126th MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 443		LR 1475(02)
	An Act To Amend the Maine Workers' Compensation Act of 1992 To Provide Benefits to Seriously Injured Workers
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
	Committee: Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
Undetermined current biennium cost increase - All funds
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	The provisions of this legislation, including the elimination of certain eligibility requirements for long-term partial incapacity benefits for injuries sustained on or after January 1, 2013 and the creation of a rebuttable presumption that an injured worker with partial incapacity is eligible for 100% partial incapacity benefits if the injured worker has performed a work search that meets the requirements established by the Department of Labor to qualify for unemployment benefits, will increase workers' compensation costs for insured employers in the State. The impact can not be determined at this time.  However, unofficial estimates provided by the National Council on Conpensation Insurance, Inc. (NCCI) indicate the potential increase in premiums for insured employers to be between $10 million and $41 million.
	The cost to the State's self-insured program for State employees will depend on actual experience. Unofficial estimates based on information provided by NCCI indicate the cost to all self-insured employers in Maine could range between $6.4 million and $27.2 million.