Trickle Down Stagnation

Workers' compensation is dependent the integration of federal benefits in many claims. As the federal government continues to stagnate legislatively, it is difficult for workers' compensation programs to maintain their viability and effectuating a medial social legislative system. Today's post, an editorial, from the New York Times, points out, that the federal government continues big political standoff. Unfortunately, the difficulties facing the federal government in formulating regulations and legislation, Will trickle-down two additional stagnation in the Worker's Compensation programs throughout the nation. Weather this is by design, or an unintentional consequence, the bottom line is that, but Workers' Compensation system Will need to be reformulated before choked out of existence. Last week, in a fit of fury after they lost the ability to filibuster President Obama’s nominees, several Congressional Republicans threatened to retaliate by slowing things down on Capitol Hill. Democrats “will have trouble in a lot of areas because there’s going to be a lot of anger,” said Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, specifically warning that a United Nations disability treaty was now in danger of being rejected for the second time. It’s hard to see how Republicans could slow things down more than they already have for the last several years. Yes, they can prevent committees from meeting and add days of wasted time to every nomination...

[Click here to see the rest of this post]
….

Jon L. Gelman of Wayne NJ is the author NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson). For over 4 decades the Law Offices of Jon L Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com  have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.

Found on

Related articles

• The Workers' Compensation Nuclear Option: Detroit officially enters bankruptcy (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• NJ COLA Bill - Legislative Hearings Scheduled (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• Hip Replacement Lawsuit: ASR Settlement ($2.5 Billion) Benefits Announced (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• NJ Counsel Fee Threshold Raised to $44,000 (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• Black Friday dawns and so does violence in the workplace (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• Coal industry pays lawyers, doctors to lie and let workers to die penniless (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• Pennsylvania Supreme Court Rules Exclusivity Doctrine Not a Bar to Asbestos Claim Against an Employer Directly If Late Manifestation (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)

Bill aims to protect workers wrongly labeled as independent contractors

Today's post was shared by votersinjuredatwork and comes from www.newsobserver.com

The hunt for cheap labor has led to a rash of payroll fraud by companies scraping for any advantage in a sputtering economy, lawmakers say. As a result, they say, American taxpayers are cheated out of millions, workers are underpaid and the injured are denied workers compensation. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill introduced legislation Tuesday, in conjunction with a Senate hearing, in an effort to curtail what they say has become a widespread practice that hurts not only workers but also law-abiding companies that can’t compete with the bad actors. The issue is common in fields such as those for janitors, homecare workers and cable installers. But it’s especially prevalent in the construction industry, where a company can save as much as 30 percent of its costs by wrongfully reporting its workers as independent contractors instead of employees. The practice is known as misclassification. In the most basic terms, if the employer is directing the worker, including setting his or her schedule, telling the worker what to do, when to do it and how to do it, the worker should be listed as an employee, according to federal rules. By listing workers as independent contractors, companies can avoid paying insurance, taxes and overtime. It also shields companies from responsibilities of having to protect those working for them. Matt Anderson of Ira Township, Mich., needs only to look at his left hand to see the potential...

[Click here to see the rest of this post]

Found on

Related articles

• Work Comp Lost Focus (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• FEHA Ain't Work Comp (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• What a Government Default Will Do To Workers' Compensation (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• Study: Calif. workers compensation overhaul too new to parse (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• Attorneys argue over Okla. workers' comp lawsuit (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• Lawyers resist Cuomo administration shutdown of workers comp hearing sites (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)

FAQ: How The Health Law Impacts Federal Employees’ Health Benefits

Today's post was shared by Kaiser Health News and comes from www.kaiserhealthnews.org

Open enrollment season begins Monday for the approximately eight million federal workers and their dependents who receive health care coverage through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program or FEHB. The 2010 health law calls for some changes in that coverage. Below are some frequently asked questions and answers about how the measure will impact federal workers’ health insurance. Q: I work at a federal agency and am enrolled in FEHB. Does the Affordable Care Act require me to purchase health insurance on the law’s new online marketplaces, known as exchanges? A: No, you do not have to buy coverage on the marketplace. You can stay with FEHB. But if you want to shop for a health plan on the exchange, you will not qualify for a subsidy because the federal government pays up to 75 percent of the cost of your FEHB coverage. Q: I work on Capitol Hill. Do I have to purchase coverage through the exchanges? A: Yes. A provision of the health law, originally authored by  Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, requires that, if you are a member of Congress  or work on a lawmaker’s personal staff, you must obtain your health coverage through the online insurance marketplace. And, according to a recent ruling from the Office of Personnel Management, or OPM, whether or not you are employed in the D.C. Metro area,  you must purchase coverage on the District of Columbia small business exchange. “Given the location of Congress in the District of Columbia,...

[Click here to see the rest of this post]

Found on

Related articles

• Your prescription history is their business (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• FAQ: How The Health Law Impacts Federal Employees' Health Benefits (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• Lousy Medicaid Arguments (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• Professionalism and Caring for Medicaid Patients - The 5% Commitment? (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• The Future of Workers' Compensation (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• For Many Workers, It's Time To Consider Insurance Options (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• Worried About Costs And Unaware of Help, Californians Head Into New Era of Health Coverage (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)

ABA president, others express concern over shutdown’s effects on judiciary

Today's post was shared by Legal Newsline and comes from legalnewsline.com

American Bar Association President James Silkenat is calling on members of Congress to send a budget to the President. Silkenat, a partner in the New York office of Sullivan & Worcester, took office in August. In a statement last week, Silkenat called the government shutdown, which began Oct. 1, a “historic failure that imperils justice.” “The political brinksmanship that brought our government to a standstill reflects the same intransigence and unwillingness to compromise that imposed sequestration on our national government and hardships on many who contract with, work for or receive certain nonentitlement benefits from the federal government,” he said. “Federal courts already face staff reductions and programmatic cuts that threaten public safety. The failure to reach accord on a continuing resolution to fund the government has also scuttled both chambers attempts to add extra funding to pay for indigent defense representation.” He added, “Congress has practically abdicated its constitutional responsibility to provide a budget for the government. It is time to end the scorched earth tactics and send a budget to the President.” Silkenat, who argues that citizens’ access to justice will increasingly be in jeopardy, testified on Capitol Hill Tuesday about the effects of the shutdown on the judiciary. He, along with other lawyers and former judges, told members of the...

[Click here to see the rest of this post]

Found on

Related articles

• Government Shutdown: Day 9 - Government shutdown hitting veterans, military families hard (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• Government Shutdown: Day 8 - Injured Workers Are Being Held for Ransom (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• Judge denies jury trial in Chevron RICO case (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• Federal Workers Nationwide Protest Government Shutdown (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• Government Shutdown (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• The Government Shutdown is a Kick-In-Gut to Workers' Compensation (workers-compensation.blogspot.com)
• The shutdown just saved the world (washingtonpost.com)