Quote of the day
"Look for police unions and sheriff's departments to seek presumptive workers comp coverage for hypertension, say, or heart disease."
Editorial, Rocky Mountain News, urging veto of a bill that would shift the burden of proof in favor of firefighters who claim workers' comp for job-related cancers
Bay State to Get 17 Percent Rate Cut
The Massachusetts Division of Insurance announces an average 17 percent workers’ compensation rate cut, which is expected to save employers in the state an estimated $170 million. The new rates take effect Sept. 1. By AP via WCVB-TV (Boston)
Go to the Full Story…
Opinion: Colorado Gov Should Veto Comp Bill
Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter’s next target for veto should be HB 1008, which shifts the burden of proof with respect to paid or volunteer firefighters who are stricken with some cancers by presuming that they are work-related. Proponents have cited no studies linking firefighting to elevated cancer risk in Colorado, and if the bill passes, it would open the floodgates to similar bills in future sessions. Rocky Mountain News
Go to the Full Story…
Japan: Record Psychological Disorder Claims
A record 205 Japanese individuals qualified for workers’ compensation in fiscal 2006 after being diagnosed with depression and other psychological disorders brought about by work-related stress, the Japanese health ministry announces. Long working hours and performance-based pay scales are blamed for the figure, which is 1.6 times that of the prior year. Asahi Shimbun
Go to the Full Story…
Pennsylvania High Court Upholds Denial
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court refuses to hear the appeal of an employee who argued he should have received more workers’ compensation benefits for a low back strain. A judge had agreed with the worker that his benefits had been artificially deflated, but the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board sided with the employer. Sharon Herald
Go to the Full Story…
He Would Return to Work if They Would Let Him
An injured fourth generation millwright who says he wants to return to work as a stationary engineer, but is being fought “tooth and nail” by Nova Scotia workers’ comp officials, details his struggle in bureaucratic hell and his resulting stress injury. By Cait McIntyre, New Glasgow News [With Photo] Go to the Full Story…
Editorial: South Carolina Employers Must Take Lead
In South Carolina, where the NCCI has called for double-digit premium rate increases three years in a row while neighboring states like Florida and Virginia enjoyed decreases, employers must control medical expenses while waiting for an overhaul of the broken system. Greenville News
Go to the Full Story…
Surveillance Snagging Ohio Scofflaws
In Ohio, many so-called injured workers are collecting workers’ compensation they don’t deserve. But some scammers are getting dimed to the authorities and caught on tape. WTOL-TV (Toledo)
Go to the Full Story…