World Trade Center Health Registry To Record Those Expose on 911 for Medical Followup
Those Closest to the WTC Site on Sept. 11, 2001
Health Insurance Premium Increases— Up 13.9% Over Last Year
For these stories and more visit http://www.gelmans.com
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AIG Is Charged by SEC With Fraud
Regulator Says Big Insurer Helped Client Brightpoint Overstate Its Earnings
Comparing insurance titan American International Group Inc. with the banks that engineered financial structures for failed energy company Enron Corp., securities regulators charged AIG with fraud for allegedly helping a client overstate earnings with a bogus insurance policy
http://www.wsj.com/
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US: THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE LOSS OF JOBS
"Manufacturing has been the key to innovation in the United States and has given the United States leadership in innovation," said Mr. Timken, whose great-grandfather founded the company in 1899 "If you eliminate manufacturing, which accounts for 65 percent of private sector R & D, then innovation will decline, and you will see a nation in decline."
As Factory Jobs Disappear, Workers Have Few Options
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/13/national/13JOBS.html?th
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9-11 INSURANCE COMPANIES SUE TERORIST GROUPS
In the New York action, five groups of insurers seek approximately $3.5 billion in property damage, $500 million in workers' compensation benefits and damages in hundreds of wrongful death and personal injury claims assigned to the insurers.
http://www.mealeys.com/stories_ins.html#1
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OKLAHOMA BOARD DENIES RATE INCREASE
Oklahoma's Board for Property and Casualty Rates has denied the insurance industry's request for a 6.4% increase in the "loss cost" portion of workers' compensation rates next year
http://www3.ambest.com
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CALIFORNIA - LEGISLATURE APPROVES REFORM BILL
Key provisions of the workers' compensation legislation approved by the Legislature:
* Requires development of treatment guidelines for work-related injuries.
* Limits an injured worker to 24 chiropractic and physical therapy treatments but allows for additional treatments when authorized by insurer in writing. Covers injuries occurring on or after Jan. 1, 2004.
* Creates a procedure for employers to obtain second opinions when doctors recommend spinal surgery for injured workers.
* Requires use of generic drugs in workers' comp cases unless a brand name is specified by the treating physician.
* Creates a new fee schedule for workers' compensation prescription medications.
* Creates a new workers' compensation fee schedule for outpatient treatment facilities.
* Provides for a 5 percent aggregate reduction in rates for physician services except for physician services currently below the Medicare fee schedule rate.
* Requires payment of workers' comp medical bills in 45 working days instead of 60 days from the date of complete billing. Increases penalties for late payments.
* Requires employers to fully fund the state's Division of Workers' Compensation.
* Repeals a workers' vocational rehabilitation benefit of up to $16,000 and creates a job displacement benefit of $4,000 to $10,000 for injuries occurring on or after Jan. 1, 2004.
* Increases the maximum fine for workers' compensation fraud from $50,000 to $150,000.
* Requires the insurance commissioner to maintain an online workers' compensation insurance rate guide listing rates charged by the 50 biggest insurers.
* Requires the Department of Insurance to adopt minimum qualifications for workers' compensation insurance claims adjusters and requires workers' compensation insurers to make sure their adjusters meet those qualifications
California Health insurance mandate OKd
State firms with over 20 employees would be affected. Gov. Davis has until 10.12.03 to sign.
The Legislature gave final approval late Friday to bills that would affect every California employer by overhauling parts of the ailing workers' compensation system and requiring many businesses to pay for employees' health insurance.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/09/13/LEGIS.TMP
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WASHINGTON STATE
Industry moves to repeal ergo act
http://www.no841.org/the-rule.htm
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CHANGING EMPLOYMENT MARKET
As old jobs die, new ones are scarce and not as good
Besides hemorrhaging factory work, the state economy has been additionally transformed by the jobs it has gained, almost all of them in the service sector
http://www.northjersey.com/
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CONSEQUENCES OF TOO MUCH WORK
The Time Bomb:
Overwork with no time to recover has real consequences on lives and families. The medical toll of spiraling overtime hours and vanishing vacations is massive, which is why worker's comp costs soared 20% this year (Forbes) and company health plans skyrocketed 15% (Time). Behind the stats are the ticking time bombs inside our bodies and families.
http://www.worktolive.info/poen_time.html
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VA SUPPORTS LEGISLATION SIMILIAR TO SSA/MSP
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that H. R. 1562 could increase the VA's third party recover by 50% or more.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/C?c108:./temp/~c1089SHRfA