Massachusetts Families Plead with Lawmakers for Doubled Funeral Costs in Workers Comp Benefits Deborah King is a classic case in point: her husband died after a severe workplace accident, but the funeral allotment in his workers comp benefits did not cover the full funeral costs. Paul King, Deborah’s husband, was a maintenance subcontractor at Logan Airport, and in 2005, he was electrocuted. Because the Kings were only in their 50’s at the time, neither had made any burial arrangements. "My children and I struggled to get through the … [Read more...]
Limiting California Workers Comp Bill Signed Into Law
October 18, 2013 by
California Governor Signs Controversial New Workers Comp Legislation Into Law After many months of debate, controversy, and lobbying, California Governor Jerry Brown has signed an updated workers comp bill into law. The bill, officially named AB 1309, places limits on the ability of former professional athletes to file workers comp claims in California. The state is one of the few in the nation that recognizes cumulative trauma in workers comp claims, and previously had relatively lax legislation for out-of-state workers, which including … [Read more...]
Idaho Business Owner Goes to Jail for No Workers Comp
October 2, 2013 by
Idaho Man Who Did Not Pay for Workers Comp Coverage for Business Will Serve Jail Time The owner of a fishing shop in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho served five days in jail, and his business was closed for three days, because he did not pay for workers comp insurance for his business and his employees. Joe Roope, Jr, owner of Joe Roope’s Castaway Fly Shop, Inc, was ordered by the District Court of Idaho to serve jail time for violating a court order, which prohibited him from operating his business without a workers comp policy in effect for his … [Read more...]
Wisconsin State Workers Comp Pays More for Care
September 22, 2013 by
New Study Shows that Workers Comp in Wisconsin Pays More for Medical Services A comparison of patients on a group health plan and using Wisconsin’s workers comp to treat injuries showed that the state’s workers comp paid more for health care than private insurance. The margin was not small, either. One price quote found that Wisconsin surgeons, performing the same arthroscopic knee surgery, collected $1,573 from group private insurance, and $3,728 from the state’s workers comp. The study has prompted several Wisconsin lawmakers to … [Read more...]
Updated California Workers Comp Bill Passes Senate
September 16, 2013 by
Controversial California Workers Comp Bill Passes Senate Vote, Will Return to Assembly The updated version of the controversial California workers comp bill has passed a Senate vote, and will return to the Assembly on September 13th for another vote before heading to the governor’s desk. The update to California workers comp will close a loophole that allowed out-of-state retired professional sports players to file for workers compensation in the state if they had ever played a game in California. Former professional NFL players … [Read more...]
AMA’s Reclassification of Obesity as Treatable Disease Could Affect Workers Comp
September 9, 2013 by
Workers Comp, Especially in California, Could Be Affected by Reclassification of Obesity In July, the American Medical Assocation (AMA) reclassified obesity as a treatable disease. A study just one month later, conducted by the California Workers Compensation Institute, suggested that the classification could have a significant impact on workers comp costs in the state. “The result could be an increasing number of claims that include obesity as a comorbidity, as well as an increase in cases in which obesity is claimed as a compensable … [Read more...]
New Jersey Senate Fails to Revive First Responders Workers Comp Bill
August 28, 2013 by
After Veto by Governor Chris Christie, NJ Senate Cannot Bring Back Workers Comp Bill The Thomas P. Canzanella Bill, aka S1778, was vetoed by Governor Chris Christie in July. Now, officially, the New Jersey Senate has failed to revive the workers comp bill that would expand the ability to apply for benefits for first responders. The bill was named for Thomas P. Canzanella, a firefighter from Hackensack who spent several weeks at Ground Zero after 9/11. He championed workers comp coverage for occupational diseases endemic to first responders … [Read more...]
Oregon Insurance Regulators Threaten to Decertify Workers Comp Group
August 5, 2013 by
If Employers Cannot Come Up with Funds, Regulators Will Shut Down Self-Insurance Workers Comp Trust On Monday, July 29th, insurance regulators in Oregon said they had taken the first steps to decertifying a self-insurance trust, and would completely shut it down next week, if employers did not come up with $750,000 for workers comp. According to the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, the Oregon Employers Trust Inc must increase its security deposit to $3.95 million, based on membership growth and estimated claims … [Read more...]
Compromise Reached in California Workers Comp Legislation
July 17, 2013 by
Bill Restricting Pro Athletes from Filing Workers Comp in California Reaches a Compromise The controversial California workers comp bill aimed at professional athletes has been updated in a compromise, according to state legislators. AB 1309 was proposed by Assemblyman Henry T. Perea in February as a way to help prevent exploitation and reduce problems in the California workers comp system. The workers comp system in the state currently allows professional athletes and other non-residential workers to apply for workers comp if they have … [Read more...]
