Claims Division
(Including The Ombudsman's Office)

Melinda Poppe, Claims Manager
Mary Green, Ombudsman
Email: claims@ica.state.az.us

Do not use the above email address to send emails (or attachments to emails) containing sensitive or personal information (such as social security numbers) to the ICA because neither the website nor email is secure. Instead, FAX such materials to the FAX number below or mail paper copies to a mailing address below.

Phoenix: 800 W Washington St, Phoenix AZ 85007 - Phone: (602) 542-4661
Tucson: 2675 East Broadway, Tucson AZ 85716 - Phone: (520) 628-5181
FAX (use for either office): (602) 542-3373

Click for Phone List of ICA Divisions

What is Workers' Compensation and How Does It Work?
(Looking for downloadable forms and documents? Scroll down . . .)
Workers' compensation is a "no fault" system in which injured workers receive medical and compensation benefits no matter who causes the job-related accident. If an illness or injury is job-related, the injured worker (also known as a claimant or applicant) receives medical benefits and may receive temporary compensation, if eligibility requirements are met. In some cases, a claimant may also receive permanent compensation benefits and "job retraining."

The two divisions within the Industrial Commission which are primarily responsible for monitoring the activities of insurance carriers and for deciding disputes that arise between claimants, employers, and insurance carriers are the Claims Division and the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) Division.

The Claims Division is charged with the responsibility to regulate the insurance carriers and self-insured employers that process claims filed by injured workers, and to insure that workers receive those benefits to which they are entitled under the Arizona Workers’ Compensation Law. The Claims Division receives claims from attending physicians and injured workers, then notifies the appropriate insurance carrier (or its third party administrator) or self-insured employer so that the claim can be processed. The day-to-day processing of an injured worker’s claim is then handled by the insurance carrier or self-insured employer. Questions regarding payment of medical bills and compensation should first be directed to their processing office. Any questions that office cannot answer should then be directed to the Claims Division.

The Claims Division processes approximately 6,000 documents per day and makes over 30,000 determinations annually on such issues as requests to leave the state, requests to change physician, average monthly wage, loss of earning capacity, and bad faith and/or unfair claims processing practices. It ensures that workers' compensation claims are processed in accordance with existing state laws and rules.

The Claims Division keeps a record of all claims filed for workplace injuries since 1925 and also maintains an employer insurance database to provide up-to-date information on Arizona employers and their workers' compensation coverage.

The Claims staff cannot provide legal advice, but they are available for general assistance regarding workers' compensation laws and rules.

The ALJ Division resolves legal disputes that arise in workers' compensation cases. A wide variety of issues may be referred to its Hearing Division, ranging from compensability, continuing benefits, supportive care, reopening of claims, and loss of earning capacity. When a request for hearing is filed in the Claims Division, the case is referred to the Hearing Division of the ALJ. For information, click on Hearings--Frequently Asked Questions below.

Available Downloads Related to Workers' Compensation

Click on a link below . . .

Obtain Booklets

• Workers' Compensation for the Injured Worker

• Employers' Frequently Asked Questions about Workers' Compensation

Obtain Forms (with explanation) to allow you to . . .

• File a Claim under Workers' Compensation

• Petition to Reopen a Claim

• Petition to Rearrange or Readjust Compensation

• Request to Change Doctors

• Request to Leave the State

• Request a Hearing

• Request Dependents' Benefits (in Case of a Worker's Fatality)