Senate Approves 'Agreed Bill' Changing Benefits, Billing Calculations

By Bill Kidd, Central Bureau ChiefThe Wisconsin Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved an "agreed bill" produced by the Workers' Compensation Advisory Council with provisions to increase permanent disability benefits -- with the cost potentially offset by changing a formula to reduce medical bills.Senate Bill 409 by Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, now goes to the House of Representatives, where the agreed bill has been introduced as Assembly Bill 499 by Rep. Joan Ballweg, R-Markesan. The Senate approved the bill 33 to 0.Scott Kelly, chief of staff to Wanggaard, told WorkCompCentral that the ...