Workers' Compensation Senate Roundtable Report

Posted on April 24, 2006 by Troy Rosasco

Workers' Comp Alliance Co-Chairs John Sciortino and Troy Rosasco recently advocated the position of injured workers at a well attended public Roundtable in Albany sponsored by State Senator George Maziarz. Once again, Senator Maziarz proved to be an open minded fact finder seeking common ground solutions to the tough problem of Workers' Compensation.

As stated in a previous Workers' Compensation Alliance post, the panel consisted of representatives of injured workers and business. Joel Shufro, President of the New York Committee for Occupational Safety & Health (NYCOSH) made an impassioned plea to make safety on the job the number one priority. All panelists agreed this was a priority.

John Sciortino outlined the Workers' Compensation Alliance position on not capping benefits for permanent partial disabilities (PPD's) and raising the maximum benefit rate for the first time in 14 years. The business representatives continued to bang the drum that New York should cap PPD's "because 42 other states do". However, Troy Rosasco rebutted this reasoning as silly and unpersuasive. He compared such reasoning to the teenage daughter who pleas with her parents to allow her to go on an overnight ski trip "because 42 other parents do". Perhaps the other 8 states (parents) have it right! In addition, he noted that there are no university based research studies showing that workers comp costs put New York business at a competitive disadvantage. Finally, the business panel had to concede that the manufacturing economy in New York is the best it has been in over 5 years.

All in all, it was another excellent opportunity for the Workers' Compensation Alliance to speak for injured workers across New York State.

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Attorney Rosasco Travels to Albany to Advocate for Workers' Compensation Alliance

Posted on April 10, 2006 by Troy Rosasco

I will be travelling to Albany tomorrow with New York Workers’ Compensation Alliance Legislative Co-Chair John Sciortino to take part in the second of a series of Roundtable Discussions hosted by Senator George Maziarz, New York State Senate Labor Committee Chair, regarding Workers’ Compensation Reform. Since Workers’ Comp Reform was recently detached from the Governor’s budget bill, it appears that workers’ compensation reform will continue to be on the Albany radar screen for the rest of the year.

Also scheduled to participate in the Roundtable are: Randall Wolken, President, Central New York Manufacturing Association; Cecelia Norat, Director of State Operations for AIG; William Melchionni, Nationwide Insurance; Mark Alesse, New York State Director, National Federation of Independent Business; and Ted Potrikus, Executive Vice President, Retail Council of New York State; and our friend and advocate for injured workers, Joel Shufro, President of NYCOSH. Members of the Senate Labor Committee are also expected to be in attendance.

Of course, the Workers’ Compensation Alliance will be advocating for a long overdue benefit increase, no caps on PPD’s (permanent partial disabilities), and expediting needed medical care for injured workers. Yet we will also be proposing a fair pharmacy benefit schedule that should save employers significant amounts of money by mandatory use of generic drugs. Surrounded by all these insurance and employer lobbyists, it looks like John and I will have our work cut out for us!

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