Workers Comp the Gestapo in Free America?

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends in Pain and CI (chronic illness),

A discussion ensues on workers comp.

1. Being followed by private investigators and videotaped.

2. Subjected to slander by uneducated adjustors who make

unrealistic demands.

3. Nurses overriding prescriptions written by M.D.'s to

offset cost effective care.

4. Being forced to do work or attempt RTW in a position

for minimum wage (flopping burgers) and then having

this deducted from your already LOWER disability

wage.

5. Being subjected to unethical IME exams (physicians

hired to say you are fine to defray costs they make

a fortune on this action).

6. What are " criminal acts " outside of insurability take over

different tones with WC recepients.

WC recepients are said to have the highest " suicide " rate of any

group in the U.S. Makes sense.

It's important to protect your rights. Each state has specific WC

laws, and a multitude of " insurers. "

This story is one of thousands, perhaps millions that are true.

You see it " costs less " if you have a severe disability to insure you for

medical for life (thank God many of us at least get this) than to have you

" kick. "

Look at the links below just for Cali!

Peace,

California Applicants' Attorneys Association

Serving California Injured Workers Since 1966

801 12th Street, Suite 201, Sacramento, CA 95814

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 16, 2004

Contact:

Steve Hopcraft 916/457-5546

Steve@...

Denials of Care & Compensation Cuts Lead to

Injured Worker Desperation & Death, Huge r Profits

Insurers use new laws to Deny Benefits,“Insurance Company Responsible for My

Husband’s Deathâ€

SACRAMENTO, CA - Injured workers and their advocates said today that injured

workers across the state are unable to obtain the care and compensation they

need to recover from their on-the-job injuries. “There is an epidemic of pain

and despair overtaking California workers who’ve been injured on the job,â€

Schwartz, president of the California Applicants Attorneys Association

(CAAA), told a State Capitol news conference. “Today we are making the public

aware of the third suicide in the last several months. Injured workers are

unable

to get the care and compensation they were promised. We are witnessing a

horrific suicide outbreak among California’s increasingly desperate injured

workers

due to denials of care and compensation and cuts in disability benefits since

the 2003 and the governor’s 2004 cutbacks took effect. More deaths will

follow unless something is done to force insurers to provide the care and

compensation to cure and relieve the injuries these workers suffered on the

job.â€

Carole Sinclair, the widow of Curtis Sinclair, a totally and

permanently disabled California worker who killed himself in April in despair

over the

insurance carrier’s denials and failure to pay benefits, released a statement

attributing her husband’s suicide to the Travelers insurance company’s “

total lack of compassion and failure to meet their responsibilities. My husband

was declared 100% disabled from his work accident in 1989 and 14 years later had

still not been properly compensated for his injuries. We lived over those

years with a constant battle trying to get bills paid and be able to survive. I

feel that the insurance company is as responsible for my husband's death as if

they had personally put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger.â€

News Media Advisory:

Dec. 16. - WHAT'S HAPPENING TO INJURED WORKERS? Cuts, Denials of Care &

Compensation Lead to Lack of Care, Suicide

Dec. 7 - NEW STUDY: GOVERNOR DRASTICALLY CUTS INJURED WORKERS’ DISABILITY

COMPENSATION

Nov. 10 - INJURED WORKERS TO ANNOUNCE LAWSUIT: Taking Away My Doctor Delays

Healing, Costs Public

Aug. 16 - “WORKERS COMP KILLED MY HUSBANDâ€: WIDOW OF INJURED WORKER TO BLAST

LACK OF CARE THAT DROVE INJURED WORKER TO SUICIDE Thousands of Injured

workers are being denied care

June 22 - INJURED WORKERS, ADVOCATES PROTEST WORKERS’ COMP CUTS, CALL FOR 30%

RATE CUT & RATE REGULATION New laws especially hard on mothers and elderly

workers

June 1 - WHAT HAS SB 899 WROUGHT? Experts to Analyze Implementation of cuts

May 28 - INSURANCE COMMISSIONER JOHN GARAMENDI ADOPTS 20.9% DECREASE IN

WORKERS' COMPENSATION PURE PREMIUM RATES - CALLS FOR INSURERSTO PASS SAVINGS ON

TO

EMPLOYERS

April 8 - What's the Deal? Experts will analyze flaws in reported workers’

compensation “dealâ€

March 29 - Farm Workers & Cops to Outline How Proposed Cuts Would Harm Them;

UFW President: Proposal Repeals Ceasar Chavez’s Legacy in California

March 16 - Disabled, Women & Minorities: Gov. Schwarzenegger's Bill &

Initiative Take Away Workplace Discrimination, Sexual Harassment Protections

Hallenbeck~Sikorsky~ BS,RN,UM,QC

Owner-Moderator

" AnGeLsInPain "

I have watched heart(s)

shatter, fall to the ground only to break...

" OneVoiceInPain "

Interqual Certified

Published Psychiatric Researcher

Advocate for those in CIP, HIV, Psychologic Pain

" The Lord Will NEVER push us beyond what we can endure. "