More than 100 employers sign letter to lawmakers urging action before the end of session
MADISON – Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce – the combined state chamber and manufacturers’ association – was joined by more than 100 employers from across the state on Monday urging lawmakers to tackle ever-increasing medical costs in the worker’s compensation system.
The coalition of diverse businesses sent a letter calling on the State Legislature to approve the medical fee schedule bill unanimously supported by the Worker’s Compensation Advisory Council.
“Wisconsin is an outlier when we compare our worker’s compensation medical costs to the cost for identical procedures in other states or even those same services under a group health plan in Wisconsin,” the letter reads. “These higher costs have put Wisconsin businesses at a significant disadvantage.”
Specially, the letter explains that Wisconsin’s average medical payment for worker’s compensation is 35 percent higher than the median state in the U.S. and higher than all other Midwest states. Forty-five other states have reined in costs by implementing a medical fee schedule.
“The only aspect of worker’s compensation not regulated by government is the amount employers and insurers are forced to pay for medical claims,” the letter continues. “The need for reform is long overdue. As employers, we cannot afford to allow another session to go by without the legislature addressing this growing problem.”
Click here to read the full letter.
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