Workers Comp Data Shows Illinois Has Valuable Body Parts

We've talked a number of times on the show with lawmakers and others about the problems with and enormous costs of worker's compensation insurance in Illinois. Even with reforms put in place a few years ago, the state ranks at or near the top of the country.

ProPublica recently released a study that examined how much a limb is worth in states across the U.S. Depending where you live, benefits for the same body part can differ dramatically and the findings could explain some of the problems in Illinois. The state ranks at or near the top payouts for any number of categories.

For example, the Sun-Times tells us Illinois has the most valuable testicles in the country:

If you’re a man and suffer a severe injury that results in the loss of a testicle, the next best thing to working for the federal government is living in Illinois, where you’ll get a payout of $73,537 — the highest of any state and far above the national average of $27,678.

The figures come from a report published by ProPublica, which also includes data for federal employees (a lost testicle will net a federal employee $98,108).

Taking a deeper look at the numbers, we find Illinois has the 2nd most valuable arms and legs, the 3rd most valuable ring fingers, feet, big toes, and eyes, and the 4th most valuable hands and pinkie fingers.

Meanwhile, Governor Bruce Rauner is again talking about “much-needed [workers comp] reforms that address the shortcomings of the workers compensation law that was passed in 2011.”