First to be Sacrificed

Two years on, the Workers' Comp dismantling has had some profound effects, as outlined in Workers' Comp Gains Haven't Eased the Pain of Tough Cases.

For businesses and insurance companies, the "reform" has been a great success. Insurance companies have cut medical care and disability payments by 37% over the past two years. They are raking in $0.69 on the dollar from premiums, a significant change from their former claims of paying out more than they were taking in (a number you cannot trust without actually opening their books to public examination). Businesses are raving about their savings and the governor who consistently stands by their side.

Of course, while there is plenty of analysis of the business gains, there is no data yet on how much damage it has done to workers nor any enthusiasm to collect such data. The anecdotal evidence is pointing toward incredible increases in delays and denials of claims. Workers face delays in the order of years on their claims. The article points out a wonderful example of a woman who received shoulder surgery but then only received two weeks of physical therapy – for those unaware, thorough therapy is essential for recovery from these kinds of surgery, and it can easily take months to see real progress and recovery.

Schwarzenegger made it clear up front: "The most important thing for us was putting workers first." In case you misunderstood this statement, he meant that it is important to put workers first in line for sacrifice to profits. More grist for the capitalist mill.