Workers Comp Still a Problem for CA Businesses

[Stephen Frank]

Facts are facts. "But can California truly be competitive with Nevada for affordable workers compensation insurance? Not likely. In addition to having a lower average rate for workers compensation coverage, Nevadas program caps all employee salaries at $36,000 for the purposes of workers compensation. Remember, workers compensation insurance is based on payroll.

Also, Nevada doesnt ask employers to pay extra fees and assessments on workers compensation. In California, fees on workers compensation premiums have been targeted to pay for an ever-expanding array of government services, now including the states occupational safety and labor inspection divisions. After new assessments levied as part of the most recent state budget, total employer assessments for next year will be well north of $300 million."

California government is using the Workers Comp system as a cash cow for welfare programs, not associated with the needs of injured workers. Another reason businesses are leaving the State. Return Workers Comp to the protection of workers, not a political statement to squeeze more money from business.

More...

[ilbegone]

California government is using the Workers Comp system as a cash cow for welfare programs, not associated with the needs of injured workers.

There needs to be verifiable information.

Which welfare programs?

How much money are we talking, and what percentage is being diverted?

By who's authority are the funds being diverted?

----------------------

In 2005, I had a workers comp injury in which I was jacked around for eight months after emergency surgery by the structure of the system.

The goal of the game was not that my injuries were attended to, but who got the money.

There were at least five corporations with boards of directors at any given time which were concerned about "containing cost" and making profit.

1) My employer.
2) The primary worker's comp carrier.
3) The oversight company hired by the carrier.
4) The investment company which sent my disability checks.
5) The medical facilities and doctors where I received play - the - game treatment.

In addition to The plate I received, it was obvious that there was something still wrong with the affected body parts, but the doctor tried to push me into being released to go back to work under "light duty". There is no such thing as "light duty" in my trade, and the doctor had a difficult time understanding that fact.

So, he sent me to another specialist who, playing the game of employer consent for care, started shooting me up with cortisone. He and I both knew that wouldn't fix the problem, but that was the game.

I didn't accept the oversight nurse. They made it sound like she needed to accompany on all of my appointments and that I had to work around her schedule, but I didn't need to have someone around to tell my doctor how not to treat me or otherwise micro-manage and second guess practitioners. I had previous experience with corporate oversight of medical treatment and I wasn't going to deal with that hassle again.

So, I then retained a worker's comp attorney with the mistaken idea that the process would be sped up. I was referred to a quack whom I believe ran a mill to suck all he could from the insured in order to provide free care to illegals. It was administered in the most incompetent of manners.

Getting tired of the cattle boat atmosphere, I informed my attorney I needed to see someone else. I was then referred to another doctor who diagnosed the problem on the first visit before he saw the finally permitted MRI, torn connective tissue. Surgery might fix it temporarily using tissue from another part of my body, but it would probably tear again under strain. Wasted surgery.

Then the worker's comp carrier sent me to yet another doctor for an evaluation, and the man was extremely eager to put me under the knife again, which I rejected.

I got a settlement to compensate for my calculated percentage of disability. I didn't mind getting the money, but my purpose in hiring the attorney was the mistaken idea that treatment could be hurried and my problems fixed.

The process could have been greatly shortened if I had gotten the MRI from the first, but the companies listed above opted to spend twenty dollars to save a dime and most of the doctors and their clinics had a monetary interest in playing the game.

In my view that is what is wrong with worker's comp in California.

[kjl]

There needs to be verifiable information.

Which welfare programs?

How much money are we talking, and what percentage is being diverted?

By who's authority are the funds being diverted?

----------------------

In 2005, I had a workers comp injury in which I was jacked around for eight months after emergency surgery by the structure of the system.

The goal of the game was not that my injuries were attended to, but who got the money.

There were at least five corporations with boards of directors at any given time which were concerned about "containing cost" and making profit.

1) My employer.
2) The primary worker's comp carrier.
3) The oversight company hired by the carrier.
4) The investment company which sent my disability checks.
5) The medical facilities and doctors where I received play - the - game treatment.

In addition to The plate I received, it was obvious that there was something still wrong with the affected body parts, but the doctor tried to push me into being released to go back to work under "light duty". There is no such thing as "light duty" in my trade, and the doctor had a difficult time understanding that fact.

So, he sent me to another specialist who, playing the game of employer consent for care, started shooting me up with cortisone. He and I both knew that wouldn't fix the problem, but that was the game.

I didn't accept the oversight nurse. They made it sound like she needed to accompany on all of my appointments and that I had to work around her schedule, but I didn't need to have someone around to tell my doctor how not to treat me or otherwise micro-manage and second guess practitioners. I had previous experience with corporate oversight of medical treatment and I wasn't going to deal with that hassle again.

So, I then retained a worker's comp attorney with the mistaken idea that the process would be sped up. I was referred to a quack whom I believe ran a mill to suck all he could from the insured in order to provide free care to illegals. It was administered in the most incompetent of manners.

Getting tired of the cattle boat atmosphere, I informed my attorney I needed to see someone else. I was then referred to another doctor who diagnosed the problem on the first visit before he saw the finally permitted MRI, torn connective tissue. Surgery might fix it temporarily using tissue from another part of my body, but it would probably tear again under strain. Wasted surgery.

Then the worker's comp carrier sent me to yet another doctor for an evaluation, and the man was extremely eager to put me under the knife again, which I rejected.

I got a settlement to compensate for my calculated percentage of disability. I didn't mind getting the money, but my purpose in hiring the attorney was the mistaken idea that treatment could be hurried and my problems fixed.

The process could have been greatly shortened if I had gotten the MRI from the first, but the companies listed above opted to spend twenty dollars to save a dime and most of the doctors and their clinics had a monetary interest in playing the game.

In my view that is what is wrong with worker's comp in California.

Wow, that was really hell for you. Being out of work and then having to endure that must not have been a memorable time in your life.

[saw mill worker]

you should never compare California with Nevada, I lived there for 10 years,had a business for eight of those 10 years, I was self-employed and never hired anyone but my grandson who I pay three dollars over minimum wage, and a share of profit. I also had a business in Sacramento California back in the mid-70s. I look at it like this if you can't pay your people a decent livable wage when they work for you and if they should get hurt on the job they should be able to pay their bills with what they get from the disability program and that's the difference between California and Nevada, Nevada is a Third World country, that has no compassion for its workforce and truly don't care if they're put out on the street.