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Tuesday, May 24, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller

[Sean Stott, director of governmental affairs for the Laborers International Union] again criticized insurance carriers who did not reduce premiums after workers’ compensation costs were reduced several years ago during a previous round of reforms.

However, Todd Maisch, president and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, said Illinois’ workers’ comp costs are significantly higher even for large corporations that self-insure against those costs.

“That (Stott’s argument) is just an old, tired excuse for baking in the status quo,” Maisch said.

They’re both right. And there should be room for compromise here. We need more assurances that insurance companies are passing along savings and we need more savings in the workers’ comp program.

If people would stop talking past each other, this stuff wouldn’t be so darned difficult.

I mean, really, if the governor hadn’t initially staked out such a hardline, far right position, he could’ve passed lots of this stuff weeks after being sworn in. We’re in this mess past our eyeballs now, but the other side has to finally realize that Rauner’s position today is significantly different than it was in 2015. Did it take too long? Heck yes it did.

Is a goal achievable? As John Lennon said, “War is over, if you want it.” Well, maybe not over, but at least some peace can be attained if they want it.

12 Comments

- Norseman - Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:27 am:
Rich hits the nail on the head once again.

My only criticism is that it wasn’t Mr. Status Quo’s head. /s

- Fusion - Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:31 am:
Is it time to revisit the Massachusetts model?

From Capitol Fax just a few months ago: https://capitolfax.com/2016/02/03/the-massachusetts-model/

- cdog - Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:52 am:
It will be a great day when insurance companies, across all product lines, are reigned in by thoughtful and pro-consumer legislation.

Causation must be fixed. It is not fair to the small business owner to face years of exponentially higher premiums because someone gets hurt off the job.

The argument that fixing causation sends people to the emergency room is short-sighted and weak in an environment that includes Obamacare and 90% of Illinoisans covered by insurance.

Come on Dems. Your wrapping yourself in a very thin cloth of rhetoric on some of this stuff.

- Matt Belcher - Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 11:02 am:
1.) ===costs are significantly higher even for large corporations that self-insure against those costs.==

2.) The cost of medical treatment is 50% of the cost of the WC system. (per NCCI, citation available)

3.) The medical reimbursement rate for work-related injuries was cut 30% immediately upon the effective date of the legislation. (HB 1698, 2011)

One of foregoing three sentences has no supporting evidence. Show your work, please.

- DuPage Bard - Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 11:19 am:
Nothing is going to occur.

- NoGifts - Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 11:27 am:
“We need more assurances that insurance companies are passing along savings” why would they pass along savings when that savings is profit? Is there a law requiring them to do it?

- Formerly Known As... - Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 11:35 am:
==“War is over, if you want it.” Well, maybe not over, but at least some peace can be attained if they want it.==

Beautifully put.

Let’s get the =doable= done.

- DuPage - Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 12:04 pm:
The first thing they should do is require the insurance companies to open their books.

- Ghost - Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 1:00 pm:
they should just adopt the medicare reimbursement schedule for health care costs for workers comp.

- Facts are Stubborn Things - Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:42 pm:
As MJM has been saying almost daily for a year now, problems are solved in moderation and not in the extreme. Passing a budget with conditions before a tax increase - that everybody agrees we need - is ridiculous. Rauner is basically saying to the dems, you give me my reforms and I will let you take much of the blame for a tax increase that we all agree we need since we let the 5% tax rate sunset. Now, since Rauner insists on no tax increase until his conditions are met, we are billions more in the whole which will require a larger tax increase.

- Facts are Stubborn Things - Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:44 pm:
The longer Rauner insists on his non budget items before he will agree to a tax increase, the larger the tax increase must be. The longer there is no budget the deeper the whole.

- Louis G. Atsaves - Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 4:04 pm:
===”they should just adopt the medicare reimbursement schedule for health care costs for workers comp.”===

That will make the medical community completely freak out. Those rates are pretty draconian.

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