Monday, October 9, 2017

Opt-Out Strategies - A New Approach


Dallas, TX, resident William “Bill” Minick is an attorney with experience in alternative workers’ compensation programs. Currently, Bill Minick is the Chairman of PartnerSource, where he advocates for the implementation of workers’ compensation options. 

An article on WorkersCompensation.com recently mentioned Bill Minick as a disruptor of the traditional workers’ compensation industry. Published on August 10, 2017, the article discusses the increased chance of success for opt-out systems. This shift is due in part to the promise of a more efficient and streamlined process, support from various public policy groups and a growing body of evidence that workers' comp options are achieving superior medical outcomes and paying better wage replacement to injured workers.

In response to legal challenges in Oklahoma, advocates for opt-out alternatives point to unique aspects of both the Oklahoma Supreme Court and its decisions, and point out that the "Texas Option" model does not rely on the legal protections utilized in traditional, exclusive remedy provisions. Exclusive remedy is a component of workers’ compensation systems that prohibits injured workers from suing an employer for work-related injuries. Under this provision, the workers’ compensation benefit is the only remedy the injured employee can receive. Opt-out advocates support an alternative system with no exclusive remedy, in which employers agree to accept full liability for injured employees.

For the full article, visit www.workerscompensation.com/news_read.php?id=27014.