News and comment about California Workers' Compensation — Page 16

Governor Arnold has predicted that a workers comp (archived) reform package will be negotiated by the end of this week. Let's see how well the Governor can predict the future.

The Mercury News has a great story about the difficulties with the system. Click here>>> (archived) I'm sorry, though, I don't understand. We are supposed to feel sorry for the employer who failed to give needed medical treatment and therefore was penalized? We are supposed to feel bad that so much money has been paid out for this poor woman's destroyed back?

This story...

So, the deadline that Governor Arnold (archived) urged last week has been missed. With pledges to work on, and comments on making steps forward and back, the political battle wages on. On one side the Governor urges workers to screw themselves by signing petitions for the ballot initiative. On the other, he claims to be negotiating in good faith.

What seems clear to me...

One quick way to end the Governor's plan to screw injured workers is to refuse to sign the petition that will put the initiative on the ballot. Anyone who works for a living is making a big mistake if they sign to end free medical choice and the "no-fault" aspect of the system.

Are insurance companies that needy that they have to be guaranteed...

It's this week or else, according to an Associated Press report of the Governor's latest threatened deadline (link unavailable). Appearing at what looked like a campaign rally for the business and insurance company-backed work comp initiative, the Governor gave legislators until the end of next week to pass a reform bill.

Otherwise, the Governor will take the matter to the electorate in November, and...

On one hand, Governor Arnold is making statements about his desire for a legislative compromise on workers comp. On the other hand, his political action committee has contributed $1 million to the group gathering signatures for the ballot initiative. What is the Governor doing? Is he just playing politics with workers' compensation?

The proposals take medical choice away from injured workers. They eliminate the...

The Governor is signalling that a compromise is afoot (archived). The insurance commissioner is pushing his bill. Business and Labor are negotiating.

State Senate Democrat Richard Alarcon (archived), author of some of last year's workers compensation reforms announced that savings (archived) from those reforms amounted to $7 billion based on revised estimates of the WCIRB [Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California].

It's hard to keep up with these numbers. The way I remember them is as follows: Estimates of the cost of workers comp for...

This news report (archived) gets it mostly right as California faces costly and difficult decisions regarding reform of the workers' compensation system.

Here's a tip for those of you who want to keep with the news on California Workers' Compensation. Go to google.com, select the news directory and search on California workers compensation. The latest news stories from over 4000 sources will appear on your desktop.