Bill Would Create Uninsured Employer Fund

A Colorado lawmaker is proposing to create a fund to pay medical and indemnity benefits owed to injured workers whose employers were illegally operating without workers’ compensation coverage. House Bill 1119, by Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp, D-Jefferson, would create an uninsured employer fund financed by penalties assessed to employers operating without comp coverage. Under terms of the bill, the new fund would cover claims for injuries occurring on or after Jan. 1, 2019, in which an uninsured employer has failed to pay the full amount of benefits due to the injured worker. A fiv...