New York Workers Compensation Alliance

On February 22, 2012, an arm of Public Employers Risk Management Association (PERMA) released a “report” claiming that workers’ compensation assessments are a “tax” that is dramatically increases employer costs. This “report” was filled with misleading statistics and misinformation. Because sound public policy must be based on facts, not propaganda, the WCA has released a report that sets the record straight.

The key points of the WCA report are:

- Assessments are not a “tax.” In fact, the opposite is true – assessments exist so that New Yorkers are not taxed to run the workers’ compensation system. Instead, employers and insurers who benefit from the system – in many cases receiving cash reimbursement or passing on liability to Special Funds – pay the costs of running the system.

- Assessments are not skyrocketing. Assessments – which are set by CIRB, an agent of the insurance industry, not the Workers’ Compensation Board.

– Assessments have historically fluctuated within a relatively narrow range, and they remain within that range today.

- Almost 80% of assessments go to two Special Funds, which make payments to employers and insurers and take over responsibility for old claims from them. One of those funds has already been eliminated, and eventually the assessment for that fund will drop to zero. The WCA believes that the other fund should also be eliminated – even though PERMA did not call for that action.

- The Special Funds send money back to employers out of the assessments they receive. In many cases, employers receive more money back from the Special Funds than the assessments they pay. PERMA only wants to count the money it pays in assessments, ignoring the money it gets back.  Of course, that only provides half of the picture about its net costs – if there are any.

You can read the full WCA report here.

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Today is a sad day for the many friends and colleagues of John Sciortino among the New York Workers’ Compensation Bar.  John was a consummate workers’ compensation attorney and tireless volunteer leader at the Bar in protecting the rights of injured workers.

In the winter of 2006 John traveled to Albany in a blizzard for the founding meeting of the New York Workers’ Compensation Alliance, to which he was elected co-Chair, along with Troy Rosasco.  John led the WCA for four years during a period of organizational learning and growth, while fighting a successful battle to defeat the introduction of the AMA Guides to Permanent Impairment in New York.

After leading the WCA, John was elected President of the New York Injured Workers’ Bar Association, serving in that capacity until his death.   He also served as the Chair of scholarship committee for the Triangle Factory Shirtwaist Fire Memorial, which provides college scholarships to the children of disabled workers.

John’s selfless dedication to causes beyond his busy law practice included more than professional organizations.  In his personal life, John was deeply involved in his church and chaired the Board of various Rochester health care institutions and charities, He was particularly proud of his recent election to the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Union College in Albany.   

John was also a loving husband to Michelle and a doting father to his teenage daughter, Andrea.   He was immensely proud of both her academic accomplishments and her numerous national equestrian awards.  

In the words of Troy Rosasco, who served as WCA co-Chair with John, “John was larger than life and always pursued both his professional and personal passions to the fullest.  Although he died far too early, his long list of accomplishments could generously fill the lives of three men.  John was a great guy who left an unforgettable positive mark on the many lives he touched, and we will all miss him.”

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