Workers' compensation: change of physician.

Existing law establishes a workers' compensation system, administered by the Administrative Director of the Division of Workers' Compensation, that generally requires employers to secure the payment of workers' compensation for injuries incurred by their employees that arise out of, or in the course of, employment. Existing law requires an employer to provide all medical services reasonably required to cure or relieve the injured worker from the effects of the injury. Existing law requires every employer to establish a utilization review process and further requires that specified requests for payment for treatment be submitted to the employer, or its insurer or claims administrator, within 30 days of the date the service was provided. Existing law also establishes an independent medical review process to resolve disputes over a utilization review decision, as specified. This bill would require that in the case of emergency treatment services, as defined, specified requests for payment for treatment be submitted to the employer, or its insurer or claims administrator, within 180 days of the date the service was provided.