SB 1423456 Impact Analysis Report, published April 2021)

A CWCI analysis of a legislative proposal (AB 1465) intended to increase injured workers’ access to medical care by requiring the state to create a medical provider network (CAMPN) as an alternative to private networks that render 90 percent of California workers’ compensation treatment.  The report provides background information on the use of medical networks in California workers’ compensation, reviews how the proposed statewide network would be structured, and evaluates the potential for improving injured worker access to care.  The analysis includes data on time to initial treatment and injured worker proximity to treating providers for current MPN and non-MPN claims, shows the percentage of injured workers treated within and outside MPNs who meet the state’s access to care standards, notes the average distances these workers must travel to receive primary care and surgery services, with results broken out for urban, suburban and rural residents, and estimates the cost of building and maintaining the CAMPN.