Originally Posted by JamesM

OK - You all missed the bigger picture. We know that by taking a bike you pollute less and end up healthier. Being healthy means less medical cost in the long run.

The problem is SUB OPTIMIZATION. Because one insurance policy is paying your health care and another one is paying your workers comp. each will fight to minimize it's costs with out seeing the bigger picture.

IF we had a single payer health plan, run by the government, like most of the other top industrial nations the policy would be different. While there would be more risk of a claim when some one is on a bike, that would be offset by the lowered pollution, lowered traffic density, and lowered costs because you would not need lawyers and insurance sales men involved in the process of fighting over who pays to fix the accident victim.

If we were all covered under on system it would not matter who's policy was covering you from minute to minute.

If we were all covered by a national health care system then logical choices could be made, like accepting that a cyclist may have more risk of accident, but less risk of heart attack. Even if the overall risk was higher, by taking a long term look at the cost and risk, a logical trade off could be made for other tangible and intangible benefits.

Health and safety at work is an issue better handled by an agency like OSHA. Most improvements in work safety have come from the government, like requiring protective guards on machinery, safe handling of dangerous chemicals, protective clothing and reduced hours for people operating dangerous equipment. Almost none of the protections from real risks were mandated by insurance companies.

Most things mandated by insurance comanies are where the cost or liability is shifted from the insurance company and/or the employer, to some other party, like you.

Universal health care with a single payer system would end this stupidity on the spot. And, if it were found that biking between locations was a real risk, and the benefits did not out way the risks, then a national policy would be put in place, and you would all ready know if the company was required to provide transportation.

Originally Posted by JamesM

IF we had a single payer health plan, run by the government, like most of the other top industrial nations the policy would be different.

Originally Posted by markhr

umm no - the only jobs I know of that require a car are either cab drivers or it's clearly stated under the terms and conditions of your contract. Either way they provide expenses for mileage and maintenance in your own vehicle on company time and state, before you start the job, that you must have a car.

They made this change while the OP was in contract so either they renegotiate or come up with a solution to a problem they created.