Tulare County extends CorVel workers’ compensation contract after public complaints; staff ordered to survey claims experience

The Tulare County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to extend its agreement with third‑party workers’ compensation administrator CorVel for one year and to direct county risk management to collect formal feedback from employees, departments and medical providers and return to the board with results.

The item drew extended public comment and discussion from supervisors and department leaders before the motion passed. “We can’t let our staff hang with nothing,” Supervisor Larry McCarrie said when proposing the motion; the board followed his motion with a second from Supervisor Valero and approved it unanimously. The board also asked staff to provide an interim report on findings within three months and emphasized the contract’s existing 30‑day termination clause should problems persist.

Why it matters: dozens of county employees and public‑safety personnel told the board in person that CorVel’s responsiveness and communication on claims had deteriorated, and that delays were causing treatment interruptions, overtime costs and, in some cases, referrals to private attorneys to force action. Several speakers said individual claims have been delayed for years.

Claims and complaints described at the meeting included: phone calls and emails to adjusters that went unanswered for weeks; denials or case closures while treatment was pending; and specialists or diagnostic providers declining to work with CorVel. Robbie Hebrard, president of the Tulare County Deputy Sheriffs Association, told the board a member had been fighting a claim for seven years. Deputy Marcel Campos described repeated denials of MRI requests and ongoing treatment for a work‑related herniated disc. Sergeant Carl Bostai described surgical care and post‑operative complications that he said CorVel did not handle responsively.

County risk manager Rob Anderson and County Counsel described steps already planned or in place to address the county’s concerns: a more prominent, complaint‑focused portal and “contact us” flow on CorVel’s provider lookup, a dedicated risk complaint phone line (559‑623‑0280) that will log and track issues to resolution, additional risk‑division staffing to monitor high‑profile claims, enhanced provider education and outreach, and a requirement that CorVel provide better provider network mapping for MRIs and specialists. Anderson said CorVel’s last independent audit score was 88%, up from 83%, but acknowledged the board’s and staff’s persistent concerns about communication and customer service.

Board members and several speakers urged stronger, faster remedies. “This is almost a million‑dollar contract,” Chair Pete Vanderpool said in closing; “we should make sure the vendor hears us.” The board asked staff to send a summary of today’s public comments to CorVel and to return with survey results and recommendations on whether to continue or terminate the contract.

What the board did: approved a one‑year extension of the CorVel agreement, directed risk management to survey affected employees and departments (including personnel/training units and, where represented, attorneys), and required a return presentation to the board within roughly three months. If service does not improve, staff noted the contract contains a 30‑day termination clause that the county may use while seeking a replacement administrator.

Next steps: Risk management will implement the complaint line, run the county‑wide survey, compile provider feedback, and report back to the board on the results and recommended actions.