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SMALLER COMP RATE INCREASE URGED FOR
CALIFORNIA
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SACRAMENTO, Calif.-Insurance Commissioner Steve
Poizner on Tuesday called for the California Workers'
Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau to withdraw a
portion of the 23.7% rate increase it is
recommending.
The commissioner wants the WCIRB to
eliminate 6% of its recommended rate increase linked to
two controversial Workers Compensation Appeals Board
rulings.
Read
on...
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SENATE EYES TAX CHANGE TO PAY FOR HEALTH
INSURANCE
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WASHINGTON (Reuters)-Experts urged Congress
Tuesday to cut tax
breaks for employer-sponsored health insurance as a way
to help pay to cover people without benefits.
The
Senate Finance Committee, which is taking a lead in
writing legislation to overhaul the $2.5 trillion U.S.
health care system, is weighing spending cuts and tax
increases to help cover the cost of expanding coverage
to 46 million uninsured people.
Read
on...
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'QUESTIONABLE' CLAIMS ON THE RISE: NICB
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 A recent report by the National
Insurance Crime Bureau shows that the number of
questionable claims is up during the first quarter of
2009 compared with the first quarter of 2008, providing
a snapshot of what claims analysts call "opportunistic
fraud."
A down economy and mounting unemployment
level is causing some people to look at insurance fraud
as a possible way to make money by taking advantage of a
situation, according to the NICB. The report, released
Tuesday, is an analysis of questionable claims submitted
by more than 1,000 NICB member companies in the first
quarter of 2009 versus the same period a year ago. A
questionable claim is a claim that is reviewed by an
insurance company and classified as possibly
fraudulent.
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RECESSION TO CAUSE MORE HEALTH COST
SHIFTING: SURVEY
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 The economic recession likely
will boost group health care costs higher than employers
anticipated, leading more organizations to shift more
costs to employees and adopt lower-cost consumer-driven
health plans, according to a survey released
Thursday.
Employers surveyed by benefit
consultant Mercer L.L.C. of New York now expect health
care costs to rise by an average of 7.4% this year. That
compares with a 6% average increase employers predicted
in a 2008 Mercer survey.
One possible reason for the higher-than-expected
increase is increased utilization of health care
services, according to the survey. In fact, 15% of the
428 responding employers said medical plan utilization
has been higher than expected. Read
on... |
REHABILITATION RIGHTS OF INSURED WORKERS
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The
word "rehabilitation" in the area of workers'
compensation has two very different meanings. When most
people think of rehabilitation, they think of physical
therapy or rehabilitative care aimed at overcoming an
injury and regaining functionality. Did you know that
there is also vocational rehabilitation? In many states,
injured workers who cannot return to their former
employment are entitled to this type of rehabilitation
at the expense of their employer's workers' compensation
carrier.
* The amount and type of vocational
rehabilitation provided to injured employees, as with
any other workers' compensation law, varies greatly
between jurisdictions. Some of the services which an
injured worker may be entitled to include:
Read
on... |
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Sincerely,
Santa Maria &
Company
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PLEASE
NOTE
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WE
HAVE MOVED
our
office effective
March
16, 2009
The new address will
be:
1550 Parkside Drive,
Suite 200
Walnut Creek, CA
94596
We have new phone numbers:
Phone:
925-956-7600
Fax:
925-956-7601
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FEATURED
ARTICLE
WC CHANGES
EFFECTIVE JAN.
1ST
CALIFORNIA ASSESSMENTS AND SURCHARGES
EFFECTIVE 1/1/2009
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For
Workers Compensation policies effective January 1, 2009
and after, the California Assessments and Surcharges
have been revised as follows:
California Fraud
Investigation/Prosecution
Surcharge
Changed from
.2394% to.3956%.
California User Funding
Assessment
Changed from
1.0703% to1.3583%.
California Uninsured Employers Benefit
Trust Fund Assessment
Changed from
.1730%
to.2241%.
California Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund
Assessment
Changed from
.0311% to.0827%.
California Guarantee Assoc.
Surcharge
Remains
unchanged
at 2.0%
If
you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact
our office.
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