Letter: Time will tell about claims of workers' comp fund

The advertisements claim Employers Insurance Co. (formerly the State Industrial Insurance System) is the only company that has the experience, expertise and knowledge to serve businesses in Nevada. The ads further state that only Employers Insurance Co. of Nevada has a proven record of reducing costs, an easy claim to make because it is a monopoly.

To date, 77 insurance companies have applied for licenses to provide workers' compensation coverage in Nevada. Many of these companies are household names with financial strength far exceeding that of Employers Insurance Co. of Nevada.

They have a wealth of experience in the workers' compensation field and have been providing protection to workers in the 45 nonmonopolistic states longer than Employers and its predecessors combined. These insurers have sophisticated claim and underwriting systems.

Independent agents are uniquely familiar with the operations of our customer providing property, liability, medical and many other insurance products. We place workers' compensation for those who operate in other states through insurance companies representing hundreds of thousands of employers and workers.

On July 1, 1999, we will see if our state-owned Employers Insurance Co. of Nevada's advertising claims will entice Nevada employers, or if the past performance of SIIS will be the determining factor in who protects Nevada's workers.

Mark McKinley

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