Over the last few years, Providence Publications has been recognized for journalistic excellence by three of the major trade associations. The Newsletter on Newsletters, the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and the Specialized Information Publishers Association (SIPA)have recognized Workers' Comp Executive and Cal-OSHA Reporter for their work in numerous categories including government service, public service, and breaking news.
The Newsletter on Newsletters
2007
The State Compensation Insurance Fund had been rumored to have problems and even former regulators had sounded the call. It all boiled over when State Fund’s president was sent packing over administration of State Fund’s group business—a business that was quite lucrative for some, but not policyholders. The dominoes started to fall as more executives were let go or demoted. Workers’ Comp Executive was there to break the stories as the drama unfolded. It culminated in a three-prong probe by the California Department of Insurance, California Highway Patrol, and the San Francisco District Attorneys Office.
1st Place
Workers' Comp Executive
for Government Coverage. Reporting by Dale Debber, Nils Wright & Bess Shapiro
Tudor Shown the Door after Internal Investigation
State Fund Group Administrators Paid $500 Million
SCIF Governance Proposal
SCIF’s Charles Savage Canned
State Fund in for Three-Pronged Probe
State Fund Drops Its Largest Safety Group
Welcome to the Jungle
Major Associations Leaving State Fund
Does State Fund Control Contractor Pure Premium
Former Director DelRe Lures Business from State Fund
2nd Place
Workers' Comp Executive
for Government Coverage. Reporting by Dale Debber, Nils Wright & Bess Shapiro
Tudor Shown the Door after Internal Investigation
State Fund Group Administrators Paid $500 Million
SCIF Governance Proposal
SCIF’s Charles Savage Canned
State Fund in for Three-Pronged Probe
State Fund Drops Its Largest Safety Group
Welcome to the Jungle
Major Associations Leaving State Fund
Does State Fund Control Contractor Pure Premium
Former Director DelRe Lures Business from State Fund
3rd Place
Workers' Comp Executive
for Government Coverage. Reporting by Dale Debber, Nils Wright & Bess Shapiro
Tudor Shown the Door after Internal Investigation
State Fund Group Administrators Paid $500 Million
SCIF Governance Proposal
SCIF’s Charles Savage Canned
State Fund in for Three-Pronged Probe
State Fund Drops Its Largest Safety Group
Welcome to the Jungle
Major Associations Leaving State Fund
Does State Fund Control Contractor Pure Premium
Former Director DelRe Lures Business from State Fund
2008
1st Place
Workers' Comp Executive
for Public Service. Reporting by Dale Debber &Bess Shapiro
Lunch with SCIF President Jan Frank
Legislators and Transparency Getting the Runaround
Amended SCIF Bill Still Generates Concerns about Transparency
SCIF Hires Contract Executives
SB 1145 Heads to Governor’s Desk
SCIF Bill Changes Things
Filing a Public Record Act with SCIF
After being embroiled in scandal, if was decided that State Compensation Insurance Fund required a change. Openness and transparency seemed like the best place to start. Bills were introduced to start the process, only the process was rigged from the start. Workers’ Comp Executive followed the legislation process from the beginning State Fund’s board of directors controlled the language of the legislation from the beginning giving new president Janet Frank very little access. Despite a pledge to transparency, State Fund managed to keep most of the information that would be of greatest interest to policy holders and the public under wraps.
1st Place
Workers' Comp Executive
for Best Deadline Reporting. Reporting by Dale Debber & Brad Cain
SCIF Hides President’s Hiring Bonus
It’s Good When the Truth Gets Out
State Fund Responds
When new president Janet Frank took the reins at State Compensation Insurance Fund, Workers’ Comp Executive was interested in her compensation packages. We obtained a copy of her contract and it was revealing was her hiring bonus which was paid in increments totaling more than $139,000. State Fund refused to answer questions about the bonus or about the fact that Frank was allowed to spend four days a week in California and the rest in Colorado where she lived and whether State Fund was paying her travel expenses. State Fund told us one thing and our sources told us another. Things got testy when State Fund eventually answered our questions…to our competitor. In doing so, it revealed that it was willing to put its own spin on the answers and violate the principle of transparency. Once WCE finally got a copy of her contract it was revealed that what we had been told by our sources was the accurate version.
1st Place
Workers' Comp Executive
for Best Government. Reporting by Dale Debber
Sale of State Fund under Real Consideration
SCIF Sale Discussions an Evolving Issue
SCIF Sale: It Might Happen
When there was no budget and no money, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger decided that the sale of State Compensation Insurance Fund would bring some quick cash to the state coffers. The only problem was that the scheme was hatched behind the scenes and may have violated the constitution. WCE revealed before a bill even came out in print, the machinations behind the bill. This included the fact that the insurance commissioner would have no say in the transaction and that the State Fund board of directors would have no choice but to comply with the sale. The revelations helped stall the plan, which has never been revived.
1st Place
Workers' Comp Executive
for Best Feature Article. Reporting by Bess Shapiro
The Journalist in the Jury Pool
It’s not too often that one gets called for jury duty, but in this instance a journalist was called to perform her civic duty. As a journalist Bess Shapiro had to listen to her instincts, not to mention her conscience, as a reporter in deciding whether or not she could be an impartial juror. It became a journey through the legal process with a little workers’ comp thrown in.
1st Place
Workers' Comp Executive
for Best News Writing. Reporting by Brad Cain
27% Rate Hike Recommendation Coming
The workers’ comp reforms are Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s greatest legacy, but increasing medical severity and two damaging Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board decisions threatened to undermine them. The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California responded by recommending the largest rate increase in five years. And it was a whopper. Brad Cain was there to break the story way ahead of our competitors and let the industry and employers know that the good times were over.
Accolades from Officials on Providence Publications’ Winning Five Prestigious Journalism Awards from Newsletter on Newsletters
"Good Journalism is essential for good government and I'm proud to have these California journalists recognized in the national community. We stand with all Californians in recognizing Providence Publications for its great journalism and many awards this year. Dale, Bess, and Brad are familiar faces around the Capitol and I join the whole Capitol community in recognizing not only the efforts of the whole Providence Publications team, but in thanking them for the kind of accurate and fair reporting they do. I am delighted that they brought so many prestigious awards back to California."
--Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, on Providence Publications winning five prestigious journalism awards.
"Workers Comp Executive and its excellent team of writers and editors work tirelessly to pursue the latest developments in the workers' compensation market," said California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. "Congratulations to Dale Debber, Brad Cain and Bess Shapiro for winning these awards and brining their readers their special brand of determined and detailed reporting."
--Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner on Providence Publications winning five prestigious journalism awards
News Releases and Articles
The Newsletter On Newsletters Awards Providence Publications Top Journalism Award For Second Consecutive Year
Providence Publications takes home journalism awards
Workers' Comp Executive Wins NL/NL's Top Journalism Award for Reporting That Opened Records and Meetings of California Agency
Specialized Information Publishers Association
2008
3rd Place Specialized Information Publishers Association (SIPA) for Best Investigative Reporting. Reporting by Dale Debber, Nils Wright & Bess Shapiro
Tudor Shown the Door after Internal Investigation
State Fund Group Administrators Paid $500 Million
SCIF Governance Proposal
SCIF’s Charles Savage Canned
State Fund in for Three-Pronged Probe
State Fund Drops Its Largest Safety Group
Welcome to the Jungle
Major Associations Leaving State Fund
Does State Fund Control Contractor Pure Premium
Former Director DelRe Lures Business from State Fund
2009
2nd Place
Workers' Comp Executive
for Best Spot News. Reporting by Brad Cain
OSIP Fails to Obtain Statutory Security for Failed Self-Insured
Workers’ Comp Executive got wind that a big retailer was about to go belly up, but the Office of Self-Insured Plans, the regulator of self-insured employers had failed to obtain a security deposit. When Brad Cain found out that Mervyns changed its bankruptcy filing from reorganization to liquidation, OSIP found it would have to payout bout $3.4 million a year to cover $20 million in workers’ comp claims that should have been covered by the deposit. The story exposed a glaring hole in the regulation of self-insured employers in California and showed how other employers in California can end up footing the bill. Workers’ Comp Executive as ahead of the story before anyone else.
2010
3rd Place
Workers' Comp Executive
for Best Spot News/Exclusive Single News Story. Reporting by Dale Debber
SCIF Sale: It Might Happen
When there was no budget and no money, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger decided that the sale of State Compensation Insurance Fund would bring some quick cash to the state coffers. The only problem was that the scheme was hatched behind the scenes and may have violated the constitution. WCE revealed before a bill even came out in print, the machinations behind the bill. This included the fact that the insurance commissioner would have no say in the transaction and that the State Fund board of directors would have no choice but to comply with the sale. The revelations helped stall the plan, which has never been revived.
2011
2nd Place, Workers' Comp Executive, Best Reference Publication or Directory, Reporting done by Jack Duffy, Paul Stremple and Bess Shapiro
The Most Influential People in California Workers' Compensation for 2010
Looking for a way to capture the talent, expertise and influence of the numerous individuals in the California workers' comp industry, Workers' Comp Executive started by compiling a list of names in several different categories and then came up with a list of questions to ask each and every one of them. What emerged was a comprehensive product of the Who's Who in workers' compensation. The Most Influential didn't just list a name and an affiliation, it gave answers to some of the most pressing California workers' comp questions of the time and provided a glimpse into the future.
Newsletter on Newsletters
2009
1st Place Workers’ Comp Executive for Best Deadline Reporting. Brad Cain, editor.
The Division of Workers’ Compensation would not be updating the permanent disability rating schedule as required by statute (See story No Timely Update...). DWC is required to update the PDRS every five years, which would have made January 2010 the deadline. Even though the regulatory process began in 2008 it was never completed. With the deadline just a few days away, Brad called the division and asked if they planned to update the PDRS as required. Citing the economic environment, DWC said it did not want to burden employers with higher costs and would not be meeting its statutory requirement. After Brad’s story the Legislature responded with a formal letter asking the administrative director to give a further explanation. This was followed up by a formal oversight hearing before the senate.
No Timely Update for PDRS
2nd Place Workers' Comp Executive for Best Government News Coverage. Reporting by Brad Cain, editor.
Brad revealed that the Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau was disciplining workers’ comp carriers for various infractions, but would not disclose which were being disciplined or for what. This means it conducts the public’s business yet, the Department of insurance attended, both Brad and one of the public members were refused access to the meeting where this information was disclosed. Undeterred, Brad through his network of contacts and sources got the scoop about who was in trouble and for what. It was revealed that at least two carriers were in non-compliance with Bureau standards regarding payroll, claims reporting and classifications. For one carrier, it was the second time for the same infraction. The article revealed the importance of openness where rates and market stability are paramount for employers—members of the public—who buy insurance.
Bureau Disciplines, But Doesn't Disclose
3rd Place Workers' Comp Executive for Best Government News Coverage. Reporting by Bess Shapiro, Capitol Correspondent Bess Shapiro & Brad Cain, editor.
Self-Insured Groups are not required to disclose their financials to the public as insurance carriers are, despite their sizeable liabilities and payroll. The issue became even more relevant as the economy began to take its toll on some groups and they began to close. Bess and Brad wrote several articles over the course of the year describing the controversy and the debate.
Being sure to get both sides, they covered both proposed but ultimately unsuccessful legislation and a Commission on Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation report that amazingly concluded full disclosure was not necessary. Rather than just summarize the report, Bess and Brad did a careful analysis of the conclusions and picked apart many of the arguments regarding the financial vulnerabilities of SIGs. The articles illustrated the importance of financial disclosure for SIGs regardless of the fact that they’re not insurance carriers.
CRM Confirms Auto Group's Closure
Will Scrutiny Screw the SIGs
Self-Insured Groups Play Hide the Data
Discussions May Eviscerate SIG Disclosure Bill
CHSWC Study Says Full Disclosure Not Necessary
The Virtue of Selfishness: Let Competitors Peek
Legislature: SIG Transparency Still Controversial