It has been an inescapable topic ever since the investigative outfit, Pro Publica, published its piece on workers’ compensation “The Demolition of Workers’ Comp.” Pro Publica concludes that states’ workers’ comp systems have slashed benefits and medical care to injured workers, while increasing insurance carrier profits. The piece has received praise and criticism from all quarters. Does it portend a change in workers’ comp —perhaps to a federal system?
A federal system is a bad idea for a number of reasons, not least of which is a cumbersome bureaucracy. States also have different industries and populations. For example, farm labor is huge in California, but in other states, it’s oil and gas. Costs related to safety and treatment will vary depending on these factors. These affect the premiums of staffing firms and their client employers. The no fault system, or “grand bargain”–is between employers and workers. It’s not between workers and lawyers or employers and insurance companies. It doesn’t need federalization, it needs enforcement. Preventing profiteering and re-defining the scope of injuries to address the ever growing list of health and workplace conditions is a start.
But for now, safety and adherence to workers’ comp rules and regulations will ensure staffing firms are paying adequate premiums and what’s medically necessary to get injured workers back on their feet. A program such as a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) can help.
Please call us for a FREE workers’ compensation quote at 202-302-1212. Or visit us as www.StaffingCompSolutions.com.
All the best
David Schek
President-Work Comp Staffing Solutions