Quote of the day
"I don't see how it will work. I don't. "Why would anyone stay in Santa Cruz if they have to pay this?"
Lou Caviglia, Santa Cruz restaurant owner, about the proposal to increase the minimum wage in Santa Cruz 37 percent more than the state rate of $6.75 an hour
Are alternatives to primary insurance on the downswing?
Are workers’ comp reforms working so well that self-insured groups are no longer in vogue? Are the risks of self-insured groups no longer with the savings? If so, why and by how much? For the right kind of business, are SIGs still a good bargain? Get all the details in the current print edition of Workers’ Comp Executive.
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ICW Group Pushes into Big Leagues
California workers’ comp carrier ICW Group has its sights set on increasing its market share. Where is it appointing agents? What are its new standards for classes and premium size? Get the whole story in the current print edition of Workers’ Comp Executive.
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Wilson Brings Wealth of Experience to New Post
The executive directorship of the California Insurance Guaranty Association is not for the faint of heart or mind. Find out what former Farmers exec Wayne Wilson brings to the table, in the current print edition of Workers’ Comp Executive.
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St. Paul Travelers Adds New Programs
St. Paul is finessing its strategy and increasing its appetite in the Golden State. Find out what it’s doing, in the current print edition of Workers’ Comp Executive.
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MPN Cleanup Bill: Common Sense or Calamity?
A bill meant to free unwilling providers from medical provider networks is anything but, the industry says. Does it have a chance of going anywhere? What and who threatens to torpedo it? Get the skinny in the current print edition of Workers’ Comp Executive.
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Are SIGs Seeking Financial Ratings?
Can self-insured groups get a financial rating? Could it help validate their financial conditions? Industry experts weigh in on this issue in the current print edition of Workers’ Comp Executive.
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Remembering “Sandi” Sandberg
Former State Fund president “Sandi” Sandberg is remembered fondly for his contributions during a better time in California workers’ compensation. Find out what the “old guard” has to say about Sandberg and what his greatest achievement was. Click here to read the whole story—FREE.
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Remedy Temp Issue Still Ripe for CIGA
The Remedy Temp case situation is not over. How many cases still exist? Find out what a recent en banc decision says and what CIGA’s next move might be, in the current print edition of Workers’ Comp Executive.
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Publius Offers Subtle Insider Wisdom
If “follow the money” and “money is the mother’s milk of politics” mean anything to you, then Publius outdoes himself in this, his 39th column, entitled: Out of Adjustment.” It’s about the source of some of the current workers’ comp bills and a Republican’s misunderstanding of Adam Smith. Think your way through this thoughtful and entertaining column by clicking here.
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Santa Cruz Employers Decry Minimum Wage Hike
A study released this week by the Santa Cruz business community concludes that it would cost $12.5 million in the first year for businesses and nonprofits in Santa Cruz to raise the minimum wage to $9.25 an hour, a total that includes payroll taxes, workers’ compensation rates and the cost to adjust the overall salary scale. By Shanna McCord, Santa Cruz Sentinel
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Empire State Business Groups Put Heat on Legislature
A New York business coalition is mounting a late lobbying campaign to prod the state Legislature into acting on a series of bills they say are needed to improve the state’s economy and prevent further job losses to other states. The more than 60 groups are demanding relief for several high costs, workers’ compensation and changing the state’s so-called “scaffolding” law that increases liability insurance costs. Business First of Buffalo
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No Workers’ Comp for Hippie Game Injury
A workers’ compensation tribunal in Australia declines to open the floodgates and allow a 21-year-old factory worker who tore a leg ligament while playing “hacky-sack” with coworkers during their lunch break. His lawyer says the worker was playing the game to keep “active and warm” during his break. By Colin James, the Advertiser
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Hawkeye State Jockeys Request Coverage Boost
Iowa horse jockey Cindy Murphy’s injury during a May 11 race is one of several in the past two years that have brought light to the hazards of the sport and the plight of jockeys trying to get more insurance coverage. In Iowa, where grooms and exercise riders that receive weekly salaries from trainers are covered by workers’ compensation, independent contractor jockeys are asking tracks to boost accident coverage to $1 million. By Dan Johnson, Des Moines Register
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