Hello, dear readers! I hope you enjoyed your weekend. The sun was all smiles and the birds were singing without restraint, while under the streets of Sacramento, in the deepest sewers, the snakes were slithering their way towards SB-863’s crib, hoping to strangle it in its infancy. Is the new law to be a defenseless babe, or do we have a Heracles on our hands?

Senate Bill 626 seeks to undo some of the more interesting aspects of SB-863.  The bill, introduced by Jim Beall (D – Santa Clara County), would allow workers’ compensation Judges to overturn Independent Medical Review determinations (see Section 3), would allow chiropractors to remain the treating physicians for injured workers even after 24 visits (see Section 1), and allow for increases in impairment for psychiatric disorders (see Section 5).

Now, bear in mind, dear readers, that this bill was only introduced in late February, so it might be dead on the vine and more of a snowflake than an avalanche.  That being said, whatever our thoughts on how good of a reform SB-863 was, there are gains for employers found within, and we cannot cede territory captured at this point.

So here’s hoping SB-626 is more of a legislative pout than anything else.

WCDefenseCA does not, by any means, wish to imply that Senator Beall is a snake, or compare him to one – just using the Greek Mythology imagery to get the point across.