EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
Proposed
"WORKERS' COMPENSATION REFORM ACT OF 2001
Recommended by
Associated Industries
Of Florida
There
is a major crisis looming on the horizon on the Florida's Workers''
Compensation Act. Costs are rising , medical is soaring out of control,
yet injured workers are caught in the middle, many with inadequate benefits.
It
is imperative that the 2001 Legislature address this issue before the
system is totally out of control. The attached is an Executive
Summary of proposed changes that the business community feels must be
made now. Included are:
-
Moving
the Judges of Compensation to the Department of Administrative Hearings;
-
creating
a Commission on Insurance with all of the functions of the Department
of Insurance transferred to the Commission;
-
eliminate
managed care;
-
eliminate
all of the exemptions for workers' compensation coverage in the
construction industry;
-
increase
benefits to uninjured workers;
-
limit
the numbers of independent medical exams;
-
recreate
a quasi-judicial body to hear workers' compensation appeals;
-
eliminate
the Requests for Assistance; eliminate docketing order, set more
realistic time frames to hold mediation, pretrial conference and
final hearings;
-
eliminate
the Workers' Compensation Oversight Board;
-
and
most importantly limit attorney's fees to contingency based on the
amount recovered rather than an hourly rate and/or a contingency
fee.
-
Provide
for medical issues under $5,000 and any issue on the average weekly
wage be determined by a Judge of Compensation Claims without attorney
involvement.
AIF
respectfully requests the Governor and the Legislature take up and pass
these issues in the 2001 Legislative Session.
Litigation
Benefits
Medical
Administration
