Five Things You Need to Know: 5/8, Tuesday Edition

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) -

1) U.S. House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Workforce Protections: WCRI and Joe Paduda Invited to Testify on the Opioid Epidemic

Washington, DC: Scheduled to take place today at 10 a.m. in the Rayburn House Office Building, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Workforce Protections will host a hearing entitled, “The Opioid Epidemic: Implications for the Federal Employees' Compensation Act.” Live streaming of the hearing will be available here, and WorkersCompensation.com’s Liz Carey will report post-event. WCRI EVP and Counsel Ramona Tanabe will testify, summarizing findings from “‘…Interstate Variations in Use of Opioids, 4th Edition,’ specifically how opioid utilization varies across states and how it changes over time,” writes Communications Director Andrew Kenneally in an emailed press release. CompPharma President Joe Paduda will also testify. “…He will highlight successful state initiatives and suggest ways to improve FECA's (Federal Employees' Compensation Act’s) program. These include opioid agreements, urine drug management programs for patients taking opioids, peer-to-peer education for prescribers, and non-pharmacological pain management strategies,” according to a Current News press release.

2) ND: United Airlines Employee Surprises Passengers with Alleged ‘Intoxicated’ Behavior on Flight

A possibly “drunk” or “stoned” flight attendant allegedly gave passengers more than what they bargained for on a recent flight from Denver, CO to Williston, ND, according to ABC 7 and passenger Erika Gorman, writes Drew Schwartz of VICE. Gorman had to alert the pilot of the unruly stewardess, who was “berating” passengers, and narrating the safety announcement in a “colorful” way. "…If your seatbelt isn't tight, you (f-d) up,” she apparently told passengers, per Gorman. Police were waiting for the flight attendant when the plane landed, but she wasn’t arrested at the time. “…Trans States Airlines, the carrier operating Thursday's flight, told KPRC she's being ‘held out of service’ while it investigates exactly what went down. Meanwhile, United apologized for what it called a ‘concerning incident,’ and went ahead and reimbursed everyone onboard,” according to the article.

3) Johnny Depp Accused of Trying to Punch a Co-Worker in the Ribs

During an alleged all-day drinking and smoking binge, actor Johnny Depp went after a location manager on the set of “LAbyrinth” recently, writes Ian Mohr of Page Six. Depp apparently told the location manager to punch him, and in return he would pay him $100,000. While filming a scene for a plot line involving the LAPD detective who led the investigation of rapper Biggie Smalls’ murder, the permit ran out on a closed-off street. But, Depp insisted they keep rolling.  Things escalated from there. “…A rep for Depp had no comment. (Director Brad) Furman insisted the alleged incident was overblown,” according to the article.

4) RISE to Host MSP Conditional Payment Forum in June 

This 2nd annual event will take place June 19-20 at the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel in Arlington, VA, according to a RISE media release. Topics will include, “Mandatory Insurer Reporting Operations and Compliance,” and “Dissecting Recovery Rights and Protecting Yourself from Potential Double Damages Suits.” A pre-conference workshop will also be available, covering “Optimizing Mandatory Reporting.” Speakers will include Suzanne Jordan, SCHIP Compliance Manager at Broadspire, and Rafael Gonzalez, President and Chief Legal Counsel at Flagship Services Group. Click here for more information, or to register.

5) A Reminder About the WorkersCompensation.com News Center: Two New Features

WorkersCompensation.com recently introduced two new options for readers, the first: National Workers' Comp Event Calendar. “…This would provide others tasked with scheduling events a single, one stop resource to make sure nothing conflicts with the dates they would like to use. And of course, it could persuade them to use alternate dates if important activities already occupy that spot,” President and CEO Bob Wilson wrote in a recent Cluttered Desk blog post. In a few weeks, private accounts can be enabled so organizers can add/edit events, while we can reach out to readers to spread the word. A contact form will also be created for organizations who'd like to post their events as well for free. ALSO: On the News Center home page, there is an option on the upper right hand side of the page to “Submit a News Tip,” for readers interested in contacting us with leads. 

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