Acknowledgments

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Christine Baker, the Executive Director of the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation, for her expert guidance and support throughout this research project. We are also grateful to the members of the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation and the advisory group on workers' compensation, many of whom spent considerable time responding to our questions and providing research advice and direction.

The Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB) and several California state agencies assisted us by providing us with data and helping us to understand the databases. Dave Bellusci at the WCIRB was enormously helpful, as were Michele Bunds and Rich Kihlthau at the State of California Employment Development Department (EDD). We also thank Blair Megowan and Del Gaines at the Disability Evaluation Unit; Ted Sorich, Jim Culbeaux, Russ Roeckel and Elizabeth Nisperos at the Department of Industrial Relations Data Processing; Walt Gladwin at the WCIRB; and Dave Jones at the EDD. We are grateful to the many members of the broader workers' compensation community who agreed to participate in our qualitative interviews.

John Burton at Rutgers and Bob Schoeni at RAND reviewed our report and their suggestions improved it immeasurably. Sue Polich prepared the complex data files for analysis and provided invaluable assistance throughout the study.

Finally, we thank Frank Neuhauser at Berkeley and our RAND colleagues Lloyd Dixon, Deborah Hensler, Dan McCaffrey, Erik Moller, and Pat Williams for their contributions to the project. Any errors that remain are our responsibility.

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