Mississippi Seeks 'Relaxed' Settlement Policy

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has written the White House asking for one year's regulatory relief on workers' compensation settlements. In a letter sent last month to President George W. Bush, Barbour asked that the Centers for Medicaid Services (CMS) consider a "relaxed policy" on the approval of work comp settlements because of the massive disruption caused by Hurricane Katrina. "The state of Mississippi would asked, specifically, that CMS be ... directed to adopt a 'non-enforcement' policy on workers' compensation settlements for permanent residents of Mississippi. It is imperative tha...