Posted on 02/04/2006 11:15:48 AM PST by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO California's overhaul of its troubled workers' compensation insurance system has saved employers at least $8.1 billion over the last three years, and the benefits to the economy are expected to continue, according to a study sent to the governor and Legislature on Friday.
The report commissioned by the state Department of Industrial Relations found that workers' comp premiums paid by businesses and nonprofit organizations, which soared as much as 200% in the early part of the decade, have been almost cut in half since July 2003.
What's more, rates in California, the highest in the nation in 2004, have dropped to 1996 levels and now are lower than those in other big states such as Texas and Florida, the report said.
Democratic lawmakers, labor unions and advocates for injured workers complain that at least some of the savings created by passage of the 2003 and 2004 workers' compensation laws has been at the expense of benefits and medical care for employees injured on the job.
"We're pleased that the rates are dropping, but this [report] only looks at half of the equation," said Steven Maviglio, a spokesman for Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez (D-Los Angeles). "It doesn't look at whether the savings are coming out of the hide of injured workers."
Maviglio noted that another major study being finalized by the state Commission on Health, Safety and Workers' Compensation concluded that rules imposed last year by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration had reduced benefits for permanently injured workers by more than 50%.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
I think there is more review now, not just one Dr's opinion
Under a Dem governor it would have continued to keep getting worse.
The perception was easy to debunk. The excerpt above contained a reference to AB227/SB228 and the report summary showed the effects of both before SB899's introduction. Davis era legislation brought the APPR down about a point were it would have lingered and Wilsonegger's legislation has thus far driven the APPR down another point.
The problem with the study is that is does not reflect the actual premium costs in the field which were down between 10% to 15% during the last, annual premium cycle. An improvement for two reasons none the less. Premiums are going down rather than going up because of the savings realized by reductions in the potential for patient/doctor abuses. The future looks brighter and may hold even larger premium reductions.
Again, the bottom line is still:
"What's more, rates in California, the highest in the nation in 2004, have dropped to 1996 levels and now are lower than those in other big states such as Texas and Florida, the report said."
"If modest reform is all that lands on my desk, I am prepared to take my workers' comp solution directly to the people and I will put it on the ballot in November," Schwarzenegger said.
The legislature finally passed legislation to reform the system on April 16.(2004) The governor signed the bill three days later. "
Arnold's reform is what cut the worker's comp rates and made CA more business friendly. We went from the worst in the nation to better than most other large states and all the way down to 1996 levels. Without Arnold, this would NOT have happened. PERIOD. You just hate Arnold so much because he beat Bustamante, that you just can't give him any credit, and now you are going out of your way to claim he doesn't deserve any credit, to push Angelides.
From contributions to this thread by conservative ideologues who do research before posting.
The report says:
"Savings in 2006 Rates
Primarily due to the reforms, it is projected that the approved insurance rates have decreased by 46% (from average rates of $4.81 per hundred dollars of payroll to $2.59 from July 1, 2003 to January 1, 2006 (a three year period). Rates are now below where they were in 1996. These rates have been adjusted for changes in the mix of payroll by industry."
Page 4 shows very useful graphs, all of which prove the statements in the article and the statements I made,that without reforms, rates would have continued to increase.
http://www.dir.ca.gov/dwc/Study_legislativeReformsCaWCInsuranceRates/DWCExecSummary.pdf
Without reform ( i.e. under Davis or Bustamante), the rates would be more than double what they as a result of Arnold's reform.
Employers contribute to candidates, vote, plan for expansions and, recently, move to more business friendly states based on the cost of their premiums, not the rates projected.
The report appears a Wilsonegger hype in an election year designed for consumption by those in the electorate who don't operate businesses and have little knowledge of current WC premium quotes which are not 50% lower than one or two or three years ago.
For anyone who wants the answers, they're out there. Put on a comfortable pair of shoes, drive to the nearest business district, walk from business to business and inquire about WC premiums. Information will flow freely and accurately. For many it's the difference between occupancy and profit at their store.
The statement made was:
Under a Dem governor it would have continued to keep getting worse.
The facts are that Under a Dem governor, Davis, reforms were enacted and rates began to get better as a consequence.
Our rates have gone down for our apartment managers, but no where near down to 1996 levels. A real problem has been that each individual job description gets a different rate (allegedly based upon the danger/likelihood of injury on the job). Right now our apartment managers, who collect rent/ show vacancies are designated the same rate as a roofer. Makes no sense.
Also, our liability insurance on our properties has gone up dramatically since 1996. These rate increases, plus the number of insurance companies pulling out of CA or refusing this type of coverage, gets little press coverage.
I refer you back to my post 20, you obviously didn't absorb the content. AFTER Gray's so-called reform the rates hit an all time high in 2004.
You just keep proving over and over again that you are a cheerleader for the Dems and can't stand to give any credit to a Republican, like Arnold.
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