UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE COVERAGE
Firms watch health-care fight - California battle on insurance fans fear of mandates.
A battle under way in California may foreshadow whether businesses in Illinois and around the country will be forced to offer employee health insurance.
Chicago Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0403220009mar22,1,6166963.story?coll=chi-business-hed
Health Care Major Factor in Upcoming National Elections
Nearly six in 10 Americans (57%) say presidential and congressional candidates' views on health reform will be a "very important" factor in their vote this November, the Fund's Biennial Health Insurance Survey finds. What's more, majorities across the political spectrum support a variety of policies that would provide coverage to uninsured adults, as well as believe that financing care should remain a shared responsibility between individuals, employers and government.
"These findings point to a looming affordability crisis in American health care," says Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis. "The survey also indicates that there is widespread agreement among Americans that the United States should act on its chronic and growing health insurance problem."
http://www.cmwf.org
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GEORGIA SET TO REPEAL WORKERS’ COMPENSATION SUBSEQUENT INJURY TRUST FUND
The Georgia Senate today passed and sent to the governor legislation eliminating the outdated and costly state-sponsored workers’ compensation Subsequent Injury Trust Fund (SITF). H.B. 1579, introduced at the request of the American Insurance Association (AIA), represents long overdue reform that will benefit employers, carriers and employees
http://www.aiadc.org/dochandler.asp?file=/outbound/pubaffairs/PA_12129_13886.htm&root=\\webdb1
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TRAVELERS AGREES TO SETTLE ASBESTOS UNFAIR CLAIMS CASE $375 MILLION + FEES
Travelers Property Casualty Corp. signed a definitive agreement to settle asbestos-related, statutory-based direct actions pending against the company under various unfair trade practices acts and similar laws.
Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/technology/newswire/2004/03/15/rtr1299598.html
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FTICH RATINGS: TRAVELERS / ST. PAUL
Fitch Ratings has taken several rating actions in response to the closing of the merger between Travelers Property Casualty Corp (Travelers) and The St. Paul Companies, Inc (St. Paul).
Ratings of the members of Travelers' primary underwriting pool (Travelers Pool) were removed from Rating Watch Negative and affirmed at 'AA'. The Rating Outlook is Stable. This rating action reflects Fitch's expectations that the Travelers Pool and St. Paul's underwriting pool (St. Paul Pool) will remain as separate groupings of legal entities through at least 2005 and that the two pools would likely not be merged unless the financial strength of the St. Paul Pool improved relative to that of the Travelers Pool.
http://www.fitchratings.com
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CALIFORNIA - A DONE DEAL?
Workers’ comp deal waiting on public review A bill would then face votes in both Senate, Assembly
Republican leaders are insisting that the Legislature wait until next week to approve a tentative workers’ compensation reform deal reached between Democrats and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, state Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia said Sunday.
Desert Sun
http://www.thedesertsun.com/news/stories2004/state/20040404233016.shtml
Sacramento leaders say deal close on workers' compensation reform
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders are close to an agreement on major legislation that would curb the cost of treating work-related injuries, but officials said final details remain elusive.
Legislative attorneys are expected to work through the weekend to complete a draft measure that lawmakers could consider Monday, but the governor's staff and key Republicans said final language has not been distributed for review.
"We are close. We are making progress but there is not an agreement," Schwarzenegger's spokesman Rob Stutzman said Saturday.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/04/04/state1318EST0036.DTL
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CALENDAR
THIS YEAR IN WORKERS' COMPENSATION - Wednesday, April 14:, 2004 -NJ / ICLE, New Brunswick, NJ
http://www.njicle.com
Introductory Remarks – Emerging Issues in Workers’ Compensation:
Registration
http://www.njicle.com/cgi-bin/njicle?SessionID=40&doc=/Seminars/WC_4-14-04.htm
NOSSCR Social Security Disability Law Conference - National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives - May 12-15, 2004 San Diego, CA - Topics include intensive medical issues to Medicare and how it impacts WC. San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina
http://www.nosscr.com
NYCOSH’S 25th Anniversary Awards Celebration, Friday, May 14th, 2004 6 - 8:30 P.M.
http://www.nycosh.org/calendar.html
NCSI 2004 Annual National Council of Self-Insurers Meeting. May 16-19, 2004. Held at the Don CeSar Beach Resort & Spa in St. Petersburg, Florida. Additional information: Larry Holt, Executive Director, National Council of Self-Insurers, 1253 Springfield Avenue, PMB 345, New Providence, NJ 07974 (908/665-2152). Website:
http:// www.natcouncil.com
CMS Regional Conference - Medicare Secondary Payer - Jun 23-25, 2004 - Atlanta GA
http://www.mediproseminars.com/
SAWCA 56th Annual Convention. June 21-25, 2004. Held at the Inn at Loretto in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Sponsored by: SAWCA (Southern Association of Workers' Compensation Administrators), 25 Lazy Eight Drive, Port Orange, FL 32128 (386/304-1993).
SEAK 24t Annual National Workers' Compensation and Occupational Medicine Seminar. July 20-22, 2004. Held at the Sheraton Hyannis Resort in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Sponsored by SEAK, Inc., P.O. Box 729, Falmouth, MA 02541 (781-261-9972). Website:
http://www.seak.com
AASCIF 2004 American Association of State Compensation Insurance Funds Conference. August 1-4, 2004. Held in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Additional information: (952/838-4245) or
http://www.aascif.org
AIABC 90th Annual I Convention. August 5-10, 2004. Held at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers in New York City. Sponsored by the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC). Additional information: IAIABC (608/663-6355). Website:
http://www.iaiabc.org
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Americans pay more out of pocket for their health care than people from other industrialized countries, and the survey shows that growing numbers of adults with and without insurance are foregoing necessary care because they simply can't afford it," says Fund Senior Program Officer Sara Collins, lead author of the report. "New policies to expand coverage and make it more affordable would help alleviate the financial stress currently plaguing many U.S. families."