Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration is preparing to punish insurance companies that wrongly delay or deny medical care for workers hurt on the job, Los Angeles Times.

Acknowledging growing complaints from workers, the state said new rules were necessary to ensure that workers were not unfairly refused drugs, surgery and other medical procedures that their doctors recommended.

“An unfair delay or denial in medical treatment is probably the worst thing you can do to an injured worker,” said Carrie Nevans, acting administrative director of the state Division of Workers’ Compensation. “The issue of medical treatment affects 100% of the people in the system.”

The changes come more than two years after the governor and Legislature heeded the calls from businesses and overhauled the workers’ comp system.

Since then, injured workers and their advocates have complained bitterly about the sweeping new authority given to insurers to second-guess doctors and veto treatment plans.

Read the full L.A. Times story

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