Tag: National City

• Studies link higher cost of prescription drugs to doctor dispensing
  Two studies released Wednesday by the Cambridge, Mass.-based Workers Compensation Research Institute document the high cost of physician-dispensed prescriptions.
• Lifetime income benefits case can’t be reopened: Texas high court
  Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. and the Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation cannot reopen a case in which an injured employee awarded lifetime income benefits, Texas’ Supreme Court has ruled.
• Workers comp death benefit lump-sum payout based on family total: Court
  A lump-sum payment of workers compensation death benefits awarded to a construction worker’s widow should be based on the total weekly comp benefits paid to the woman and her dependants, and not just the portion allocated to the worker’s wife, the…
• NFL to pay $765M to retired players alleging concussion-related injuries
  The National Football League said Thursday that it will pay a $765 million settlement to more than 4,500 retired players who say they’ve suffered concussion-related brain injuries connected with their careers.
• Duration of temporary total disability comp benefits declines: NCCI
  The average duration of workers compensation temporary total disability benefits has decreased in step with the declining national unemployment rate.

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Press Updates – Workers Compensation Southern California
Workers Compensation Press Updates – Workers Compensation Southern California
Workers Compensation Press Updates – Workers Compensation Southern California

• Police officer’s widow to receive workers comp death benefits
  The widow of a New Mexico police officer who died while saving a child from drowning should receive workers compensation death benefits, the New Mexico Court of Appeals said this month, overturning a decision that said the woman’s filing was too…
• Calif. workers comp medical payments up 60% between 2005, 2011
  Average medical payments for California workers compensation claims increased sharply between 2005 and 2011, although medical cost containment has shifted some medical payment expenditures, the California Workers’ Compensation Institute said Monday.
• Fla. weighs tightening rules on prescription drug monitoring data
  The Florida Department of Health is weighing whether to tighten controls on the release of information through its prescription drug monitoring program after data for more than 3,000 Floridians reportedly was provided to third parties without the…
• Safety National ordered to pay defense costs in ‘groundless’ lawsuit
  Excess insurer Safety National Casualty Corp. must pay an employer’s defense and settlement costs even though an underlying negligence lawsuit against the policyholder was “groundless,” a federal appeals court has ruled.
• Early mental health interventions can reduce long-term workers comp costs
  ATLANTA — Early intervention for employees suffering from mental health issues can reduce worker disability durations and costs by preventing illnesses from advancing to more serious conditions, experts say.
• Congress considers national standard for safe lifting and moving of patients
  Federal legislation introduced this summer seeks to reduce worker musculoskeletal injuries by creating a national standard for the safe lifting and moving of patients in health care facilities.
• Business Insurance conference explores ways to optimize workers comp management
  Unnecessary medical expenditures and how they affect workers compensation were a key focus of Business Insurance’s fourth annual Worker’s Compensation Virtual Conference.
• High rate of health care worker injuries worries employers and insurers
  Health care facilities are increasingly drawing attention for their unique exposures, which drive more worker injuries than occur in either manufacturing or construction operations.
• OSHA proposes regulations for airborne silica dust
  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Friday that it is proposing to create a rule for preventing silicosis by lowering workplace exposure to crystalline silica particles.

Workers Compensation Press Updates – Workers Compensation Southern California
Workers Compensation Southern California
Workers Compensation Press Updates – Workers Compensation Southern California

• PPACA’s effect on disability durations discussed at DMEC meeting
  ATLANTA — Could the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act drive higher employee disability durations and costs by delaying access to doctors? That was the topic of a presentation at the Disability Management Employer Coalition’s 18th annual…
• OFF BEAT: Who needs a fraud investigator when you’ve got Facebook?
  The apparently irresistible urge to share personal information on Facebook has once again gotten a worker into trouble.
• Workers comp benefit costs rise on improving economy: Report
  Workers compensation benefit costs rose 3.5% nationwide in 2011 compared with 2010 as the economy improved, according to a report released Tuesday by the National Academy of Social Insurance.
• Business Insurance Workers Compensation Virtual Conference
  There is still time to register for Business Insurance’s 4th Annual Workers Compensation Virtual Conference.
• Removing stigma of mental health treatment could boost worker productivity
  ATLANTA — Employers could boost worker productivity and reduce absenteeism by helping remove the stigma associated with seeking treatment for mental health issues.
• OFF BEAT: San Francisco official famous for mocking workers comp files for it
  A former San Francisco city official famously skeptical of workers compensation lawyer is now asking for the city cover a claim contending that he was injured by stress on the job.
• UC Davis cop fired over pepper spray expected to get comp benefits
  The University of California, Davis expects to provide workers compensation benefits for a former police officer who drew national attention for pepper-spraying seated demonstrators, a university spokeswoman confirmed Friday.
• Florida to evaluate 1% workers comp rate increase
  Florida employers would see a 1% workers compensation rate increase beginning Jan. 1 under a new rate filing from the National Council on Compensation Insurance Inc.
• Home Depot loses bid to move workers comp suit to federal court
  A worker prevailed over Home Depot U.S.A. Inc.’s attempt to move her lawsuit from state court to federal court in a ruling regarding employers opting out of Texas’ workers comp system.

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Workers Compensation Press Updates – Workers Compensation Southern California
Workers Compensation Press Updates – Workers Compensation Southern California

• SOLUTION ARC: Managing the pharmaceutical portion of workers compensation programs
  Business Insurance’s latest Solution Arc explores pharmaceutical cost drivers, strategies for mitigating drug usage and costs, and things that cut pharmacy expenses.
• OFF BEAT: Broken toe leads to medical complaints, fraud conviction
  A San Diego woman who was caught carrying heavy boxes around while claiming that she was wheelchair-bound reportedly was sentenced to a year in jail and ordered to pay restitution this month for workers compensation fraud and other charges.
• COMMENTARY: Fishermen need a better workers compensation system
  While sitting back comfortably in my La-Z-Boy recliner watching recorded episodes of “Deadliest Catch,” I often wondered whether there’s not a bit of hyperbole in this reality TV show’s portrayal of the perils of crab fishing.
• Workers comp virtual conference focuses on how to reduce injury exposures
  Experts will advise employers how to reduce their workplace injury exposures by improving their workers compensation programs during an upcoming free virtual conference presented by Business Insurance.
• Meadowbrook downgrade prompts excess workers comp clients to assess options
  Companies that buy monoline excess workers compensation policies are considering alternatives, after one of the few national underwriters of the coverage was dealt a recent financial warning.
• Government loses appeal seeking Medicare payment
  The U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled against the federal government after Medicare sought reimbursement from a massive class- action litigation settlement based on the Medicare Secondary Payer Act.
• Excess workers compensation insurance is tough for buyers, insurers
  Excess workers comp insurance is a challenging line to underwrite because it guarantees the payment of catastrophic worker claims that can remain open for decades.
• States take steps to restrict dispensing of drugs by physicians
  States are taking steps to rein in the repackaging of drugs by doctors who are dispensing them to injured workers at higher costs than pharmacies charge.
• Humana seeks reimbursement from Farmers under Medicare Secondary Payer rules
  A series of federal lawsuits filed by Humana Inc. against Farmers Insurance Group of Cos.

Workers Compensation Press Updates – Workers Compensation Southern California
Workers Compensation Press Updates – Workers Compensation Southern California
Workers Compensation Press Updates – Workers Compensation Southern California

• 3.4% pure premium workers comp rate proposed for California
  California’s Workers Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau on Wednesday proposed a 3.4% increase in advisory pure premium workers compensation rates for 2014.
• Pain medication monitoring firm Ameritox acquires Prium
  Ameritox Ltd., a Baltimore-based pain medication monitoring company, has acquired Prium, a leading provider of medical cost management services serving the worker’s compensation market.
• Employers concerned about aging workforce: Study
  Employers are concerned about health and wellness issues connected with an aging workforce, but most haven’t implemented strategies to manage safety and leave for an older population.
• Meadowbrook to issue policies under State National after rating downgrade
  Meadowbrook Insurance Group Inc. said it will replace some of its insurance policies with paper provided by State National Insurance Co. after A.M. Best Co. downgraded Meadowbrook’s rating to B++ (stable) on Friday.
• OFF BEAT: Man injured while drunk not entitled to workers comp benefits
  An Oregon longshoreman who drunkenly took a six-foot tumble while urinating from one of his employer’s docks cannot receive workers compensation benefits for his fall, a federal court has ruled.
• Ill. employer lacking workers comp cover convicted of felony
  Illinois said it has won its first felony conviction of an employer for failing to obtain workers compensation insurance as mandated by state law.
• Minn. employers must pay comp benefits to surviving same-sex spouses
  While gay couples rushed to wed in Minnesota, the state’s Department of Labor and Industry said Thursday that employers are now responsible for paying workers compensation benefits to legally married, surviving same-sex spouses.
• Insurers file lawsuit over N.Y. workers comp law amendment
  An amendment to New York’s workers compensation law generated by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 2013-2014 budget plan will cost insurers and self-insured employers up to $1.6 billion in unfunded liability, a lawsuit claims.
• Iowa workers comp head sues governor for discrimination, partisanship
  Iowa’s workers compensation commissioner is suing Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and other defendants alleging they reduced his salary because he is gay and because of political partisanship.

Workers Compensation Press Updates – Workers Compensation Southern California
Chula Vista Archives  Workers Compensation Southern California
Workers Compensation Press Updates – Workers Compensation Southern California

• One Call Care Management buys language services provider 3iCorp.com
  One Call Care Management L.L.C., a provider of specialized cost containment services to the workers compensation lawyer, has completed its acquisition of San Diego-based 3iCorp.com, a language services company.
• Ore. workers comp self-insurance trust must increase security deposit
  Oregon’s largest workers compensation self-insurance trust, with about 200 employer members, must increase its security deposit by Aug. 7 or face decertification, potentially leaving its members liable for existing claims.
• School risk manager who blew whistle on funds use can amend lawsuit
  A Texas school district risk manager who alleged that he was terminated for complaining about his employer’s plan to raid its self-insured workers compensation and health insurance funds to build a football stadium press box can pursue his case on a…
• Ohio employers battle court-set workers compensation rates
  Imagine a trial court lacking actuarial sophistication supplanting an underwriter’s expertise in setting workers compensation insurance rates.
• COMMENTARY: Growth of pain medication abuse requires diverse solutions
  Much more needs to be done about pain medication misuse and addiction.
• Deaths of temporary workers prompt OSHA to ramp up safety procedure campaign
  With employers hiring more temporary workers, safety needs to be improved to prevent injuries and deaths among contract employees, experts say.
• Humana sues Farmers over Medicare secondary payer practices
  Humana Inc. has filed four federal lawsuits against Farmers Insurance Group of Cos. arguing that it is entitled to reimbursement from Farmers for benefits that Humana paid for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plans.
• Cop seeks workers comp benefits over video gone viral
  A former cop for the University of California, Davis is seeking workers compensation benefits for a psychiatric injury after a video that showed him dousing seated, unarmed student protesters with pepper spray went viral.

Workers Compensation Press Updates – Workers Compensation Southern California
Chula Vista  Workers Compensation Southern California Archives
Workers Compensation Press Updates – Workers Compensation Southern California

• Suit over pornographic emails not barred by workers comp exclusive remedy
  Workers compensation’s exclusive remedy does not bar a legal secretary’s claim stemming from sexually explicit emails sent by an attorney at the law firm that employed her, a California appeals court ruled.
• City worker can sue employer in co-worker rape case: Ohio Supreme Court
  A city worker can sue her employer for intentional tort after a co-worker with a criminal record raped her while working a night shift, a divided Ohio Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.
• N.J. governor vetoes workers comp bill for public safety employees
  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has vetoed legislation that would have guaranteed workers compensation benefits for public safety workers by presuming that several illnesses were linked to their jobs.

• Man acquitted of workers comp fraud cannot sue insurer for bad faith
  A construction worker who was found not guilty of workers compensation fraud cannot sue his employer’s workers comp insurer for bad faith based on his acquittal, the Montana Supreme Court has ruled.
• Killing of woman in employer's parking lot not compensable: Court
  The death of a woman, who was shot and killed by her estranged husband in an HSBC Card Services Inc. parking, lot did not “arise out of” her employment, South Dakota’s Supreme Court has ruled unanimously.
• Number of black lung cases rising again
  Early-stage pneumoconiosis, commonly called black lung disease, can be asymptomatic, but advanced cases often lead to disability and premature death, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
• Court rulings on black lung favor miners
  Two appeals court rulings that upheld eased eligibility for federal black lung benefits for coal miners and their surviving families are likely to increase the number of claims paid by employers.
• Employers cut workers compensation costs by getting data from insurers
  LAS VEGAS — Employers can help keep their workers compensation claim costs down by partnering with their insurers to receive data and services that aid in safety and claim management, an Aon Risk Solutions executive said.
• Fla. law that limits doctor dispensing cuts comp opioid usage: WCRI
  A law that restricts Florida physicians from dispensing opioid prescriptions from their offices reduced narcotic use in workers compensation cases, but increased prescribing of other painkillers, according to the Workers Compensation Research Institute.
• Zurich settles workers comp arbitration dispute with California
  Zurich American Insurance Co. will stop requiring California workers compensation policyholders to arbitrate disputes in Illinois as part of a settlement reached with the California Department of Insurance.

• NFL, former players ordered to mediation in concussion lawsuit
  (Reuters) — The National Football League and thousands of former football players who have sued the league for allegedly hiding the dangers of brain injury while profiting from the sport’s violence have been ordered to try to resolve the case in…
• Settlements reached in NFL workers comp claims in California
  A settlement has been reached in three cases involving former National Football League players who sought to file workers compensation claims in California, according to court filings posted online Monday.
• NCCI names new chief actuary
  The National Council on Compensation Insurance Inc. has appointed Katherine Antonello as its chief actuary to succeed Dennis Mealy, who is retiring.
• OFF BEAT: Sandy leaves moldy mess for lottery workers
  Some New Jersey Lottery employees reportedly are seeking workers compensation benefits after they say they were sickened by lottery tickets that turned moldy after Superstorm Sandy.

• Wrong review standard applied in workers comp ruling: Utah high court
  A Utah appellate court incorrectly applied an “abuse of discretion” standard of review in a workers compensation case, even through it rightly denied benefits to the claimant in that decision, the Utah Supreme Court has ruled.
• Missouri governor nixes bill creating workers comp claimant database
  Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed legislation Tuesday that would have created an online database that employers could scour to learn whether a prospective job applicant has ever filed a workers compensation claim.
• Miner's surviving spouse eligible for black lung benefits under PPACA
  A deceased miner’s spouse is not required to establish cause of death to receive benefits for black lung disease under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a U.S. appeals court ruled Thursday.
• Workers comp insurers selectively choose accounts during midyear renewals
  Insurers are being pickier than they have been in recent years in selecting accounts they’ll underwrite for workers compensation coverage, while risky accounts are seeing midyear pricing increases of up to 10%, experts say.
• COMMENTARY: Positive mindset can help injured workers rebound
  If we could transfer Aron Ralston’s outlook to everyone recovering from a workplace injury, we could eliminate several billion dollars from the nation’s workers compensation bill.
• Workers comp road map, communication can cut claims costs
  CHICAGO — Human resource managers need to communicate their expectations for workers compensation procedures before employees get hurt to reduce comp claims costs.
• Coal miner due black-lung benefits under health care reform law change
  A coal miner is entitled to black lung benefits under a provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled.
• Insurer data can help with workers comp claims management: ASSE speaker
  LAS VEGAS — Employers can help keep their workers compensation claim costs down by partnering with their insurers to receive data and services that aid in safety and claim management, an Aon Risk Services executive said.