Quote of the day
“The findings of this audit revealed what we already suspected: that the city’s workers’ compensation program was undermanaged and lacked proper protocols – which poses a disservice to our injured city employees as well as taxpayers.”
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot
Virginia: Greensville County volunteer firefighters to receive lost wages through workers’ comp
Greensville County, Virginia officials last week approved recognizing volunteer firefighters as employees in order to ensure that if a volunteer firefighter becomes injured and is unable to perform duties on their primary employment, they will receive lost wages under the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act. Independent-Messenger
New law eases workers’ compensation for Texas firefighters
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say toxins and carcinogens, such as those released when an El Paso, Texas-area recycling caught fire recently, are the reason firefighters have a 9 percent higher chance of getting cancer than the average American and a 14 percent higher chance of dying from cancer. A new bill signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is intended to make it easier for firefighters to collect workers’ compensation if they become sick. Before the bill, they had to prove they became sick due to the fire. KFOX (El Paso)
Chicago’s new mayor moves to reform city’s workers’ comp program
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot earlier this month announced major reforms to the city’s $100 million-a-year workers’ compensation program in hopes of controlling fraud, waste and abuse. Former Mayor Rahm Emanuel ordered a forensic audit of the program in January that found there were almost 1,300 open workers’ comp claims, and 600 of those are decades old. Illinois Policy
Chicago lecturer says workers’ compensation claim rejected after attack
A 62-year-old Chicago State University lecturer said he was attacked in his classroom in April, but that his workers’ compensation claim has been rejected. The claim examiner says the injuries did not appear to have happened during the course of his employment. WBBM (Chicago) [with audio]
OFF TOPIC
Report ranks healthiest and least healthy states
A report released last week provides a snapshot of the nation’s overall health, which a senior adviser to the report says reveals both concerning and encouraging trends. CNN