Bad deal for workers

The Spokesman’s editorial endorsement regarding Initiative 1082 was superficial and failed to address the numerous pitfalls associated with this measure.

The initiative will allow for-profit insurance companies to enter our workers’ compensation system. The initiative is sponsored by insurance companies and the Building Industry Association, neither of which are watching out for Washington’s injured workers. Instead, the initiative allows insurers to reap huge profits at the expense of Washington workers.

The initiative has been craftily drafted and allows insurers to wrongfully deny or delay payments on legitimate claims without providing a reasonable and prompt administrative remedy to hold insurers accountable. A worker who is wrongfully denied benefits must take the insurer to court, which is costly, time-consuming and a burden on our already overcrowded courts.

Bottom line, passing I-1082 results in profits for big insurance, decreased benefits for our state’s workers, and increased costs for small employers. For these reasons and more, our state insurance commissioner, Mike Kreidler, and our state auditor, Brian Sonntag, are both on record against I-1082. Although our workers’ comp system is not perfect, it is much better than the insurance company free-for-all represented by I-1082. I will be voting no on 1082.

Dennis J. Beemer

Spokane