Workers' Comp audit released

The State Auditor is required by law to conduct annual audits of the financial statements and actuarial assessments of the Workers' Compensation Fund. The latest audit shows that the Workers' Comp funds may be heading towards insolvency within as little as two years. The workers' compensation system is made up of three components: the Medical Aid Fund, which pays for medical care for claimant; the Accident Fund, which pays non-medical claim costs such as wage replacement benefits, most vocational rehab, and disability and survivor benefits; and the Pension Reserve Fund, which pays benefits to all permanently disable pensioners. Both employers and employees pay L&I premiums. It is no surprise that the contingency reserves for the Workers' Comp trust fund dipped substantially during the time in question (July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009) given what happened with the stock market and the economy in general, as the audit points out . . . READ MORE