Quote of the day
"There is no question that in the past mistakes were made."
Clifford L. Parent, Beacon Mutual Insurance Co.'s interim chief executive officer, in a Sept. 12 letter apologizing to policyholders
Vacaville Planners Considers State Fund Campus Proposal
A development agreement related to a proposed 33-acre business campus goes before the Vacaville Planning Commission. The agreement is part of State Compensation Insurance Fund’s plan to build a campus in the Vaca Valley Business Park. By Jennifer Gentile, Vacaville Reporter
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Florida Turns Down NCCI’s Rate Filing
Disagreeing with the methodology the National Council on Compensation Insurance used to project losses and other factors cited in its initial filing, Florida’s insurance commissioner disapproves NCCI’s call for a 13.3 percent statewide average rate decrease in workers’ comp insurance, contending a 15.7 percent rate reduction would be more like it.
Go to the full story in the South Florida Business Journal
Go to the full story in the Tampa Bay Business Journal
Eight Months Later, Beacon Apologizes
For the first time since an audit report alleged improper pricing and favoritism at Beacon Mutual Insurance Co., Rhode Island’s dominant workers’ compensation provider formally apologizes to its roughly 14,400 policyholders. The letter outlines the company’s continuing efforts to improve governance, ethics and pricing practices, including the hiring of an unnamed “industry practices consultant.’ By Lynn Arditi, Providence Journal
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More Details on Football Player’s Alleged End Run Around the Rules
The 34-year-old Connecticut juvenile correctional officer charged with workers’ comp fraud and forging dates on an injury worksheet claimed to have injured an arm, knee and ankle while restraining a youth on June 1. But only two days later, she notched up the first of two 10-tackle games in one week while playing pro football for the Connecticut Crush. By Colin Poitras, Hartford Courant
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Prosecutor: Noe Paid Creditors, Funded Lifestyle with Bureau Money
Indicted Ohio businessman Tom Noe used Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation investment funds to pay creditors of his business, in addition to writing himself a $135,000 check to support “a lifestyle he felt he deserved,” the prosecution tells jury in his corruption trial. Noe faces up to 10 years imprisonment if convicted of corrupt activity. By John Seewer, AP via Cincinnati Enquirer [With Photo] Go to the Full Story…
Comp Claims Ring Up Higher Bill for South Mississippi School District
Mississippi’s Pascagoula School Board will pay a higher insurance rate because of workers’ compensation claims mostly involving cafeteria and maintenance worker slip-and-fall cases. The board is submitting all open workers’ comp claims to an outside firm for review, in order to detect patterns and trends in accidents. By Leigh Coleman, Sun Herald (Gulfport – Biloxi, Miss.)
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Mississippi Gov Taps Former State Rep for WCC Post
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour announces the appointment of former state Rep. Johnny Junkin of Natchez to the state’s Workers’ Compensation Commission. By Laura Hipp, Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Miss.)
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Texas Green Industry Workers’ Comp Group Announces Dividend
Hotchkiss Insurance Agency is announcing a nearly $300,000 dividend to the Texas Green Industry Workers’ Comp purchasing group, marking the second dividend payment for the group by program underwriter Texas Mutual. Lawn & Landscape Magazine
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Manitoba WCB Offers Incentive Plan to Construction Industry
The Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba is cutting rates by five percent for construction firms that encourage safe workplaces. The plan starts January 1, 2007. By Brett Megarry, CJOB (Winnipeg)
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