Quote of the day
"It's a new world."
Marc Osborn, lobbyist for the Arizona Association of Industries, regarding business groups' concession that future automatic workers' comp benefit increases will be tied to inflation
Arizona Business Advocates Agree to Automatic Indexing
Unions’ threat of a ballot initiative to increase workers’ compensation benefits spurs business leaders and Republican lawmakers to agree to increase maximum monthly benefits, for the first time since 1999, to $2,400 over the next two years, $800 more than the current maximum. The biggest concession is automatic indexing of benefits to inflation. Go to the full story by Howard Fischer, Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)
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South Carolina House Passes Overhaul; Second Injury Fund on Chopping Block
The South Carolina House overwhelmingly approves an overhaul of the state’s workers’ compensation laws that would nearly eliminate the state’s Second Injury Fund. The legislation also prevents payments for stress and mental illness absent strong evidence they are work-related. By AP via WIS-TV (Columbia, S.C.)
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Jockeys’ Guild Boosts Temporary Disability Benefits
A letter to Jockeys’ Guild members says temporary disability benefits in states without workers’ compensation will increase beginning June 1 from the current payment of $100 to a benefit payment of $200 per week. Benefits in states with workers’ comp will rise from $50 to $200 per week. By Claire Novak, Blood-Horse
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Fraud Victims Testify at Sentencing of Former Exec
A woman whose workers’ compensation checks stopped arriving, leaving her temporarily homeless and unable to pay her medical bills, testifies with other victims about how fraud by the former president of the defunct Miralink Group devastated their lives and businesses. Jacksonville, Fla.-based Miralink handled payroll, taxes and workers compensation insurance for 2,200 small businesses in eight states. By Paul Pinkham, Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville)
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Dire Bird Flu Predictions from Modeling Expert
A mutated version of the bird flu could spark a pandemic affecting 40 million workers in the U.S, nearly one million of whom could die, warns Peter Ulrich, Risk Management Solutions senior v.p. for model management. While workers’ compensation likely would not cover flu illness and death, if it did cover all workers, potential losses could reach $400 billion. By Daniel Hays, National Underwriter
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Audit a ‘Compliment,’ Says BrickStreet Boss
West Virginia insurance commissioner Jane Cline asks exclusive workers’ compensation insurer BrickStreet Mutual to reimburse the state for a nearly $556,000 computer system that taxpayers purchased on the final business day of the state Workers Compensation Commission. BrickStreet president Greg Burton takes the “low percentage of questioned expenditures … as a compliment” by the state legislative auditor. By Steve Korris, West Virginia Record [With Photos] Go to the Full Story…