State to close Schenectady Workers' Comp facility Thursday, July 10, 2008 By Michael Lamendola (Contact) Gazette Reporter
SCHENECTADY — The state is closing its Workers’ Compensation Board Service Center on State Street in September, part of an effort to save millions by consolidating offices and reducing staff, officials said.
The center at 328 State St. is one of 11 to be closed over the next two years. Its two hearing judges will move to other facilities, said Brian Keegan, spokesman for the state Workers’ Compensation Board.
The Schenectady service center is primarily used to hear appeals to claims the state has denied, Keegan said. The center hears approximately 2 percent of the 300,000 appeals statewide.
Hearings scheduled at the State Street center will be held instead at the nearest hearing site, which would likely be in Albany, Glens Falls or Utica, depending on where the claimant lives. Those sites are not part of the board’s consolidation plan, he said.
“Special care was taken to make sure no claimant will have to travel more than fifty miles to reach a board location,” Keegan said. “It is our hope that any disruption felt by either employees or claimants will be minimal.”
No other center in the Capital Region is scheduled to close; the nearest is in Oswego. The closures will leave 18 service centers.
Keegan said the state hopes to save $6 million over the next 10 years through the consolidation, mostly through reductions in its staffing and in overtime and through better use of technology.
Keegan said the state hopes to save $6 million over the next 10 years through the consolidation, mostly through reductions in its staffing and in overtime and through better use of technology.
that's like saving a penny a day for a year-in America,,,,,,but, that penny a day in Darfur would be like saving $6million over 1year........
our belt still isn't smaller.....
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
The July 11 article, “Workers’ comp office will close,” which represented that closing the Schenectady Workers’ Compensation office would benefit everyone involved — including injured workers and New York state taxpayers — was not based on fact. I have represented injured workers for over 30 years and have attended tens of thousands of hearings. Based on my experience as a participant in the workers’ compensation process, it is clear to me that closing the Schenectady Workers’ Compensation office will be detrimental to many injured workers. Contrary to the article, the Schenectady hearing point hears no appeals. Rather, it holds hearings that impact the injured worker on a daily basis — such as payment of weekly benefits, coverage of medical bills, entitlement to treatment, permanency of injury and many other issues — but no appeals. The Schenectady hearing point holds thousands of hearings per year. All those injured workers will now have to travel to Utica, Oneonta, Queensbury or Albany to attend hearings at which many decisions that affect their lives will be made. Many injured workers have great difficulty making ends meet. With rising gas costs, along with the increased costs of groceries, utilities and all other necessities, they will simply not be able to travel 100 miles or more to attend their hearings. There is no mileage allowance. The insurance carriers will, as required by law, have representation at every hearing, putting the injured worker who is unrepresented and unable to attend at a serious disadvantage. The savings are not significant. The funds for the Workers’ Compensation budget come from assessments against insurance carriers, not taxpayer monies. The savings over a 10-year period will amount to approximately one-fourth of 1 percent. The proposed closings were not the result of public debate among those who participate in the administration of the hearings; they were simply announced as though they were inconsequential. Injured workers in New York have received sub-par benefits for years. Closing the Schenectady office only adds to their exasperation. By unilaterally making the decision to close the, the state Workers’ Compensation Board is placing most, if not all, of the burden of cutting administrative costs on individuals who can least afford it. The system is here to provide relief and benefit to injured workers; the injured workers are not here to relieve burdens for the state Workers’ Compensation Board. They call it “workers’” compensation for a reason. RAYMOND SELIGMAN Schenectady
No one can travel anywhere unless it is that important---if not suck it up and move on.....that is just what I would have to do.....that is just one less worker ya'll would have....suck it up......and it wouldn't even really matter and no one really cares---did I mention no one puts food on my table???? if it means I need to shoot the squirrles in my back yard then--so be it......to bad the government is into anarchy......
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Re the July 20 letter, “Workers’ Comp office closing bad for workers”: Would it be a good idea to provide a response that points to the number of visits to the offi ce in Schenectady? Does closing the local office impact that many cases? JOHN HENDERSON Niskayuna
Logged
