Policy Institute Questions Link between Weekly Benefits and Costs

By Michael Whiteley, Eastern Bureau ChiefNew York state's position as the fifth most costly workers' compensation system in the nation may be driven more by the state's high assessments and the way it calculates awards for schedule loss-of-use injuries than recent increases in indemnity benefits paid to injured workers, according to a study by a municipal risk pool.Although New York doubled maximum weekly benefits in the past six years, its indemnity payments remain within the mainstream compared to other states even though employer costs have steadily climbed, according to a repor...