12.0 percent of all jobs covered by workers’ compensation in the U.S., 14.4 percent of covered wages, and 19.7 percent of all cash and medical benefits paid to injured workers. Nationwide, state and federal workers’ compensation programs, encompassing both insured and self-insured employers, covered 144.4 million jobs and an estimated $8.56 trillion in covered payroll in 2019. Benefits paid under these programs totaled more than $63.0 billion ($31.3 billion for medical care and almost $31.8 billion in cash benefits), nearly matching the nationwide total of $62.9 billion for CY 2018. Total paid benefits for 2019 were up only 0.2 percent from 2018 but they reached the highest level since 2014 when workers’ compensation payments nationwide hit an all-time high of $63.6 billion. CWCI’s review also provided the estimated total paid benefits for 2018 and 2019 (in $ billions) for the top 10 states based on aggregate benefit payments; showed the payments for non-federal versus federal workers’ compensation programs; and provided the total payments nationwide for both years. Executive Briefing (11/30/21) (members only) Bulletin (11/11/21) (members only) California WC Inpatient Hospitalization Trends, 2010-2020. Using hospital discharge data compiled by the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) on nearly 39.2 million 2010 through 2020 inpatient stays, CWCI’s analysis measured and compared the volume and types of California inpatient hospitalizations paid under workers’ compensation to those paid by Medicare, Medi-Cal and private coverage. Since 2010, the number of inpatient discharges in the state has declined steadily for each of the four payer groups studied except Medi-Cal, where enrollment and the number of hospitalizations surged following enactment of the Affordable Care Act in 2014. While updating the long-term inpatient hospitalization trends, the report also provided a focused look at the changes in inpatient hospitalizations between 2019 and 2020, highlighting the impact of COVID-19 on California workers’ compensation inpatient care, identifying changes in the types of conditions treated and the services delivered to injured workers during the first year of the pandemic. Interactive Tool (10/29/21) (members only) Executive Briefing (10/28/21) (members only) Research Update (10/29/21) (members only) Bulletin (11/11/21) (members only) News Release (10/29/21) (public) COVID Claims October 18 Update. After increasing by a factor of 10 between May and August of this year, the surge in California workers’ comp claims due to the Delta variant subsided in September, as the October 18 update to CWCI’s COVID-19/Non-COVID-19 App, showed the monthly COVID claim volume was down nearly 50 percent from 8,049 projected claims in August to 4,073 projected claims in September. The 3,133 COVID claims reported to the DWC thus far for September brought the total number reported since January 2020 to 164,320, including 1,163 death claims, while the projected total for that 21-month period is 168,297 COVID claims. Notably, during this summer’s Delta surge, public safety and government workers – many of whom are covered by a presumption of compensability even if they have not been vaccinated — have accounted for one out of every four COVID claims, while health care workers have accounted for 22.6%, transportation workers have accounted for 11.3% and retail workers have accounted for 9.0%. Interactive Tool (10/20/21) (public) Executive Briefing (10/28/21) (members only) COVID Claims September 20 Update. CWCI’s update to the COVID-19/Non-COVID-19 Interactive Claims Data Application featured data on claims from March of AY 2019 through August of AY 2021 reported to the DWC’s Workers’ Compensation Information System (WCIS) as of September 20. Those claims included 159,774 COVID-19 claims that had dates of injury within the 20-month period spanning January 2020 through August of this year (1,123 of which were death claims). A total of 960,504 workers’ compensation claims were reported to WCIS for the 18 months ending August 31, of which 159,523 (16.6%) were COVID-19 claims. Interactive Tool (9/21/21) (public)
Statutory/Regulatory Medical Mileage Rate Going Up to 58.5 Cents Per Mile for 2022 Travel. State law requires workers’ compensation claims operations to reimburse injured workers for medical mileage at the rate adopted by the DPA Director for non-represented state workers, which is tied to the IRS published mileage rate. In mid-December, the IRS announced that as of 1/1/22, its mileage rate will rise to 58.5 cents/business mile driven. Thus, the rate Calif WC claims administrators pay injured workers for travel related to treatment or evaluation of their injuries also jumps to 58.5 cents/mile for travel o/a 1/1/22, regardless of injury date (NOTE: the current rate of 56.0 cents/mile still applies for 1/1/21 – 12/31/21 travel). Downloadable mileage forms w/applicable rates by travel date (including a new form for 2022) are under “Frequently Used Forms” on the DWC’s Forms page. Executive Memo (12/17/21) (members only) Executive Briefing (12/22/21) (members only) Bulletin (12/17/21) (members only) News Release (12/17/21) (public) User Funding Assessment Rates for 2022. The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) has issued the 2022 assessments that workers’ compensation insurers are required to collect from policyholders to cover the DWC budget and the cost of five related programs set up by state lawmakers. Executive Memo (11/29/21) (members only) Executive Briefing (11/30/21) (members only) Bulletin (11/29/21) (members only) News Release (11/29/21) (public) No Changes In Required WC Pamphlets, Posting Notices & Claim Forms For 2022. In response to member inquiries, the Institute sent out a member advisory noting that none of the statutory or regulatory actions taken in 2021 would require changes to California’s mandatory new hire pamphlets, posting notices or DWC-1 Claim Form/Notice of Potential Eligibility for 2022. CWCI continues to reprint and maintain a stock of these notices, which members may be ordered through our online store, but members were advised to check their inventories and order early due to ongoing supply chain and shipping concerns. Executive Memo (11/9/21) (members only) Member Alert on New Workplace Safety Violations: SB 606, which takes effect 1/1/22, establishes two new categories of very pricey workplace safety violations: enterprise-wide and egregious. The law creates a rebuttable presumption that if Cal/OSHA determines that an employer w/multiple worksites has a written policy or procedure that violates existing workplace safety provisions, or if there is evidence that the employer committed the same violation at more than one worksite, the violation is enterprise-wide, and subject to a penalty of up to $134,334/violation. Cal/OSHA also will have the authority to cite employers for “egregious” violations, which can reflect any of 7 specified conditions, including that the employer “intentionally, through conscious, voluntary action or inaction, made no reasonable effort to eliminate the known violation” and the violation resulted in worker fatalities, a large number of injuries or illnesses, or a “worksite catastrophe” that results in the “inpatient hospitalization, regardless of duration, of 3 or more employees resulting from an injury, illness, or exposure caused by a workplace hazard or condition.” Given the pandemic, such scenarios may not be uncommon, and with limited exceptions, the new law will also consider each instance of an employee exposed to that violation to be “a separate violation for purposes of the issuance of fines and penalties,” so for large companies or those with multiple locations costly violations could add up quickly. SB 606 violations will be incorporated into the effort to enforce Cal/OSHA’s 2-year COVID-19 prevention standards which are expected to be adopted by April 2022. Executive Briefing (10/28/21) (members only) Fed-OSHA Drafting Federal Heat Injury & Illness Standards. Fifteen years ago California was the first state to adopt heat injury & illness standards for outdoor work, and in 2016 Gov. Brown signed SB 1167 which directed Cal/OSHA to draft and propose heat illness and injury prevention standards for indoor work sites where temps can hit 82 degrees or above. Unlike California, Fed-OSHA does not currently have specific rules that address hazardous heat conditions in the workplace, but the Dept. of Labor recently issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking for federal occupational heat injury and illness prevention standards. While the federal regs will likely track with those in California, they could include new or stricter standards that would supersede state standards. According to a DOL statement issued this week the advance notice of proposed rulemaking will open a public comment period intended to gather input on topics such as heat-stress thresholds, heat-acclimatization planning and exposure monitoring. The department will accept comments through Dec. 27. The current draft of Fed-OSHA’s proposed heat rule is available here. Executive Briefing (10/28/21) (members only) DWC Announces CY 2022 PAR & FCA Audit Standards. State law requires the DWC to conduct profile audit reviews (PARs) of all workers’ comp adjusting locations at least once every five years. Each year the DWC calculates overall claim operation performance ratings based on composite scores for such measures as payment of accrued and undisputed indemnity; late first payment of temporary disability and first notice of salary continuation; late first payment of permanent disability and death benefits; late subsequent indemnity payments; and provision of notices with qualified medical evaluator and agreed medical evaluator advice. The Division then uses the ratings from the last three years to set standards for upcoming audits. On Oct. 21, DWC announced that the 2022 audit standards, based on 2018-2020 audit results will be 1.68032 for the PAR audits; the full compliance audit standard will be 1.95657. Executive Memo (10/21/21) (members only) Executive Briefing (10/28/21) (members only) Huge SAWW Increase Will Require A Record Increase In California WC Benefits In 2022. California’s State Average Weekly Wage (SAWW) increased from $1,383 to $1,570 (+13.5213%) in the 12 months ending March 31, 2021 according to the U.S. Department of Labor, so as of January 1, 2022, workers’ comp claims administrators in the state will need to increase minimum and maximum temporary total disability (TTD) and permanent total disability (PTD) rates for 2022 injuries, as well as several other benefits. The steep increase in the SAWW over the past year, largely due to the disproportionate loss of low- wage jobs during the pandemic, means that the maximum weekly TTD and PTD rates for accident year (AY) 2022 claims will rise to $1,539.70, an increase of $183.39 from the $1,356.31 weekly maximum for AY 2021 claims, while the weekly minimum rate will increase by $27.51 from $203.44 to $230.95. Executive Memo (10/21/21) (members only) Executive Briefing (10/28/21) (members only) Bulletin (10/25/21) (members only) News Release (10/25/21) (public) CWCI’s Annual Summary of Enacted Workers’ Comp Legislation. The 2021 legislative session wrapped up with little action on the workers’ compensation front, though there were several bills signed into law dealing with health and safety, COVID, wages, and other issues of interest to the workers’ compensation community. CWCI’s annual review summarized 18 of those bills that were signed by the governor and provided links for copies of the final bills. Bulletin (10/11/21) (members only)
Legal SEE’S CANDIES V. SUPERIOR COURT (EK). In a December 21, 2021 ruling, the 2nd DCA determined that the exclusive remedy rule does not protect an employer from a COVID-related civil lawsuit brought on behalf of an employee’s spouse. The employee alleged that she was infected with the coronavirus at work and passed it along to her family. Her husband died from the disease, and the employee filed a claim for damages in Superior Court. The employer contended that the claim represented a derivative injury and was thus barred under exclusive remedy, but the DCA held that the fact an employee’s injury is the biological cause of a nonemployee’s injury does not thereby make the nonemployee’s claim derivative of the employee s injury. CWCI joined the US Chamber of Commerce as amicus curiae on behalf of the employer. Significant Decision (12/22/21) (members only) BANJAREE V. SUPERIOR COURT. In the first published decision interpreting the prohibition against self-referrals under LC §139.3(2) and the “physician’s office” exception contained in LC §139.31(e), the Court of Appeal held that physicians may render services to patients through separate legal entities in which they have financial interest without violating the prohibition on self-referrals, as long as services are rendered within the same physician’s office or group practice office. Significant Decision (10/20/21) (members only) CITY AND COunty OF SAN FRANCISCO V. WCAB (PACATTE). In a case now pending at the First District, the defense has asked to set aside a finding of compensability under the Special Mission exception to the going-and-coming rule. A firefighter driving his personal vehicle to his regular workstation as part of his daily commute was killed in a head-on collision. While it was possible for him to be called to duty at another location, the employee had not been reassigned since joining his current station house and was not expected to be reassigned on DOI. The defense position on appeal is that the employee is required to demonstrate that, on the actual DOI, a benefit to the employer existed and that the employee needed his car for work. CWCI filed an amicus curiae brief on behalf of the defense. Amicus Brief (10/12/21) (members only)
Other Sara Widener-Brightwell Has Been Named as CWCI General Counsel. The Institute announced that Sara Widener-Brightwell will succeed Ellen Sims Langille as CWCI General Counsel. In her new role, Ms. Widener-Brightwell will manage the Institute’s internal and external legal affairs; serve as staff liaison to the Legal Committee, which directs CWCI’s amicus activities; analyze regulatory and legal issues affecting California workers’ compensation; and help develop and present research and legal programs for Institute members and other workers’ compensation stakeholders. She will begin working at the Institute in early January, which will allow for a seamless transition as Ms. Langille moves toward retirement in May. News Release (12/22/21) (public) CWCI Opens Member Registration for 58th Annual Meeting. The Institute announced that registration for its 58th Annual Meeting was now open for member company employees. This will be CWCI’s first in-person Annual Meeting since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The live event will be held on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, California. The theme of the 2022 meeting will be “Are We There Yet?”, an acknowledgement and analysis of our industry’s dual state of mind after almost two years of working through the worldwide pandemic and the anticipation of returning to “normal”. CWCI staff and guest speakers will examine both the current environment as well as the issues, challenges, and opportunities facing the California workers’ compensation community as we move toward and into the post-COVID environment. The conference is free to CWCI members. Executive Memo (12/8/21) (members only) FDA Approves New Painkiller Combining Opioid Tramadol with NSAID Celecoxib. In mid-October the FDA approved a new drug (brand name Seglentis) that combines the synthetic opioid tramadol (a Schedule IV drug) with the NSAID Celecoxib, for the treatment of acute pain in adults. Seglentis is scheduled to be launched in the U.S. in January. However, because of the risks of addiction, abuse — even at recommended levels — as well as potentially dangerous side effects and interactions with other meds, the use of Seglentis should be limited and monitored closely. In addition, since it is a Schedule IV drug, doctors will be required to check the CURES Rx Drug monitoring program at least 24 hours before prescribing Seglentis to a patient for the first time and will be required to check CURES once every 4 months if they continue to prescribe it to the patient. The MTUS Formulary lists tramadol as a non-exempt drug, but being a new drug, Seglentis, will be “unlisted” initially. Executive Briefing (11/30/21) (members only) Legal Committee Minutes. The Nov. 4 meeting was held via Zoom. Ms. Langille noted that Committee Member Sara Widener-Brightwell has accepted the position of CWCI General Counsel and will join CWCI effective 1/1/22, as Ms. Langille begins to transition toward her May retirement. The discussion of amicus activity covered 5 cases: Starstone National Ins v. Scaffold Solutions, on subrogation and representation (CWCI declined to participate as amicus); Great Divide Ins. Co. v. WCAB (Banegas) a case dealing with the commercial traveler rule (CWCI declined to participate); Mierczynski v. City of Fullerton, on the issue of the calculation of TD / continuing jurisdiction (CWCI declined to participate). In See’s Candies v. Superior Court (Ek), CWCI and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed a joint amicus brief, the plaintiff responded and the DCA set oral argument for 11/16/21. CWCI will conduct a moot court session for the civil defense attorneys on 11/12/21. In Pacatte v. City and County of San Francisco (Going-and-Coming Rule) CWCI’s amicus brief argued that the WCAB erred by applying the liberal construction rule to the facts and evidence, rather than just the statutes and law, and by using a standard of “implied consent” instead of required use of a personal vehicle but on 10/29/21, the DCA denied the Petition and specifically cited to case law that supports application of the liberal construction rule to the facts of a case. The Committee also reviewed a recent panel decision in Payan v. West Coast Auto which suggests that the WCAB will grant wide latitude in COVID discovery matters. The regulatory update covered electronic service regs, scheduled for public hearing Dec. 17; Cal/OSHA’s ETS; CWCI’s comments on proposed copy service regs; and WCAB rules of practice and procedure. Other items noted: 2022 audit standards; new TD rates for AY 2022 claims; and CWCI research on increased ML payments under the new MLFS. Ms. Langille reviewed bills enacted in 2021 including bills covering COVID supplemental paid sick leave, COVID disability retirement for CalPERS, settlement agreements, COVID reporting requirements, Dynamex exemptions, cannabis, warehouse production quotas, policy cancellations, CIGA bonds and posting notices. Bills pending for 2022: SB 335 (investigation periods and penalties), AB 1465 (MPN study bill), AB 399 (MPN/IBR), and AB 404 (MLFS). Ms. Langille reported on CSIMS’ recent conference; noted the DIR Director’s announcement that DWC is no longer authorized to unilaterally order virtual proceedings but that parties can agree, subject to the WCJ approval, to virtual hearings, which seem to be working well. Pending reg updates: UR regs expected by year end; Rx Fee Schedule changes expected this fall; interpreter fee schedule will not address who pays for what. Mr. Allweiss reviewed progress on electronic reporting and revisions to the Doctor’s 1st Report which may be ready for formal review by mid-2022. Ms. Jones noted the ultimate goal of an end-to-end portal as physicians are not currently paid separately for the Doctor’s 1st Report, but this may change with the advent of electronic reporting. Meeting Minutes (11/4/21) (members only) CWCI Quarterly Summary. Quarterly listings of all CWCI publications, including publication dates, brief summaries of each topic and the various formats in which the information is available (e.g., research report, Bulletin, Executive Briefing, news release), so users can choose the level of detail they want to view. Listings include live links so users can click into the CWCI website to access specific documents quickly and easily. |