Differences in workers' compensation disability and impairment ratings under old and new California law.
BACKGROUND
California's workers' compensation law experienced an historic change on January 1, 2005. Previous methods used to rate permanent disability were replaced by new methods to rate permanent impairment. We sought to estimate the difference in ratings under the old and new law.


METHODS
We obtained 218 reports on injured workers from attorneys who represented injured workers. A disability expert rated disability and 15 physicians rated impairment.


RESULTS
Average percentage point ratings for impairment under the 2005 law were approximately one third the size of ratings for disability under the old law. This estimate showed little variation across demographic groups, physician-evaluators, or injured body part.


CONCLUSIONS
Because cash benefits are keyed to impairment ratings, benefits for permanently disabled workers may decrease as much as 60% under the new law.
Leigh
J Paul
JP
Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care, University of California, Davis, California 95616-8638, USA. pleigh@ucdavis.edu
McCurdy
Stephen A
SA
D017677:Age Distribution; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D012044:Regression Analysis; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014942:Workers' Compensation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology