Workers Comp Rates to Drop in Vermont
April 2, 2008 13:52

Most companies in Vermont will pay lower workers' compensation premiums thanks to state-approved loss cost rates effective April 1.

Rates for loss costs in the voluntary market will decrease by an average of 4.2 percent, according to Gov. Jim Douglas's office. This is the second consecutive year that rates have declined.

"These lower rates demonstrate that an emphasis on workplace safety and a healthy, predictable regulatory environment for insurers can help bring rates down for most employers," Douglas said.

Since 2000, the number of workplace injures resulting in time lost from work have been declining in Vermont.

Tags: workers' compensation, workplace injuries; workers' compensation insurance, workers' compensation premiums

Workers' Comp Benefits Employers As Well as Employees
April 4, 2008 13:50

Workers' compensation is a social contract between employees and their employers, but people sometimes forget that companies get a benefit from worker's comp, too.

Except in states, such as Texas, that allow businesses to opt out of workers' compensation, workers cannot sue their employers for negligence when they're hurt on the job.

In the case of many injuries, workers likely would recover more if they were allowed to sue for personal injury. But workers' comp laws do not require workers to prove negligence to collect benefits. Workers' comp benefits paid no matter who or what caused the workplace injury.

Suffering From an Invisible Disability
April 7, 2008 16:30

Blogger Dr. Sharon Ostalecki of "Fibromyalgia: Fitting the Pieces" together writes quite eloquently and informatively about what it's like to suffer from an "invisible disability" like fibromyalgia.The disease can be hard to diagnose, and people who are suffering... (Read Article)

Workers' Comp Benefits for Work-Related Emotional Stress?
April 8, 2008 15:30

Connecticut State Senator Edith Prague is pushing for an anti-bullying law that would make employers liable for managers who bully their employees with verbal abuse, offensive conduct and by sabatoging their work. She also wants to extend workers' compensation... (Read Article)

MS Patients Face Uphill Battle in Securing Social Security Disability Benefits
April 9, 2008 14:43

Cassandra Kutner's story isn't that unusual.Though suffering with multiple sclerosis, the 30-year-old New Jersey woman continued working as a paralegal until her condition became so debilitating that she had to quit work.When she did, she assumed that she would... (Read Article)

Police, Fire and Paramedics in Connecticut Ask For More Workers' Comp Benefits
April 12, 2008 12:58

Workers' compensation is most often associated with on-the-job accidents or injuries. But coverage also applies to people who develop an illness, often referred to as an occupational disease, as a result of their line of work.For the second time, police, firefighters... (Read Article)

A Timeline of Workers Compensation in Wyoming
April 14, 2008 12:57

Pressure to reform the workers' compensation system in Wyoming is mounting from workers' groups and labor unions.Proponents want state lawmakers to increase benefits available to injured workers.As part of its coverage of the issue, the Casper Star-Tribune... (Read Article)

Appeal Social Security Disability decisions online
April 16, 2008 11:54

Disabled workers and their attorneys are now able to appeal Social Security disability benefits decisions online. In order to use the Internet Appeal process, you need to have applied for Social Security or Supplemental Security Income disability benefits... (Read Article)

Arkansas Appeals Court Sends Disability Case Back to District Court
April 17, 2008 11:42

Six years after he suffered a stroke at age 46 that ended his career as a truck driver, Paul McCadney faces still more legal proceedings in his effort to collect Social Security supplemental security income and disability insurance payments.An administrative... (Read Article)

Social Security Cuts Disability Backlog
April 21, 2008 13:30

An infusion of cash from Congress and President Bush will help the Social Security Administration cut into the months-long backlog for disability benefits for thousands of Americans, according to federal officials.However, advocates said a one-time budget increase... (Read Article)

Many Employers Lack Adequate Return-To-Work Programs For Injured Workers
April 23, 2008 12:17

A former insurance adjuster writes in American Chronicle about the obstacles facing injured workers who want to return to work.Margaret Spence says that most employers are resistant to allowing employees to return to work on light duty while they recover from... (Read Article)

Can Back Belts Prevent Workplace Back Injuries?
April 25, 2008 09:14

That's the question the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is asking?And the answer is iffy.Back injuries account for nearly 20 percent of all workplace injuries and illnesses and cost an estimated $20 billion to $50 billion annually. Given... (Read Article)

Are Reverse Mortgages an Option While on Disability?
April 29, 2008 14:53

Are Reverse Mortgages an Option While on Disability?

A 59-year-old disabled woman who's having trouble making ends meet, despite collecting Social Security Disability benefits, asks if a reverse mortgage would be a good idea for someone in her situation.

The writers over at the Eagle-Tribune provide the scoop on who qualifies for reverse mortgages and how they can be useful to people who are "house rich and cash poor."

In this woman's case, a reverse mortgage isn't an option, because in her state applicants must be 62 or older. But it may be a smart financial move for older disabled people.

Employers face workers' comp increase in Massachusetts
April 30, 2008 12:55

Insurers providing workers' compensation insurance in Massachusetts have asked for a 2.3 percent rate increase.Workers' compensation rates in Massachusetts were last revised in September 2007. They decreased by 16.9 percent then.The proposed rate hike, if approved,... (Read Article)