Workers’ Comp: A Brewing Crisis For States? [Jeb's FL: "Significant" reforms]

Stateline.org ^ | August 8, 2003 | Pamela M. Prah, Staff Writer

[summer]

From article, in bold:

...Jeb Bush (R) of Florida ...called special sessions this year to look at the system that pays for medical care and provides cash benefits for workers injured on the job. Florida ...approved significant changes...

“Every legislature should be aware of what is going on in California and take a vow not to be the next California,” he said.

[summer]

NOTE: "he said" in the above excerpt does NOT refer to Gov Bush, but to another person mentioned in the article.

[summer]

Welcome to another chapter in the story you so aptly titled The Tale of Two Governors.... :)

[summer]

FYI.

[summer]

FYI.

[anniegetyourgun]

About six months ago a liberal Dem relative of mine in N. CA wrote to me and chided me about how I can stand having a governor like Jeb. Oddly enough, I haven't heard a peep since then. Gee....I wonder why!

[summer]

FYI.

[Voltage]

I just can't see how throwing the children of trial lawyers into poverty is the solution!

[rockfish59]

Even if you have a legitimate case they run you through the ringer with lawyers, depositions, etc.
This all, I believe, due to the fakers who drain the system!

[summer]

annie, Thanks very much for your interesting post here!

BTW, I just saw an editorial by a local pundit comlaining Gov Bush is just not "political" enough.

I was thinking to myself: Well, maybe when a governor is too busy WORKING FOR THE PEOPLE -- like FL Gov Bush -- then, he does not have as much time -- as CA Gov Davis -- to just "play politics."

It's always amusing to me that the minor grumbling I sometimes hear about Gov Bush is so far removed from how I see the situation as a voter.

[Graybeard58]

I just can't see how throwing the children of trial lawyers into poverty is the solution!



Thanks for my chuckle of the day.

[summer]

LOL...

[summer]

annie, Thanks very much for your interesting post here!

BTW, I just saw an editorial by a local pundit comlaining Gov Bush is just not "political" enough.

I was thinking to myself: Well, maybe when a governor is too busy WORKING FOR THE PEOPLE -- like FL Gov Bush -- then, he does not have as much time -- as CA Gov Davis -- to just "play politics."

It's always amusing to me that the minor grumbling I sometimes hear about Gov Bush is so far removed from how I see the situation as a voter.

[summer]

Here's the original URL for the article I posted, above, as I see now it does not come up in the FR link: CLICK HERE

[summer]

I think the 2nd paragraph below dropped out of my post, so here it is again:

....The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. (LAEDC), a private nonprofit organization that promotes businesses in the region, pointed to the state’s workers’ comp insurance “crisis” as a major hurdle causing the state’s economy to remain in a jobless growth. “The huge increases in the cost of coverage have caused other business to hold back on hiring or even let workers go,” Jack Kyser, chief economist of the LAEDC, said in a statement.

Intense competition in the 1990s forced several California insurers out of business. As a result, the California State Compensation Insurance Fund, the nonprofit state-run fund that was designed to be the market of last resort, is now the largest insurer in the state, Krohm said.

Some 60 worker comp bills are pending in the California Legislature, but observers said the state’s yawning budget deficit and the effort to recall Gov. Gray Davis (D) will make it even more difficult for the state to tackle its workers comp situation. ...

[summer]

the fakers who drain the system!

Yeah, you're right there, as I don't think they help much. Thanks for your post, rockfish.

[summer]

PS Your relative in No. CA may find this news, dated yesterday, to still be interesting:

Florida jobless rate falls to 5.3%
[Jeb's FL: 16 consecutive months of job growth]

[summer]

Common Tator, I really enjoyed reading that fascinating analysis you posted the other day about the south and the political parties. (I meant to tell you so on the thread! I still will.)

I was wondering what your thoughts might be on this situatinon here: worker comp...

[DeFault User]

A handful of states – Ohio, North Dakota, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming – run their own exclusive workers’ compensation insurance funds and essentially have monopolies of workers’ comp in their states...

Most are basket cases. When Honda came to Ohio, they had one stipulation: to be self-insured for WC instead of being in the state's WC monopoly. Other states that let fraud and trial attorneys run rampant suffer the consequences.

If a state sets decent benefits, monitors medical fees, gets tough on fraud and limits attorney involvement, the system will work.

[summer]

FYI. :)