Quote of the day
"The public has spoken loud and clear. We keep coddling employers we know intentionally hire illegal aliens."
Arizona State Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, an immigration policy critic who is seeking to change state law to prohibit illegal workers from receiving workers' comp benefits
Threat of Lawsuits by Illegal Workers Imperils Arizona Bill
An effort to prevent illegal alien workers in Arizona from receiving workers’ compensation could backfire: some business owners contend the potential for lawsuits from injured workers could be more costly than allowing benefits under the state’s workers’ comp laws. By Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services via Arizona Business Gazette
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Nevada Bill Would Shift Burden of Proving Sobriety to Workers
An industry-backed Nevada Senate bill would force injured workers to undergo drug tests in order to prevail in insurance disputes. While they could contest presumed drug use, they would have to prove they were not intoxicated. By Joe Mullin, AP via Sparks Tribune
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South Carolina Gov Pushes for Predictable Awards
Citing a law firm that pulled down $1.4 million in workers’ compensation fees last year alone, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford pushes for changes to the state’s system that would make injury awards more objective and predictable. Sanford also supports a National Federation of Independent Business-sponsored bill that would allow small businesses to pool money to purchase health insurance. By Jason Ryan, the State (Columbia, S.C.)
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Commentary: Will Montana Legislature Get Its Act Together?
The chair of the Montana House Business and Labor committee urges his colleagues to reform the state’s costly workers’ compensation system this session. A current bill would revise the medical fee schedule for workers’ comp procedures and also would close out inactive claims after a two-year statutory period. By Scott Mendenhall, Billings Gazette
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Editorial: Recovering Soldiers Face Excruciating Bureaucracy
The Army Times has reported that, on average, it should take 120 days for an injured solider to receive a disability rating. At Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the process has taken more than twice that long. Brattleboro (Vt.) Reformer
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Reluctance May Be Afflicting Potential Sept. 11 Fund Applicants
Only about 7,000 registrations have been received so far for New York State Sept. 11-related workers’ compensation, and some say it’s because claimants are reluctant to admit that they may be sick. A retired New York City Fire Department lieutenant says of his fellow firefighters, “We’re the worst patients in the world.” By Heather Moyer, Disaster News Network
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Rhody Regulator Gives Draft Report to Beacon
The director of the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation delivers to Beacon Mutual Insurance Co. a “confidential draft” report of a nearly 18-month state examination intended in part to determine whether the state’s dominant workers’ comp insurer’s pricing practices with respect to certain companies violated state insurance laws. By Lynn Arditi, Providence Journal
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