Industry still waits as 24-hour problems are pounded out. (proposed enactment of the 24-hour insurance coverage) (Risk Management)

It's been touted as The Next Big Thing in workers' compesation, but 10 years after it was first conceptualized, 24-hour insurance - a single policy that provides uniform coverage for comp and health benefits - is not a reality. Industry players report that regulations, policy structure and turf issues must all be untangled and negotiated before a single product is viable.

The Alliance of American Insurers, Washington, DC, reports that Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts and Minnesota have passed legislation that enables development and use of integrated coverage, while Alaska, California and Oregon have formed investigative committees.

Florida is closer than other states to enacting 24-hour coverage, says John Lewis, an attorney and consultant in Coconut …