Useful Links for Members and Injured Workers

Office of the Judges of Compensation Claims

The official website for the Florida Office of the Judges of Compensation Claims (OJCC) can be found here:
jcc.state.fl.us/JCC

The OJCC is part of the Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH). The OJCC is responsible for adjudicating disputes over workers’ compensation benefits. This site provides information and tools that are useful in these disputes. Link can be found here:
doah.state.fl.us/ALJ

The OJCC website has a search tool that will give real-time updates on a case, including the docket entries and scheduling:
jcc.state.fl.us/JCC/searchJCC

The OJCC website has an excellent resource page:
jcc.state.fl.us/JCC/resources

The OJCC website has a recent decision tab which has the most recently released opinions:
jcc.state.fl.us/JCC/Decisions

To locate your local district office, search the interactive map here:
jcc.state.fl.us/JCC/Districts/districtsInfo.asp

Child support in Florida workers’ compensation settlements: “The State of Florida has imposed a statutory duty upon the Judges of Compensation Claims. Under Florida Statutes §440.20(11)(d)1. “a judge of compensation claims must consider at the time of the settlement, whether the settlement allocation provides for the appropriate recovery of child support arrearages,” regarding any proposed lump-sum settlement under of entitlement to workers’ compensation benefits.” More information here:
jcc.state.fl.us/JCC/resources/childsupport/ChildSupportLetter.pdf

Forms:
jcc.state.fl.us/jcc/forms.asp

Rules of Procedures:
jcc.state.fl.us/jcc/rules.asp

Chief Judge Langham’s Blog:
flojcc.blogspot.com

The Workers Compensation Section of The Florida Bar:
flworkerscomp.org

The purpose of the Workers’ Compensation Section is to provide an organization within The Florida Bar open to all members in good standing who have a common interest in workers’ compensation law. The Section provides a forum for discussion and exchange of ideas leading to the improvement of individual trial abilities in workers’ compensation cases.

News & 440 Report – Recent issues:
flworkerscomp.org/news-a-440-report/news-a-440-report.html

Florida Statutes Chapter 440:
archive.flsenate.gov

WILG (Workers’ Injury and Law Advocacy Group)
WILG is the national non-profit membership organization dedicated to representing the interests of millions of workers and their families who, each year, suffer the consequences of work-related injuries or occupational illnesses and who need expert legal assistance to obtain medical care and other relief under workers’ compensation programs. WILG is a network of like-minded advocates for workers’ rights, sharing information and knowledge, a sense of commitment and kinship, and networking to help each other and our clients.
wilg.org

FJA Florida Justice Association
The Florida Justice Association (FJA), formerly the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers (AFTL), is dedicated to strengthening and upholding Florida’s civil justice system and protecting the rights of Florida’s citizens and consumers.
FJA works in the legislative, political and public arenas to ensure that Floridians know and understand the importance of their rights to justice and to make certain that these rights, which are at the very core of what it means to be American, are safeguarded and protected.
floridajusticeassociation.org

Florida Division of Financial Services – Workers’ Compensation
This website provides information for the Employer, Insurer, Employee, and the Provider.
myfloridacfo.com/division/wc/

Division of Workers’ Compensation, Workers’ Compensation Databases
This link provides information on various databases maintained by the Division, such as: Insurer/Claim Administrator Database, Insurers licensed to do business in the State of Florida, Proof of Coverage, Construction Policy Tracking Database, Non-Compliance Referral Database, Expert Medical Advisor Database, Claims Database, Statistical Reports Based on Claims Data, WC Policy Search Page, Employer Loss Run Database, Compliance Stop-Work Order Database, DWC Claims EDI Data Warehouse.
myfloridacfo.com/Division/WC/Databases

Division of Workers’ Compensation, Forms
This link displays different forms used in Workers’ Compensation cases divided by the applicable chapter of the Florida Administrative Code: Workers’ Compensation Act, Workers’ Compensation Compliance, Workers’ Comp Medical Reimbursement and Utilization Review, Drug Testing Rule, Claim for Reimbursement Against the Special Disability Trust Fund, Preferred Worker Program, Reemployment Services, Employee Assistance and Ombudsman Office, Expert Medical Advisors, Utilization & Reimbursement Dispute Rule, Carrier Report of Health Care Provider Violations, and Rules for Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Requirements for Proof of Coverage and Claims.
myfloridacfo.com/Division/WC/PublicationsFormsManualsReports

Division of Workers’ Compensation, Brochures
The brochure at the link above provide information on different topics about Workers’ Compensation for Workers and Employers, Key Coverage and Exemption Eligibility Requirements, the“Broken Arm” Poster, Drug-Free Workplace Guide, Anti-Fraud Reward Program Notice, Employee Notification, and Disaster Assistance.
myfloridacfo.com/Division/WC/PublicationsFormsManualsReports

Division of Workers’ Compensation, Brochure for injured workers
This link will bring you to a brochure with important Employee Facts for injured workers.
myfloridacfo.com/Division/WC

Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation (DLHWC)
The Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation (DLHWC) mission is to decrease the impact of land, employment injuries and deaths on the injured employees and their families. Also, insuring that workers’ compensation benefits are provided and properly with the Longshore /Harbor Worker’s Compensation Act (LHWCA), Defense Base Act (DBA), Non-Appropriated Fund Instrumentalities Act (NAFIA), and Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) laws.
dol.gov/owcp/dlhwc

Florida Department of Health
The Florida Health website contains information regarding public health in Florida. It has information regarding state programs & services, licensing & regulation, summarizes different statistics & data, certificates issued throughout the state, diseases & conditions, and environmental health.
floridahealth.gov

Florida Courts
Florida’s court system is compromised of the Supreme Court, five district courts of appeal, 20 circuit courts and 67 county courts. Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in Florida. The five District Courts of Appeal are located in Tallahassee, Lakeland, Miami, West Palm Beach, and Daytona Beach Florida. Decisions of the courts of appeal represent the final appellate. Trial Court: Circuit courts have trial jurisdiction over matters not assigned. County court is one in each of Florida’s 67 counties.
flcourts.org/florida-courts

Medicare Coordination of Benefits
The Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) program is in place to ensure that Medicare is aware of situations where it should not be the primary, or first, payer of claims. If a beneficiary has Medicare and other health insurance (COB), rules decide which entity pays first. There are different methods and programs used to identify situations in which beneficiaries have other insurance that is primary to Medicare. This site provides an overview of those rules.
cms.gov/Medicare/Coordination-of-Benefits-and-Recovery

Workers’ Compensation Medicare Set Aside Arrangements – Overview
WCMSA is a financial agreement that allocates a portion of a workers’ compensation settlement to pay for future medical services related to the workers’ compensation injury, illness, or disease.
cms.gov/Medicare/

A Workers’ Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Arrangement (WCMSA) Self-Administration
WCMSA Self-Administration is a portion of a workers’ compensation settlement ‘set aside’ for all future-injury-related medical expenses that are covered and would normally be paid by Medicare. The goal of the WCMSA is to set aside money from the settlement to cover those injury-related medical expenses so the payment of that care is not shifted to Medicare.
Workers’ Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Arrangement (WCMSA) Reference Guide
Workers’ Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Arrangement Reference Guide provides important information and procedures governing MSAs.
cms.gov/Medicare/ReferenceGuide

State of Florida Injured Employee Web Portal – Retraining:
wcres.fldfs.com

On April 20, 2012, Governor Scott signed House Bill 5203 abolishing the Bureau of Rehabilitation and Reemployment Services (BRRS) effective June 30, 2012. This bill also transfers the workers’ compensation training and education responsibilities to the Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) at the Department of Financial Services. Information can be found here:
myfloridacfo.com/division/wc

Effective July 1, 2012, injured workers interested in reemployment services can apply for services at the Division of Workers’ Compensation Web Portal. For questions, email: wcres@myfloridacfo.com or call (800) 342-1741, option 4.

Florida Workers’ Compensation – Common Forms:
Common Forms