Lawmakers lack key details for workers' compensation vote

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) _ Lawmakers say they fear they will vote on a bill to overhaul California's workers' compensation system without specifics on how much the legislation will save employers.

Friday, April 16th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) _ Lawmakers say they fear they will vote on a bill to overhaul California's workers' compensation system without specifics on how much the legislation will save employers.

The complex 101-page bill is expected to go before the Legislature for a vote Friday. It was crafted largely away from the public eye and approved by a conference committee early Thursday.

``There's fairly broad concern about the process, about not having the opportunity to have public or expert review on what types of savings this bill is going to generate or not,'' said Republican Assemblyman Keith Richman.

A two-thirds majority vote would make the changes effective almost immediately.

If legislators approve the plan as expected, they would pass one of the most substantial reforms to the 91-year-old system, which features some of the nation's highest insurance premiums for employers and some of the lowest benefits for injured workers.

An Assembly Republican analysis of the bill prepared Wednesday had no estimates of savings, saying any potential reduced costs for employers are unknown.

Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has been no more specific than to say ``several billion'' dollars, and an administration official said, ``It's difficult for us to begin costing it out at this point.''

Republican leaders wanted a week to read the bill before voting but received about 30 hours instead, as the Legislature had to reach a deal by Friday to keep an alternative reform plan from qualifying for the November ballot.

The bill aims to wring billions of dollars in cost savings from a system that saw $17.9 billion in claims last year. It sets new limits on medical benefits, standardizes medical practices and makes injured workers use doctors approved by employers and their insurance companies.

Opponents of the bill, including attorneys and many injured workers, have largely blamed insurance companies for the surge in premium hikes, saying insurers haven't passed savings from last year's reforms to employers.