Workers’ Comp Bill Has Far-Reaching Negative Impacts

When a legislative proposal costs too much, that’s bad for Connecticut’s economy. When it also risks proper medical treatment for workers, that’s worse: for the employees, their families, and their employers.

The State Senate should reject SB 907 because it prevents employers from ensuring that their employees get appropriate quality medical care as soon as possible in workers’ compensation cases.

While a new study says that SB 907 could cost private-sector insured employers as much as $204 million over five years, when insured employers are added to the mix, the price tag rises to $258 million. However, the real price tag is potentially much higher.

That’s because the proposal mandates timelines that preclude getting a careful review of employees’ course of medical treatment in workers’ comp claims.

Employers know that it’s in their best interests to see that their employees get the best and most appropriate workers’ comp medical care. They want their employees to return to work as soon as possible but they also want to be sure of providing right medical care for the lowest possible chance of any permanent disability.

But SB 907 accelerates the review process so hastily that it risks just that—the employee getting inappropriate or lower-quality treatment, and the worker’s medical condition worsening.

The consequences could be devastating all around—higher follow-up medical costs, longer out-of-work durations, lower employee morale, and the very high likelihood of contentious litigation.

It’s extremely important that state lawmakers realize all of the impacts of SB 907.

What’s very interesting is that a similar bill in California sparked unprecedented medical cost escalation in the California workers’ compensation system-as much as two to three times the historical medical inflation rate.

So California was forced to repeal its law. 

That should be a big red flag for Connecticut lawmakers.

CBIA urges the Senate to reject SB 907 as too damaging and costly a proposal.

For more information, contact CBIA’s Bonnie Stewart at 860.244.1925 or bonnie.stewart@cbia.com.