To:
From: James A. Buchen, Vice President of
Government Relations
Date: April 13,
2010
Re: Support for
Assembly Bill 706—Recommendation of the
Wisconsin
Manufacturers and Commerce supports the provisions of Assembly Bill 706, the
product of deliberations by the members of the Wisconsin Workers Compensation
Advisory Council (WCAC).
In its
2009-2010 deliberations the WCAC considered a wide range of issues and the
reform proposals before you represent the product of those deliberations.
For example the WCAC recommends increasing the maximum allowable burial expense,
in response to legislative requests to review that area. The bill
increases benefits payable to many claimants with older Permanent Total
Disability claims with the maximum weekly benefit increasing from $458 per week
to $582 per week. The WCAC also recommends a ten dollar per week increase
in Permanent Partial Disability benefits.
A great
deal of the WCAC’s deliberations
were focused on the area of
escalating health care costs. Both Management and Labor Representatives on
the WCAC met with the Council’s health care advisory representatives.
While progress was made in more clearly understanding the parameters of the
issue, those deliberations did not produce a comprehensive reform proposal, and
discussions will continue into the next cycle of the WCAC’s work.
On
behalf of the Management Representatives on the WCAC I want to thank the Chair
of the Assembly Labor Committee for scheduling this hearing. I also want
to thank the present and past Committee Chair’s present for their ongoing
support of the Advisory Council process. In many states and jurisdictions
these matters become politically contentious, to the detriment of all parties at
interest.
In
closing, I ask for your vote in support for Assembly Bill
706.
501
East Washington Avenue, Madison, WI 53703-2914 P.O. Box 352, Madison, WI
53701-0352
Phone
(608)
258-3400
• Fax
(608)
258-3413 • www.wmc.org
