California Comprehensive Omnibus Reform Effort

The Governor's Goal.
Simply put, Governor Schwarzenegger's so-called Workers Compensation reform of 2004 did absolutely nothing to reform a dysfunctional and broken Workers Compensation system. Instead of compromise legislation, it was simply a 150 car freight train rammed thru the legislature at 3AM in the morning, fueled by insurance industry & Chamber of Commerce money and misinformation about the true cause of this manufactured crisis.

It did however accomplish it's primary purpose; to reform the profits of the insurance companies selling Workers Compensation insurance in California by literally handing them total control of your medical care, should you get hurt at work in the normal course of your occupation! They were able to intimidate an entire legislature! They are now making obscene profits off of the backs of the occupationally injured by delaying and denying medical care and treatment on a wholsale basis.

The Historic Agreement
Almost one hundred years ago, a historic agreement was reached by the insurance industry and the California legislature. Since then, the insurance industry has breached that agreement more times than one can recall, yet they still demand protection from civil lawsuits for their negligence.

Injured workers are no longer getting compensated for their injuries, instead they are being simply thrown on the trash heap of the California Workers Compensation industry, to be treated by Medi-Cal & Medi-Care which will drive up your taxes, instead of private insurance companies who are taking in millions of premium dollars and not living up to their legal responsibilities!

Reform Or Deform?
There is an epidemic in California politics of the misuse of the word "reform," a term from the progressive era that has a cleansing aura about it, to disguise what in reality is a "deform."

Webster's Dictionary defines "reform" as:
Verb: 1. "To make better by removing faults and defects; to correct."
2. "To make better by putting a stop to abuses or malpractices or by introducing better procedures, etc."
Noun: 1. "in sociology, action by individuals or groups aimed at preventing crime or at eliminating poverty by means of new laws for the betterment of society."

Workers Compensation is no longer about Truth & Justice or Fairness & Equity, nor is it about Compassionate Medical Care for the occupationally injured. It's about Money & Power in the hands of the insurance industry and their political friends in the State Capitol. As soon as you can understand that, then you will see the big picture before you!

Understanding The Spin Doctors
The Governor and his buddies at the Chambers of Commerce (another word for big corporate businesses) have labeled any kind of TRUE Workers Compensation reform as "Job Killers."

What they really mean is "Profit Killers." But it's easier to have you believe that people are going to lose their jobs if a real reform is passed. That's hogwash and they know it.

If it was up to big business alone, you wouldn't have:

An 8 hour Day.

A 40 hour week.

Health Care through the workplace.

Safety in the workplace.

These were all fought for by the sacrifices of working Californians.

Legislative Efforts To Correct This Problem.
When SB899 supposedly fixed the California's Workers' Compensation system, the governor and the legislature made a promise that truly injured workers wouldn't be harmed by the changes. As usual, that hasn't been the case, and it's time that those promises they made were kept.

Our Legislators simply cannot be trusted to pass legislation to reform this problem when they rely on, and accept campaign contributions and money from the insurance industry. It's up to the citizens of California, the workers of California, those who will be affected by these laws should they get injured at work, to determine how they are treated and where.

Numerous bills have passed the Assembly & Senate only to be vetoed by a governor more interested in campaign contributions from his big business buddies and the Chamber of Commerce, than to keep the promises he made to his constitutents to get elected to office in the first place.

Cal-CORE will reverse the effects of SB-899 and bring to California a REAL Workers Compensation reform, a fair and equitable reform, down to the core, to a Workers Compensation system that truly needs it. It should be a system that is functional for the injured worker, yet reasonably profitable for the insurance companies. It will give California workers the final word on how their occupational injuries are taken care of.

What About Those Californians Injured At Work?
Many of their injuries are becoming permanent due to the negligence of the insurance companies who refuse to supply standard medical treatment for these injuries in violation of legislative and constitutional mandate, without a protracted legal fight.

They ARE NOT getting competent medical treatment in a timely fashion.

They ARE NOT getting reasonably compensated for their injuries should they not be able to return to work.

Faced with NO HOPE and no help; faced with a future of excruciating pain, some injured workers have committed suicide. Who is responsible for these deaths? Who is accountable for the negligence of the insurers in failing to deal with these important medical treatment issues?

There are NO MEANINGFUL PENALTIES anymore to deter an insurance carrier from violating the laws and the constitutional rights of injured workers. They commit these acts with impunity. They hide under the umbrella of the "Exclusive Remedy" to indemnify themselves against litigation and prosecution for these criminal acts! They are getting away with MURDER, literally, with no fear of recrimination!

There IS NO reliable way for injured workers to get retrained, should they not be able to return to their old jobs. How will they survive while taking advantage of a retraining voucher?

What Will Cal-CORE Do If It Is Passed?
Cal-CORE will invalidate Senate Bill 899 and all it's provisions and replace them with some serious, sensible compromises that will streamline the system and help the occupationally disabled get on with their lives.

It will create some meaningful penalties and hold insurers to some degree of accountability to their clients. It will force them to once again comply with the laws in a professional manner.

It will reduce the backlog of litigation that is holding the present system hostage and bringing it to it's knees! A large number of insurance company defense attorneys litigate many issues that are mandated by statute simply, because they can. The passage of SB899 gave them the tools to commit these acts. The Workers Compensation courts are totally clogged up with the output of these spurious litigants.

You Have The Power To Make A Change!
When Cal-CORE is certified for signatures by the Attorney General & Secretary of State, you can help get registered voters to support this initiative that will give California Workers a say in how their occupational injuries are handled! It's time to bring some fairnesss and equity back to this desperately needed benefits delivery system!

You can support & contribute to help us defray the operating expenses that are necessary to achive this worthy goal.

Contact us for more information at (916) 647-3125.