Quote of the day
"There is a substantial number of workers who were getting benefits before the reforms that now are not."
UC Berkeley researcher Frank Neuhauser, who estimates that about 15 to 20 percent of injured workers who were awarded permanent disability benefits receive nothing as a result of the 2004 system reforms
New Employer Member Vows Active Presence on Bureau Board
Public members appointed to the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California governing committee traditionally have been a quiet bunch, but the latest employer member appointed by the California Department of Insurance promises to play an active role. He says he’ll show up for all meetings. Get the details on the latest appointment, his connections and his plans, in the current print edition of Workers’ Comp Executive.
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Majestic Plants Its Seeds in Arizona
Arizona was once fertile ground for California specialty carriers. Now Majestic Insurance is taking its successful California model on the road and blazing into the desert. Find out what its strategy is and what it hopes to accomplish, all in the current print edition of Workers’ Comp Executive
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Bureau Proposes Lowering Threshold for Employer Audits
Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California is scrambling to adjust its audit requirements, and its latest changes to physical audit thresholds may create additional work for some carriers. Get the skinny on the latest changes and what concerns carriers have, in the current print edition of Workers’ Comp Executive.
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ICW Group Plucks Yet Another Executive from Zenith’s Branches
For rapidly growing California workers’ comp carriers, underwriting talent is a must, and ICW Group knows where to find it. Who is the latest acquisition and what are his plans for this burgeoning carrier? Is the talent pool shrinking and what kind of ripples is it causing in the industry? Find out in the latest print edition of Workers’ Comp Executive.
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Lobbyists Expect Drill on Workers’ Comp but No Knock-Down, Drag-Out Fight
There will be a knock-down, drag-out fight over something in the waning hours of the California legislature, but will it be a workers’ comp bill that generates punches? Plenty of workers’ comp is still on the table, and in an election year anything is possible. Find out which California workers’ comp bills are still viable and where the industry and employers stand, in the current print edition of Workers’ Comp Executive.
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Political Deal Confirms SCIF’s Litigation Loss to Insurance Department
Proposed legislative language might finally end the acrimonious legal battle between State Compensation Insurance Fund and the California Department of Insurance. But it’s not final yet. Is this the best SCIF could hope for? What legislative glitches still need to be worked out and what provisions are causing concern for the industry? Find out in the current print edition of Workers’ Comp Executive.
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California Workers’ Comp Market Too Soft for New Carriers
Low rates and low costs make for a great California workers’ comp market, but are new carriers and capital starting to sour? What might be keeping them away? Which carriers are sticking their toes in and can they still make money in this market? Find out in the current print edition of Workers’ Comp Executive.
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State Fund Offers Credit Extension to Policyholders Affected by Heat Wave
The California State Compensation Insurance Fund has announced that it will extend credit to policyholders who have suffered a financial loss or business disruption caused by the recent heat wave. Workers’ Comp Executive
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Critics Say Injured Workers Falling Through the Cracks
Two years after California’s sweeping workers’ compensation reforms, critics, including some doctors, say the system is leaving too many injured workers in the lurch without the treatment or benefits they need. The American Insurance Association counters that the reforms have brought needed “checks and balances” into the system that was once out of control. By George Avalos, Contra Costa Times [With Photo] Go to the Full Story…
Virginia Appeals Court Rules Against Birth-Injury Program and WCC
A ruling by the Virginia Court of Appeals against the state’s Workers’ Compensation Commission and birth-injury program, which blocks malpractice suits involving who suffered spinal cord or brain damage from oxygen loss at birth, could significantly raise the legal costs of state attempts to oppose cases in the program. The court ruled that the state denied legal fees to lawyers challenging the birth-injury program and refused to include interest when ordered to pay. By Bill McElway, Richmond Times-Dispatch
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South Carolina Senate Opens System Overhaul Hearings
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, the state Chamber of Commerce, business leaders and insurers have made changing the state’s workers’ compensation system a top legislative priority this year. On Tuesday, the state Senate took a major step in that direction by opening hearings focusing on problems in the system. By AP via the State (Columbia, S.C.)
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