Lobbying on workers' comp. (Politics).Former Democratic state Assemblyman as·sem·bly·man n. A man who is a member of a legislative assembly. assemblyman Noun pl -men a member of a legislative assembly Noun 1. Tom Calderon, who used to represent the Montebello area, is lobbying on behalf of the beneficiaries of his workers' compensation workers' compensation, payment by employers for some part of the cost of injuries, or in some cases of occupational diseases, received by employees in the course of their work. legislation. It was Calderon who carried the bill in early 2002 that raised workers' comp benefit levels. In a huge victory for labor, Gov. Gray Davis finally agreed to sign the measure after rejecting similar bills each of the previous three years. To offset increased costs for employers, Calderon and other Assembly Democrats inserted a number of cost-saving measures, including a return-to-work incentive program and allowing the use of generic pharmaceuticals for injured workers. However, many of these savings have proven illusory as medical costs continued to rise. Notably absent from these measures was a cap on the fees that outpatient clinics could charge for treating injured workers. The California Chamber of Commerce and other business groups pushed for such a cap to rein in to check the speed of, or cause to stop, by drawing the reins. to cause (a person) to slow down or cease some activity; - to rein in is used commonly of superiors in a chain of command, ordering a subordinate to moderate or cease some activity deemed excessive. See also: Rein Rein rapidly rising medical treatment costs in the workers' comp system. Calderon and other Democrats resisted such efforts. Meanwhile, during an unsuccessful campaign for Insurance Commissioner, he took in at least $250,000 from surgery centers and affiliated organizations, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a review of campaign reports. Calderon, who was termed out of the Assembly, has been hired on as a consultant for Pacific Hospital, which operates eight outpatient surgery Outpatient Surgery, also referred to as ambulatory surgery or same-day surgery, is surgery that does not require an overnight hospital stay. The term “outpatient” arises from the fact that surgery patients may go home do not need an overnight hospital centers in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, . His task: consult on workers' compensation issues. Pacific Hospital and one of its operating units operating unit A type of operating company that engages in transactions with outsiders and that is owned by another business. For example, in 1995 the stockholders of Capital Cities/ABC approved a $19 billion merger with the Walt Disney Company, whereupon , West Coast Surgery Centers Management Inc., contributed at least $107,000 to Calderon in the 2001-02 election cycle, according to campaign filings. Neither Pacific Hospital nor West Coast Surgery Centers returned calls. Attempts were also made to reach Calderon through the California Medical Assistance Commission on which he serves; those calls were not returned either. While state law prohibits Calderon from lobbying the Legislature directly for one year after leaving office, nothing prohibits him from providing strategic advice on how to lobby. The surgery centers can use all the advice they can get. The key reform bill this year - SB 228 by Sen. Richard Alarcon, D-Van Nuys -- would subject outpatient surgery centers to so-called "fee schedules" or caps. It has bipartisan support and is expected to pass, provided it doesn't get hung up in budget wrangling. Staff reporter Howard Fine Howard Fine (November 28, 1958) is an American acting teacher, the founder of the Howard Fine Acting Studio in Hollywood, CA, and also a theatre director. Early Life Howard Fine was born on November 28, 1958 in Providence, Rhode Island. He is the youngest of 5 children. can be reached by phone at (323) 549-5225, ext. 227, or by e-mail at hfine@labusinessjournal.com. |
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