8.1%
After reviewing statewide data for insurance claims paid by employers for injured workers in 2009, the Missouri Department of Insurance is recommending an overall 8.1 percent decrease in workers’ compensation loss costs for 2010. The department’s recommended decrease is more substantial than the decrease of 1.9 percent proposed by the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI). The department came to its conclusion after reviewing loss cost data filed by the NCCI, as well as the underlying claim and payroll data. John M. Huff, director of the Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration (DIFP), says the workers’ comp insurance market is increasingly competitive in Missouri, with 25 new insurers entering the market since 2008; 256 companies are actively writing workers’ comp policies in Missouri. The frequency of on-the-job injuries in Missouri is down 60 percent over the past 15 years.
$10,000
Possible insurance department fines against insurance agents who violate North Dakota laws governing their conduct are increasing from a maximum of $1,000 to $10,000 per incident. Insurance Commissioner Adam Hamm said the change was motivated by some high-profile cases that resulted in huge losses for consumers. In one case, Fargo insurance agent Larry Atkins pleaded guilty to fraud in connection with a Ponzi scheme that cost clients more than $3 million. Atkins was sentenced last February to eight years in prison. Under the previous law, the insurance department could fine Atkins only $1,000, Hamm said. AP
18
A 55-year-old St. Paul, Minn., man was jailed Dec. 24 after his 18th arrest on drunken driving charges. The Minnesota State Patrol said the man’s blood alcohol concentration was about 0.16 percent, double the legal limit of 0.08 percent. His car was seized and he was taken to the Washington County Jail where he was denied bail, according to officials. The driver has 17 previous DWI convictions, the last being nine years ago. AP
Topics Workers' Compensation Missouri
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