Since partial deregulation of insurance rates in 1995, the California workers' compensation insurance market has been very volatile. For reasons that go beyond price deregulation, there have been dramatic swings in insurers' underwriting profits and the share of coverage written by private insurance carriers, and a substantial number of insurers, including some of the largest market participants, have failed. The price that California employers have paid for workers' compensation insurance has been volatile since 1995 as well, continuing the considerable variation that occurred in earlier years. This book identifies and examines factors that contributed to the market volatility and the large number of insolvencies following price deregulation. It also examines the regulatory system that oversees the workers' compensation market and how the California Department of Insurance responded to the market turmoil that followed the move to open rating. It makes recommendations that aim to reduce market volatility and the frequency of insolvencies while realizing the benefits of a competitive market.

This volume includes the following conference papers: "The Status and Direction of Workers' Compensation" (James R. Chelius); "The Minnesota Experience with Workers' Compensation Reform" (Steve Keefe); "The 1982 Changes in California" (Alan Tebb); "Two Rounds of Workers' Compensation Reform in Michigan" (H. Allan Hunt); "The Politics of Workers' Compensation Reform" (John H. Lewis); "Discussion of Papers on Recent State Reforms" (Michael Staten); "Interstate Variations in the Employers' Costs of Workers' Compensation with Particular Reference to Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York" (John F. Furton, Jr., and Alan B. Krueger); "Workers' Compensation Insurance Rates" (C. Arthur Williams, Jr.); "The Administration of Workers' Compensation" (Monroe Berkowitz); "Nominal Costs, Nominal Prices, and Nominal Profits" (John D. Worrall); "Federal Occupational Disease Legislation" (Donald Elisburg); "Issues in Asbestos Disease Compensation" (Donald L. Spatz); "Problems in Occupational Disease Compensation" (Leslie I. Boden); "On Efforts to Reform Workers' Compensation for Occupational Diseases" (Peter S. Barth); and "Accident Compensation as a Factor Influencing Managerial Perceptions and Behavior in New Zealand" (Barbara McIntosh). (MN)

Every year workers' low-back, hand, and arm problems lead to time away from jobs and reduce the nation's economic productivity. The connection of these problems to workplace activities-from carrying boxes to lifting patients to pounding computer keyboards-is the subject of major disagreements among workers, employers, advocacy groups, and researchers. Musculoskeletal Disorders and the Workplace examines the scientific basis for connecting musculoskeletal disorders with the workplace, considering people, job tasks, and work environments. A multidisciplinary panel draws conclusions about the likelihood of causal links and the effectiveness of various intervention strategies. The panel also offers recommendations for what actions can be considered on the basis of current information and for closing information gaps. This book presents the latest information on the prevalence, incidence, and costs of musculoskeletal disorders and identifies factors that influence injury reporting. It reviews the broad scope of evidence: epidemiological studies of physical and psychosocial variables, basic biology, biomechanics, and physical and behavioral responses to stress. Given the magnitude of the problem-approximately 1 million people miss some work each year-and the current trends in workplace practices, this volume will be a must for advocates for workplace health, policy makers, employers, employees, medical professionals, engineers, lawyers, and labor officials.