CHSWC and the community have expressed concerns regarding the current and future solvency of the California insurance industry.  CHSWC recommends that efforts be expended to stabilize the workers’ compensation insurance market as soon as possible, identify the impact of the insurance industry’s current financial crisis on the employers and employees, and determine the consequences of loss of competitiveness.

The report contains a synopsis of testimony at CHSWC’s February 2002 public hearing on the state of the workers’ compensation insurance industry, including comments from Michael Nolan of the California Workers’ Compensation Institute (CWCI); Mark Webb of the American Insurance Association, Larry Mulryan of the California Insurance Guarantee Association (CIGA); David Bellusci of the Workers’ Compensation California Rating Bureau (WCIRB); Norris Clark and Larry White of the California Department of Insurance (CDI), James Neary and Pat Quintana of the State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF), Gilbert Stein and Rick Wooley of the California Applicants’ Attorneys Association (CAAA) and Richard P. Gannon, Glenn Shor and Mark Johnson of the California Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC).

CHSWC, created by the workers’ compensation reform legislation of 1993, is charged with overseeing the health and safety and workers’ compensation systems in California and recommending administrative or legislative modifications to improve their operation.   The Commission was established to conduct a continuing examination of the workers’ compensation system and of the state’s activities to prevent industrial injuries and occupational diseases and to examine those programs in other states.

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For any questions regarding this bulletin, please contact:
Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation (CHSWC)
455 Golden Gate Avenue, 10th Floor, San Francisco,  CA  94102
Email:  chswc@dir.ca.gov     Phone:  (415) 703-4220    Fax:  (415) 703-4234     Contact Person:  Christine Baker