State Accident Insurance Fund

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The State Accident Insurance Fund Corporation (SAIF) is a not-for-profit, state-chartered workers’ compensation insurance company in the U.S. state of Oregon. It provides workers' compensation insurance for Oregon employers.

SAIF was created in 1914 by the Oregon Legislative Assembly as a state agency, and in 1980 became America's first public corporation specializing in workers' compensation insurance.

SAIF's practices have been the subject of some scrutiny and controversy in recent years.

SAIF does not pay state income tax, which gives it the ability to price its policies more aggressively than it otherwise might, and take large profits as well. Private competitor Liberty Northwest, a subsidiary of Liberty Mutual, is the state's second-largest provider of workers' compensation insurance; it has been openly critical of the laws regulating SAIF for some time.^[1]

In 2004, voters rejected a ballot measure that would have abolished SAIF. The measure was defeated with 61% of the vote, but public debate over its management continued.^[2]

In 2005, state senator Vicki Walker publicly questioned whether SAIF's cost savings was coming at the expense of denying legitimate claims.^[3] SAIF was also investigated for failing to provide documents to the nonprofit Oregonians for Sound Economic Policy, specifically regarding a contract with former Governor Neil Goldschmidt.^[4] The Senate considered, but did not pass, a bill that would have forced SAIF to disclose more of its records, in 2005.^[5] SAIF was found to have been "sloppy," but not criminal, at the investigation's conclusion in 2006.^[6] SAIF issued a report on its status to Governor Ted Kulongoski in early 2005.^[7]