Brett Shipp just won a Dupont award for following the scandal that is the Texas state Worker's Comp system. He's filed 12 reports, and even so, the situation is ongoing and he's working hard to get the national media to shine a light on the story, because as he says, its going on ALL over the country and it's shameful.
In a nutshell, everyone involved in the TX Worker's Comp system gets paid -- for refusing treatment and benefits. People are going without much needed med, surgery, the works. See for yourself:
Sufferers detail worker's comp woes
11:29 PM CST on Thursday, December 30, 2004
By BRETT SHIPP / WFAA-TV
When the state legislature meets in a matter of days, lawmakers will tackle issues that affect all our lives, including a proposal to abolish the Texas Workers Compensation Commission.
For a group of Central Texas patients and their doctors suffering at the hands of the workers comp commission, their stories of pain and insurance company denials are nearly too difficult to discuss.
Rebecca Torres of San Antonio was injured when a freight elevator door crashed on her back. She said her insurance company has cut off her medicine and benefits. "I can't handle my family. My husband has trouble with me, my children. I can't enjoy life anymore and they make it more painful," she cried.
Ima Jean Butler of San Antonio fell at work and said she can't get her insurance company to pay for therapy.
"It's just been a nightmare ... I've worked all my life," she said. She ridiculed the thought that she would fake an injury. "Who would want to go through this, to pretend that they are hurt when they are not? Nobody wanna go through this."
Arlen Brune of San Antonio said he lost both his legs following an accident at work. His worker's comp insurance carrier called it a disease of life and refuses to even pay for his wheelchair.
More.
http://www.wfaa.com/s/dws/wfaa/bshipp/stories/wfaa041230_jml_2200twcc.60cf1e53.htmlBrett (bshipp@wfaa.com) is looking for the MSM to pick this up at the national level, not for personal gain, but because he's been working with these people so long and they're still not getting the care they need -- and that we pay for them to get.