Florida: House committee hopes bill will strengthen risk management program

A Florida House committee unanimously passed legislation aimed at strengthening the state's risk management program and reducing workers' compensation costs.

The bill would implement recommendations made by Alex Sink, Florida's chief financial officer and head of the Department of Financial Services. In January, Sink announced that reforms she enacted within the department's Division of Risk Management, including refocusing on loss prevention and addressing agencies with the highest number of claims, saved taxpayers $12 million. Those reforms were modeled on best practices and advice from private sector risk management experts from Publix Super Markets, The Walt Disney Company, and Rosen Hotels & Resorts and led to the creation of the state's Risk Management Advisory Council.

"When I initially asked private businesses to take a look at how the state runs its risk management, the results were eye-opening," Sink said. "So I put these private sector reforms to work immediately to save taxpayer money and improve service."

NFL seeks to seal the deal against players filing in California (04/19/12)
Washington: DLI looks to establish medical provider network (09/10/12)
Physician-owned surgery centers come under researchers' scrutiny (06/18/12)
Coalition disputes contentions in think tank's report on N.Y. assessments (04/19/12)
Report outlines effective strategies for successful self-insurance groups (06/18/12)

The legislation approved by House members would further enact Sink's reform efforts by establishing return-to-work programs in state agencies, basing agency premiums on actual loss experience, and giving the Division of Risk Management the authority to evaluate state agencies' risk management programs and ensure necessary corrective measures are taken.

Read more at the WORKERSCOMP Forum^TM homepage.

May 6, 2010

Newsletter Sign-up