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Overview

The Workers' Compensation Automation and Integration System, or WCAIS, is a Web-based information system that will allow electronic communication among the three workers' compensation program areas of the Department of Labor & Industry (the Bureau of Workers' Compensation, the Workers' Compensation Office of Adjudication and the Workers' Compensation Appeal Board) and the public. WCAIS will enable electronic communication and permit online filing, online document management and around-the-clock access to information.
 
Attorneys, employers, insurers, third-party claims administrators, injured workers and others will register to access WCAIS using screens designed for each user group. Attorneys registering to use WCAIS will also be required to provide identification documents as part of the registration process. Organizations, including law firms, will be able to manage their staff's access to information in the system.
 
WCAIS will be implemented in two releases. The first, or Release 1, is slated for the fall of 2012. Currently, parties must call the Bureau of Workers' Compensation Helpline for information and, even then, cannot obtain information about appeals pending before the Workers' Compensation Appeal Board. With Release 1, parties will be able to contact the helpline either by phone or online through WCAIS to obtain basic information on the status of appeals.
 
Currently, parties can only file appeals, petitions, or documents (e.g. briefs) with the Workers' Compensation Appeal Board by mail. With Release 1, parties will be able to file appeals, petitions, and documents online with the Workers' Compensation Appeal Board. They will also be able to search for and view those filings, documents, related correspondence, and appeal summaries through the web.
 
Release 2, in the fall of 2013, will allow users to file petitions, applications, forms and other documents related to Bureau of Workers' Compensation and Workers' Compensation Office of Adjudication operations and services. They will also be able to search for and view filings, documents, and related correspondence online. Additionally, Release 2 will mandate the filing of most claims-related forms through electronic data interchange (EDI).
 
Whether you're an insurer, an employer, an attorney or an injured worker, the new system will benefit you.
 
Your input is important to the successful development and implementation of WCAIS. If you would like to receive information about the project, send your name and email address to RA-LI-PA-WCAIS-UP@pa.gov.