Share:
Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2017 - 2018
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 25, 2017 10:57 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator John R. Gordner |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Proposed Legislation Reforming the Workers’ Compensation Uninsured Employers Guarantee Fund |
| In the near future, I will reintroduce legislation which addresses ongoing funding deficiencies in the Workers’ Compensation Uninsured Employers Guarantee Fund (UEGF). In 2006, the General Assembly created UEGF within the Workers' Compensation Law to address injuries to workers whose employers failed to carry required Workers' Compensation insurance. UEGF was initially funded through a transfer from the Workers' Compensation Administrative Fund. It is also funded through annual assessments on insurers and fines and restitution from the employers who have failed to provide coverage. I am proposing some reasonable reforms in order to provide for the continued solvency of the fund. The legislation will require an injured worker to file a claim within 180 days of the currently required notice to the fund. The worker must also provide proof of wages before filing a claim of lost wages under the law. Such proof may include pay stubs, tax returns, bank statements or written documentation of employment. Finally, the legislation will provide for medical treatment of injured workers through a list of designated health care providers, consistent with the current provisions of the Workers' Compensation Law. The legislation will not limit medical treatment or pharmaceutical usage. This legislation was introduced as Senate Bill 876 in the 2015-2016 Legislative Session. Thank you for your consideration and please contact my office if you have any questions regarding this proposed legislation. |
Introduced as SB676