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Archives for March 2014

Massachusetts Says No to Workers Comp Rate Hike

After Battle, Massachusetts State Agencies Have Agreed to No Workers Comp Rate Increase Massachusetts state agencies and the state’s Workers Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau have agreed not to raise workers comp rates after all. The state’s Attorney General, Martha Coakley, announced the settlement agreement on Friday, March 21st. She says the agreement will save Massachusetts businesses $75 million in workers comp rates. Originally, a 7.7% rate increase was proposed by the workers comp insurance industry, particularly large … [Read more...]

Arizona Workers Comp Bill Shelved Until Next Year

Arizona Shelves Workers Comp Bill Until 2015 Session A bill in Arizona that proposed to prohibit workers from filing workers comp lawsuits if they were denied workers comp payments has been shelved for one year, until 2015. The proposed bill, HB 2455, passed the House Committee on Insurance and Retirement 4-3, and will advance to the Rules Committee. HB 2455 proposes to give exclusive jurisdiction of bad faith claims against workers comp companies to the Industrial Commission of Arizona. If the Industrial Commission determines that the … [Read more...]

New Workers Comp Bill Could Protect Sandy Hook Victims

Witnesses and Victims of the Sandy Hook Shooting Could Receive Expanded Workers Comp Public employees and teachers who witnessed the horrible Sandy Hook school shooting could, thanks to a new bill passed by the Connecticut Legislature, receive expanded workers comp benefits. While some benefits were expanded just after the terrible tragedy in 2012, payments did not cover continued mental health treatment needed to help emergency workers and teachers at the school recover from their post-traumatic stress disorder and return to … [Read more...]

Newton Police Officer Requests Workers Comp for PTSD

Police Officer Requests Workers Comp for PTSD from Newton School Shooting A Newton police officer has suffered such severe PTSD after responding to the Sandy Hook School shootings in 2012 that he has not yet returned to work, and says he will need workers comp to help him while he continues to recover. Thomas Bean, a 38-year-old husband and father of two, says he faces an uncertain financial future because he does not believe he can return to his law enforcement career. “I can’t even touch a gun,” he said. Bean stood before members of … [Read more...]

Workplace Bullying Can Increase Workers Comp Costs

New Study Shows Bullying in the Workplace Can Increase Workers Comp Costs for Employers A new study suggests that bullying and mistreatment in the workplace can lead to increased costs for employers, including through raising workers comp costs, absenteeism, and disability claims. Researchers at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, in 2010 bullying at work accounted for 5.5% of absences due to reported illness. Workplace bullying – which includes insults, intimidation, gossiping, and withholding information – can … [Read more...]

Medical Marijuana Legalization Raises Workers Comp Questions

States with Legal Medical Marijuana Use Struggle to Understand Workers Comp Impact Although marijuana is still technically legal at the federal level, 20 states and Washington DC have passed laws allowing marijuana to be used for medical reasons (additionally, Washington State and Colorado allow recreational marijuana use). However, with marijuana dispensaries becoming more common, state regulators are now beginning to question whether medical marijuana should be covered under workers comp insurance. “I think that most insurance companies … [Read more...]