Workers' comp reforms generate complaints

sum of two units years after sweeping reforms of workers' compensation in California, a growing number of injured employee say they have fallen end the cracks in the a whole to treat people hurt upon the job.

Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger pushed for changes to the workers' comp combination of parts to form a whole because skyrocketing premiums had loaded employers, but some critics believe those efforts erod benefits to workers in order to restore costs to businesses and insurers.

Employee in a variety of occupations say the reforms have produc delays and obstacles in their efforts to receive medical treatment or payment for their injuries. In a certain number of cases, workers say they have had critical treatment denied.

And numerous employee who one time received long-term treatment for permanent disabilities from one side workers' comp no longer qualify for that after the 2004 reforms.

"There is a substantial number of workers who were getting benefits before the reforms that now are not," said UC