In 2013, California began implementation of major reforms to the state workers' compensation system, which were enacted in 2012 as part of Senate Bill (SB) 863. These reforms included several changes to permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits. To monitor the success of SB 863, the California Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation (CHSWC) contracted with the RAND Corporation to assess recent trends in earnings loss and PPD benefits and how injury compensation will be affected by SB 863. This report provides early evidence on how these reforms have affected disability ratings and benefits and compares PPD benefits to the earnings losses experienced by permanently disabled workers. Because SB 863 changed benefits in part by modifying the disability rating system, we also evaluate the impact of these changes on the equity of PPD benefits.
Michael Dworsky,Seth A. Seabury,Frank W. Neuhauser,et al. Benefits and Earnings Losses for Permanently Disabled Workers in California: Trends Through the Great Recession and Effects of Recent Reforms. 2016-01-01.