Tuesday, February 08, 2005

Workers' Compensation Report of Legislative Budget and Finance Committee Posted

House Resolution 660 of 2004 directed the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee of the Pennsylvania General Assembly to report on Pennsylvania's Workers' Compensation System as Compared to Nearby States. Costs and procedures were reviewed. The Committee's Report is now available.

The recommendations ranging from getting back in touch with the Medicare fee schedule to eliminating the Workers' Compensation Appeal Board will certainly be the subject of proposed legislation. In reviewing the Summary, I intuitively question the analysis (attributed to the Workers' Compensation Research Institute) that the 1996 Act did little substantively to address litigation, attorney involvement and adjudication delays. Something has reduced the volume of litigation, and I agree with Judge Torrey's many articles concluding C&Rs are a major factor. However, proposed legislation can be evaluated on its own merits.

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