SPEED UP OF WORK COMP CLAIMS WOULD HELP WORKERS AS WELL AS MEDICAL PROVIDERS

News Release from Office of Rep Barbara Marumoto, March 14, 2012

Honolulu - Rep. Barbara Marumoto has introduced resolutions asking the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to figure out ways to speed up complex and time-consuming processes surrounding workers’ compensation insurance.

“If the steps could be simplified, faster medical service would help workers and medical providers alike,” stated Marumoto. “Timely medical treatment would help injured employees get well faster.”

“Many doctors no longer take work comp cases because of low reimbursement rates and, in particular, because of lengthy and onerous paperwork. We heard testimony that one injured employee was turned down by 20 doctors who no longer handle work comp cases or do not accept new patients with work-related injuries.”

The resolutions call for the Director of DLIR to identify ways to improve and accelerate the processing of work comp claims by the Disability Compensation Division of the DLIR.

“We are throwing the ball into the Department of Labor’s court to re-design time-consuming processes to better serve injured claimants and facilitate prompt reimbursement to health care providers.”

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