Labor Secretary is Upset that Employers are Trying to Save Money and Opting Out of State Worker’s Compensation Plans

Thomas Perez, Secretary for US Department of Labor (DOL), said he intends to use his agency’s ‘bully pulpit’ to hit at ‘a disturbing trend’ that is leaving workers without proper medical facilities and wage reimbursements when they are injured on the job.

Perez, perhaps no one told you, companies are barely getting by because of your boss’s economic policies. Perez, if you wanted to do something about the people you say you care about, you would lower taxes on businesses and stop regulating companies to death.

Perez said in an interview with NPR that the DOL is investigating an opt-out plan that is adopted by employers in lieu of the state worker’s compensation plans. He asserted in complete ignorance that such plans are saving employers millions of dollars but they undermine the basic right of a US worker who is injured on the job to claim compensation, while workers’ compensation lawyers read on. Perez, this money is going toward health insurance which continues to increase in cost and for businesses trying to cope with the demands of the Affordable Care Act.

If you hurt on the job legal help can be located around the virtual corner. You can get around the virtual corner by going right here: Workers-Comp.USAttorneys. Some of the best worker’s compensation lawyers are on this site and you can secure one of them to help you obtain the compensation you deserve. If you were hurt on the job, you have the right to see some financial relief.

Trying to save money and survive

Npr.com says that Perez revealed that the chief focus of the probe is the practice by thousands of Texas and Oklahoma employers to opt in the favor of benefit plans instead of the conventional state worker’s compensation. This is because the employer has to pay fewer and lower premiums for these plans but workers tend to suffer since it is harder to qualify for the benefits. Moreover, access to the doctors is limited and there are limitations on independent appeals against benefits under such plans, which is what workers’ compensation attorneys are concerned about. But America has a short of doctors because of the ACA and lawsuits, how come no one addresses this Perez?

Businesses are being hammered. There is no wiggle room any more. Some things have to be cut.

Perez said that the chief purpose of the opt-out program is to enable companies to make reduced benefit payments. For people who are hurt on the job these opt-out plans create a ‘pathway of poverty’ according to Perez. Perez, the pathway to poverty has been created by the ACA, the EPA, Dodd/Frank, and high taxes. That is why the Great Recession continues.

Perez, why are there millions of Americans unemployed now? Perhaps you should ask your supervisor about that.

PartnerSource involvement

Perez did not provide details of the firm that is under investigation but in a letter to Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio he has asked the senator to contact a company mentioned in ProPublica and National Public Radio Report which is providing employers of Oklahoma and Texas with opt-out plans. The description given in the letter fitted PartnerSource, a Dallas based company. Later an official of Perez’s agency confirmed to reporters that PartnerSource was the name of the company under investigation. But the real investigation now is the one Hillary Clinton is under and it appears she has committed multiple felonies.

PartnerSource President Bill Minick was approached several times by NPR for a comment but he did not respond. Texas employers have been opting out of state worker’s compensation for a decade and only recently Oklahoma decided to join the fray. Other states should too, this should be a state’s rights issue. Minick had earlier made a statement that his target over the next decade is to export this concept to dozen more states as just hinted at should be the play. It was also revealed that 1.5 million workers belonging to both the states are covered by the opt-out programs.

Controversy over ERISA

Perez asserted that since his agency is a federal body he cannot take steps to force employers to take up state workers compensation as this is a state run program as just insinuated. 

He was contradicted by Minick who said that opt-out plans are governed by ERISA Law which is a federal law known as the Employment Retirement Income Security Act and the labor department regulates ERISA. This is why the investigation focus should be to see if any violation of ERISA has happened or not. How come Perez does not know this?

Many other people want to know why the federal government has not opted in Lois Lerner to prison for her IRS targeting fraud schemes in 2012 or why Barney Frank has not been opted into prison as well for running Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into the ground in 2007.

Critical information 

If you are running from pillar to post with your worker’s compensation claim it would be wise to involve an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer who can take over your case. Often claims gather dust on the insurer’s table because their priorities lie elsewhere and your money is stuck. If you hire a legal professional they will sit up and take notice and fast track your claim process or they will try to and they know what buttons to press and when to press them. So if you hope and wish to get compensated more promptly consult a lawyer today.