California Division Of Workers’ Compensation Posts Uniform Names For Claims Administrators And Representatives

Oakland, CA  (CompNewsNetwork) - The California Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) has posted a database of uniform names for claims administrators' offices and representatives' offices on its Web site. This database, which is searchable and downloadable, has been posted to facilitate filing forms and documents in the Electronic Adjudication Management System (EAMS), which goes live at the DWC's 24 district offices Aug. 25.

Claims administrator offices and representative offices should immediately check this database to see if they are already registered, make sure they know their exact assigned name and how to enter it, and review the list of names to be sure they know the assigned names of those organizations they will need to list on forms. Claims administrators are insurance carriers who self-administer claims, third party administrators and self-insured, self-administered employers. Representatives are attorney and non-attorney representatives.

“We have assigned uniform names to 300 claims administrators' offices and 1,400 representatives' offices, which handle about 80 percent of our current case volume,” explained Court Administrator Keven Star. “Because the names on EAMS forms must match the names on the list, we're asking the offices that handle the rest of the cases to register with us and get an assigned name right away so everyone can begin filing forms in EAMS.”

Forms filed in EAMS automatically create new workers' compensation case files or open existing case files. Part of this automated process involves associating the related parties to their cases. To ensure that parties are properly associated to cases in EAMS, a uniform naming convention was created by the DWC for claims administrators and representatives. In order for EAMS to properly associate claims administrators' offices and representatives' offices with electronic case files, their names must be entered on EAMS forms exactly as they appear on the list of uniform names.

Claims administrators' offices are assigned a name for each office, not a name for each entity for which claims are administered. To fit within the available space, names have been abbreviated. Law firm names include no more than the first two principals' last names. Sole practitioners are listed by their first name and then last name, unless they use only their last name as their trade name, or always use their first initial.

Each uniform name in EAMS is a combination of the name of the office and the city in which the office is physically located. For example: ACCELERATED CLAIMS IRVINE

Claims administrator or representative offices can search the database by their nine-digit ZIP Code, their city or any part of their name to determine if they are already registered and what their uniform assigned name is. The uniform names for claims administrators' offices and representatives' offices are posted in a searchable database and in downloadable format at www.dwc.ca.gov/eams.

Claims administrators' offices and representatives' offices that are not already in the database should register now by sending a letter on letterhead, with an authorized signature, to DWC's new Central Registration Unit by e-mail to cru@dir.ca.gov or by fax to (888) 822-9309. At this time, the Central Registration Unit is registering only claims administrators' offices and representatives' offices, so uniform names are not required for other types of participants.

Creating uniform names in EAMS was vital, not only to properly associated parties to their cases, but to ensure greater standardization of data in the future. In addition to the historical difficulties associated with managing paper, DWC has been struggling with a “dirty database” in its 25-year old online system.

“This change will take some adjustment as people learn they have to look up the other party's name before they fill out a form,” Star said. “But once they get used to this process, everyone using the system will see tremendous benefits from having standardized data.”

Any questions regarding the uniform names, the use of the uniform names database, or the new central registration process may be e-mailed to EAMSHelpDesk@dir.ca.gov or asked by calling (888) 771-3267 (888-771-EAMS), and selecting option 4.

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