TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida may overhaul the system responsible for covering injured employees.
The Florida House on Wednesday voted 82-37 for a bill that makes several changes to the state’s workers’ compensation system.
Last year insurance premiums paid by the state’s business owners to cover injured employees went up 14.5 percent. The rate hike came in the wake of court decisions including one that struck down a law that limited payments to injured workers.
The bill (HB 7085) would change how long workers are eligible for disability payments and would also change how attorneys who represent injured workers are paid.
A group that represents insurers estimates the bill could reduce rates up to 5 percent.
Several Democrats criticized the bill and said it helps insurers and business owners more than injured workers.
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