OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A group of moderate House Democrats have prepared their own proposal to reform the state’s workers compensation system, keeping the thorny issue of settlements but making several changes to a previous Senate measure.
The new plan, like the Senate bill, establishes the option of settlements in the workers compensation system as an attempt to cut costs. The House proposal eliminates medical claims from settlements and creates a six-month wait — with benefits paid — for certain injured workers before the option of settlements kicks in.
Gov. Chris Gregoire, Senate and House leaders have all made making changes to the workers compensation system as priority this session after the state auditor’s office last year said that reserves of the system were at risk of insolvency.
House leadership, though, differs from this group’s proposal, preferring adjustments to the system, rather than creating a settlement option.
Gregoire has said she wants savings enacted this year to avoid a hike in the payments businesses pay into the system.
