Workers’ Comp Reform Bill Will Reduce the Cost of Insurance for Small
Business
NFIB praised lawmakers for putting limits on physician dispensing
(HARRISBURG) Oct. 16, 2014 – The National Federation of
Independent Business (NFIB) today praised lawmakers for passing legislation to
reduce the spiraling costs of workers’ compensation insurance for small
businesses in Pennsylvania. House Bill 1846, which passed the Senate 48-0
and the House 196-0, puts limits on the practice of physicians dispensing drugs to injured workers from their office at inflated prices and
for extended periods of time. The
measure now heads to Gov. Tom Corbett’s desk.
“Not only do injured workers pay more for drugs
dispensed at a doctor’s office, those patients often take longer to return to
work after injury,” said NFIB Pa. Legislative Director Neal Lesher.
“The goal of the workers’ compensation system is to
cost-effectively treat injured workers and help them return to work as quickly
as possible.”
“This legislation will do both. We are delighted that lawmakers in both the
Senate and the House felt the same and were willing to work in a strong
bipartisan way with NFIB and other organizations to pass this important
reform.”
The bill will allow doctors to continue to prescribe to
injured workers but limits the amount of the price hikes. It also limits the
amount of time a patient could refill that prescription from a doctor’s office
at that higher price.
NFIB thanked Rep. Marguerite Quinn (R-Bucks) for
sponsoring the legislation and House Majority Leader Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny)
for his support of the bill. NFIB praised Senator Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne)
and Senate President Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson) for shepherding the bill
through the Senate.
We thank all our members who wrote to their Senator to ask for passage of this bill to reduce workers’ compensation costs.
