Godfrey Defends His Decisions, Cites Medical Costs as Cost Driver

By John P. Kamin, ReporterIowa Workers' Compensation Commissioner Chris Godfrey said in an interview Tuesday that Republican criticism about his rulings fail to acknowledge that he was applying longstanding case law to cases with unique facts and ignore research stating that medical costs are the real reason for an upswing in workers' compensation rates during the past five years.During the month of October, backers of Republican Gov. Terry Branstad have blamed Godfrey's workers' compensation rulings for an overall 17.3% increase in workers' compensation rates from 2010 thr...