One thing that never gets mentioned in the Health Care debate is Workman's Comp

[Toots]

It is over ten percent of payroll and been going up by an average of ten percent every year. If we had a true National Health Care in this country it would be unnecessary or at the very least, much reduced. It is a real burden on small business, one of my highest expenses after payroll and land payments, and my business has never once had an employee use it, yet it keeps going up, up, and up some more.

[ret5hd]

1. I also believe other liability insurances would would decline...

for instance: homeowners, auto

[old mark]

2. It is also a racket controlled by the employers. As a former Union Steward,

I can't tell you how many times we had grievances filed
by employees who were ORDERED back to work while they were still healing from injuries suffered on the job, only to be injured yet again....some of them permanently disabled. I recall MANY lawsuits involving this, most of them lost by the employer...but the worker was still permanently disabled despite the few dollars awarded by the court...which, incidentally, they now want to decrease under the "tort limits" garbage from the GOP.

I recall one woman, a single mother, who can not lift more than 10 pounds because of a neck injury that was aggravated by an order to return to work. She complied, was injured again, was disabled for life before age 40.

mark

[lonestarnot]

3. And tort reform, I guess you also favor that?

[Cassandra]

7. We don't need tort reform...

we need INSURANCE reform! Not just health insurance but malpractice insurance and workman's comp. Maybe if the AMA self-insured for malpractice, they'd get serious about disciplining those members (about 5%) who are truly bad doctors.

[bluethruandthru]

4. Just one more reason that a single payer universal health care system makes sense.

If you did a side by side comparison of single payer with our current system - even with these few reforms that are currently being considered... there would be no contest. The benefits of a single payer system are enormous both for business and individuals.

[zipplewrath]

8. Absolutely

Single payer is coming, for all the reasons to which you allude. Unfortunately, at this point, it appears the GOP will bring it to us under a "pro-business" umbrella. "Only Nixon could go to China" is probably at work here. The public option was the only chance to create a pro-labor version of single payer that could grow over time. Now we have given the chance over to the GOP.

[Traveling_Home]

5. Isn't it a little ...

more involved than that with WC.

I have always had employer provided health insurance yet I have always had to have workman's compensation also.

Why would that change? Why do I have to have both now but wouldn't if we had National Health Care?

Why can't we now have a system that says if you have health insurance then you don't have to have WC. Wouldn't that save money for small business? What's the current reasoning by the system for needing both?

[ChicagoSuz219]

6. Shouldn't that be in a different bill?

An "Insurance Reform" - could encompass Workers Comp (that's what they call it in Illinois), Car Insurance, Medical Malpractice, Homeowners, etc... I'm sure all those rates could come down.

Wait 'til just after HCR passes, then contact your Reps & ask them to sponsor one.

[unblock]

9. just to pick a little nit, it's now called "workers' compensation"

"workmans' compensation" went out of favor in the '70s.

[mopinko]

11. +1 for that nit

one of those things that grinds my teeth.

[Echo In Light]

10. k/r