Quote of the day
"I would love to be back at work."
Robert Kocak, 28, a Binghamton, N.Y.-area emergency medical technician who says his carrier denied him workers' comp since his attempt to return to work, which he had to cut short two days later on the advice of his doctor
Return to Work Attempt Sabotages Injured EMT’s Benefits
A Binghamton, N.Y., emergency medical technician and his fiancé face unchecked medical bills in connection with debilitating hip and back injuries he suffered in June while transporting a 400-pound patient. Robert Kocak says his attempt to get back to work one month after his injury prompted his insurer to cut his benefits, even though he had to return home two days later on doctor’s advice. By Brian Liberatore, Press & Sun Bulletin (Binghamton, N.Y.) [With Photo] Go to the Full Story…
South Carolina Commissioners Thwart Governor
The South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission, in a hearing on Gov. Mark Sanford’s controversial order directing commissioners to use American Medical Association or similar guidelines in setting payments for disabled workers, rules that the governor’s order conflicts with state law, noting that lawmakers in 2006 rejected such an amendment to the state’s workers’ comp reforms. Predictably, the decision draws praise from trial lawyers and a Bronx cheer from small business advocates. By Tim Smith, Greenville News
Go to the Full Story…
ACE Group Holdings Settles Price-Fixing Allegations
ACE Group Holdings Inc. agrees to pay $4.5 million to a multi-state task force to settle allegations of bid-rigging and price-fixing that resulted in Florida governmental entities, companies and nonprofit organizations paying inflated insurance premiums, according to Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink of the Department of Financial Services. Orlando Business Journal
Go to the Full Story…
Sooner State Eyes Increasing Noncompliance Penalties
Oklahoma Labor Department officials ask state legislators to raise the maximum penalty for workers’ compensation insurance violations from $10,000 to $25,000. They say that for some businesses, a fine for not having the coverage is less expensive than the insurance itself. By Janice-Francis Smith, Journal Record (Oklahoma City)
Go to the Full Story…
New Self-Insurance Pool Formed in Delaware
Twenty-eight Delaware municipalities form the Delaware League Founders Insurance Trust, a self-insurance group intended to cut their workers’ compensation costs. The state passed reform legislation in early this year that attempts to standardize medical costs, and Insurance Commissioner Matt Denn says he plans to cut rates this year. By Leslie A. Pappas, Wilmington News Journal
Go to the Full Story…
Entrepreneurship: Avoiding an Obvious Mistake
A New York entrepreneur describes her experience setting up her boutique business, and the perils of being unaware of the necessity of a certain type of insurance. By Shandy Walls, Press & Sun Bulletin (Binghamton, N.Y.)
Go to the Full Story…
Former Yukon WCB Agent Seeks Workers’ Comp for Job Loss Stress
A former employee of the Yukon Workers’ Compensation, Health and Safety Board goes to court, not to contest her firing, but to argue that she is entitled to workers’ compensation benefits because of the resulting stress. She contends that getting fired was so stressful that she is still unable to work, five years later. CBC
Go to the Full Story…