Posted by Oregon *crime* victim on June 11, 1999 at 11:58:22:
The Workers' Compensation system in every state is for the most part totally corrupt. The bias is in favor of businesses and insurance companies. Workers who file claims are delayed to death and the carriers are cost-shifting WC to private insurance, in this state the Oregon Health Plan, and Social Security Disability/Medicare, and getting the tax payers to foot the bill. Profits from Workers Comp are far above those of every other type of liability insurance even while rates are dropping unlike any other type of insurance premium. The insurance companies PR people sell the story that 30% of workers claims are fraudulent, when in fact the true number is less than 1% (San Jose, California's Press Democrat). Workers are at the mercy of a system that makes no sense.
1) How many controverted or delayed cases are over 1, 5, 10, 15, or 20 years old?
2) How many workers have become homeless or committed suicide waiting for medical treatment and benefits?
3) How many entire case files have been LOST in the system?
4) Why did Bob Manning (Ref:NYTimes) have to wait 35 years for his case to be resolved, and Gov Pataki had to step-in because the NYT ran with the story?
5) Why do judges favor the insurance company doctors (IME or so called "Independent Medical Examiners who write negative 6 page reports for $1,500 to $3500, have no patients, and need no malpractice insurance (all they do is write insurance evaluation and get rich)?
6)Why do insurance companies get to use the earned interest on set-aside case money to pay of a claim, but the worker gets no COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) and is paid at the WC rate that was effect at the time of injury...(Bob Manning was paralyzed from the neck down in '63, he received a retro check in '96 based on the '63 $35 per week total disability rate.
7)How can a system designed to help injured workers be *killing* them instead?