Quote of the day
"I'm disappointed by State Fund not going all the way that they can. State Fund is the market leader. Very few companies will go below State Fund."
California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi, about the California State Compensation Insurance Fund's recent announcement of an average 10-percent rate cut
Garamendi Not Happy with State Fund’s to 10 Percent Cut
California State Compensation Insurance Fund said last week that it is planning to cut rates by an average of 10 percent starting July 1, the sixth straight reduction in two years, and also is extending a program that gives an additional 10 percent rate cut to small businesses with good safety records. But Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi says State Fund could be doing more. By Gilbert Chan, Sacramento Bee
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Commentary: Stay the Course on Reforms
Democratic Assembly and state Senate candidates on the California campaign trail have been indicating that they would mess with the state’s workers’ compensation reforms, or even reverse them. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger cannot allow that to happen. Pasadena Star News
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Bay Area Man Admits Plan to Attack Appeals Board Office
A San Mateo man who planned to shoot up the state Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board office in Oakland in February pleads guilty to all charges filed in connection to the scheme. The 43-year-old, who was reportedly frustrated over the workers’ compensation claims process, entered the office with a loaded gun but left peacefully after dealing with a helpful employee. By Malaika Fraley, San Mateo County Times
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Missouri Insurance Dealer Charged with Selling Bogus Policies
The Missouri Department of Insurance files a complaint against a southern Missouri insurance dealer for allegedly accepting more than $17,000 for worthless insurance policies, including at least one workers’ compensation policy. By AP via Belleville (Ill.) News Democrat
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Dems Make Political Hay Out of BWC Scandal, GOP Contends
Ohio Republicans say Democrats are taking unfair election year advantage of the prosecution of Terry Gasper, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation’s former chief financial officer, to predict that more Republicans will become the target of official probes. State Sen. Mark Dann, a leading Democrat, charges that Gasper was part of a pay-to-play scheme at the BWC set up by top Republicans. By Laura A. Bischoff, Dayton Daily News
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Readers Vent to Columnist About Painful Workers’ Comp Costs
A Florida writer’s recent column about workers’ comp cheats spurs a response from employers who bemoan the system, including the cost of workers’ compensation and insurers’ perceived tendency to pay out on claims that are the result of carelessness. By Jerry Chautin, Herald Tribune (Sarasota)
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New York Cop Charged with Comp Fraud Gets Off
An injured Suffolk County, N.Y. police officer charged with illegally collecting $250,000 in worker’s compensation for an alleged wrist injury while achieving the rank of chief in a volunteer fire department is acquitted on all charges. By Alfonso A. Castillo, Newsday
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W.V. Insurance Commission Rebuffs Lawyer’s FOIA Request
Citing confidentiality concerns, West Virginia’s Insurance Commission refuses a lawyer’s request for financial information about how BrickStreet Mutual, the state’s private workers’ compensation provider, is repaying a $200 million loan to the state. By Paul J. Nyden, Charleston Gazette
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