Quote of the day
"We could take the money agreeable to the judge and the drug company. We could've turned it over to the [Department of Health and Human Resources], and the money would have gone back to the federal government. Bye-bye. Or we could've given it to the Legislature, which would have been obliged to give it to the DHHR. Bye-bye."
West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw, regarding his options in reaching a controversial $10 million OxyContin settlement
Investigators Find Bakersfield Man’s ‘X-Files’
A Bakersfield employer who defrauded State Compensation Insurance Fund by scheming to underreport payroll gets a sentence of about three months in jail. Investigators searching his office found a container with unreported payroll records labeled “X-Files.” By Stephen Mayer, Bakersfield Californian [may require registration] Go to the Full Story…
Commentary: Gov Should Allow Workers’ Comp Fix
When Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, early in his first term, brokered a bipartisan compromise to overhaul the state’s workers’ comp system, many thought his claims of success might be overblown. But they turned out to be an understatement. By Daniel Weintraub, Sacramento Bee [may require registration] Go to the Full Story…
Yukon Agencies Pledge Cooperation in Nabbing Scofflaws
Yukon employers who fail to pay taxes or register with the Yukon Workers’ Compensation Health and Safety Board may not be able to avoid either agency, now that they have agreed to share employer data to aid in tracking down noncompliant employers. CBC News
Go to the Full Story…
Painkiller Settlement Rankles West Virginia Legislators
In a case with workers’ comp implications, West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw defends his controversial $10 million OxyContin settlement to state legislators. By John O’Brien, West Virginia Record [with photos] Go to the Full Story…
Bay State Couple Convicted of Fraud
A North Dartmouth, Mass., couple is convicted of defrauding their workers’ comp insurance carriers and the IRS out of millions of dollars by paying employees cash “under the table” and covering their tracks by funneling money through two phony businesses. By Brian Fraga, Standard Times (New Bedford, Mass.)
Go to the Full Story…