Some changes must be made to compensate for the increasing number of disabled Utah workers collecting benefits.

That is the gist of the message Thursday of Utah Finance Director Gordon Crabtree to the Governor's Task Force on Workers Compensation, a group formed by Gov. Mike Leavitt to determine what changes must be made to keep the various workers compensation funds actuarily sound.The number of workers collecting full disability payments has increased from 381 in 1988 to 886 in 1993 and claims have increased 36 percent between 1988 and 1992. Meanwhile, employer payments haven't been increased, so the premiums charged haven't kept pace with the benefits paid to the disabled.

Crabtree said the cash-accounting system is partly to blame for the situation and suggested that using a more conservative accounting system would give officials a more accurate picture.

The task force also considered a letter from Wayne Welsh, legislative auditor general, about the Employer's Reinsurance Fund.

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Welsh said that if the task force recommends that the state continue to administer the fund, the Legislature will have to decide if it continues on a cash basis or if legislators would be more comfortable if the fund became actuarily sound.

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