Five Things You Need to Know: 7/24, Monday Edition

• 07/24/17
• Dara Barney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) - 1) CA: NFL Mistreatment Claims Dismissed by Federal Judge  "A federal judge in California dismissed the remaining claims in a wide-reaching lawsuit filed by former football players ...

Five Things to Catch Up On: 7/23, Weekend Edition

• 07/23/17
• Dara Barney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) - 1) NY: Workers' Comp Premiums to Drop 4.5% (FRIDAY)  "The New York Department of Financial Services has approved the 4.5% workers' (sic) compensation premium rate decrease ...

DC: Professor Sues for Workers' Comp

• 07/21/17
• Liz Carey

Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – A former American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) professor has filed a claim with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) for workers’ compensation after being injured in an attack at the ...

Five Things You Need to Know: 7/21, Friday Edition

• 07/21/17
• Dara Barney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) -  1) NY: Workers' Comp Premiums to Drop 4.5%   "The New York Department of Financial Services has approved the 4.5% workers' (sic) compensation premium rate decrease recommended ...

Businesses Concerned Over IL Budget

• 07/20/17
• Liz Carey

Carthage, IL (WorkersCompensation.com) – Some Illinois business owners and employees want Gov. Bruce Rauner to know the state’s budget, tax system and workers’ compensation rates put them at a disadvantage to businesses in neighboring ...

Updates in Funding of Future Medical in Workers’ Compensation: Arizona Now Allows for Full and Final Settlements; Opana ER Removed from Market

• 07/24/17
• Heather Schwartz Sanderson

There are two recent updates which may impact workers’ compensation payers looking to finalize and foreclose future ...

Three Essential Elements of Any Return to Work Program

• 07/24/17
• J. Bradley Young

One of the more frustrating aspects of defending or managing a workers’ compensation program is getting injured workers back to work. Usually, we are faced with either (A) an injured worker who wants to stay at home and ...

The Workforce Age Impact

• 07/21/17
• John D'Alusio

Recently, an article was published in Claims Journal that indicated workers’ comp loss development is impacted by the “changing workforce.” Basically, the gist of the piece was that, “Experienced workers being replaced by less ...

Conferring Jurisdiction

• 07/20/17
• David Langham

"Jurisdiction" essentially means authority. In legal parlance, it may refer to a person, that is that a person is subject to the authority of a particular tribunal or court. It may be geographical, that is that a court has authority over some place. Or, it ...

Rousmaniere: The Stale State of Reform

• 07/19/17
• Peter Rousmaniere

Trying to lower workers’ compensation costs was a once compelling song that is worn-out. It is a story of employers burdened by “out of control” costs and legislators passing laws to fix this problem.  Employer costs ...

A Cultural Change: Viewing Opioid Addiction as a Brain Disease

• 07/24/17
• WorkersCompensation.com

Oklahoma City, OK (WorkersCompensation.com) - The nation’s modern-day Black Death is opioid addiction, said Dr. Jason Beaman. “Like the plague in the 14th century and the HIV/AIDS crisis in ...

NJ Aluminum Manufacturing Company's History of Safety Violations Continues; Inspection Yields $1.9M in Penalties

• 07/24/17
• WorkersCompensation.com

Delair, NJ (WorkersCompensation.com) - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has again cited a Camden ...

Free Kit Helps Employers Stop the Leading Cause of Workplace Death

• 07/21/17
• WorkersCompensation.com

Itasca, IL (WorkersCompensation.com) - The National Safety Council released a first-of-its-kind Safe Driving Kit to help employers eliminate the #1 cause of workplace deaths – car crashes. The ...

LA Gov Announces Appointment to Workers' Compensation Advisory Council

• 07/21/17
• WorkersCompensation.com

Baton Rouge, LA (WorkersCompensation.com) - Michael D. Morris, of Baton Rouge, was reappointed to the Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council. Morris is an attorney and the Chief ...

FL Commissioner Welcomes New Chief of Staff to the Office of Insurance Regulation

• 07/21/17
• WorkersCompensation.com

Tallahassee, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) - Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Yaworsky as the new Chief of Staff for the ...

Rousmaniere and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

• 07/24/17
• BWilson

Peter Rousmaniere made an excellent point last week with his column, The Stale State of Reform. In it he discussed our industry’s almost myopic focus on cost whenever legislative reform is discussed. He rightly pointed out that, not ...

Nevada's Pandemic Pot Panic

• 07/20/17
• Robert Wilson

Never has the statement “Follow the money” been truer. Last week, the state of Nevada, which began allowing the sale of recreational marijuana on July 1, 2017, declared a “State of Emergency” because – wait for it – ...

The Billboard Advisory: Work Injuries Hurt Entire Families

• 07/18/17
• Robert Wilson

There are two billboards along Interstate 476, just south of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Both reside high on a hilltop, and are positioned on opposite sides of the highway with strong visibility for oncoming traffic. Based on a ...

Can We Create a Reliable Medical Records Pipeline?

• 07/12/17
• Robert Wilson

It was just a passing comment during a pretty creative presentation; but it really stood out for me. The Southern Association of Workers’ Compensation Administrators (SAWCA) is currently producing it’s 69th Annual ...

Your Participation Needed: Claims Operational Study, Final Week

• 07/10/17
• Robert Wilson

Many of you have probably seen invitations for the 2017 Work Comp Benchmarking Survey. It’s now the final week and, if you’ve not yet participated, I encourage you to do so. Past studies, published by Rising ...

Finally, a Re-Review Process for Work Comp Medicare Set Asides, But Still No Formal Appeals Rights for Claimants and Employer/Carriers

• 07/21/17
• Rafael Gonzalez

Introduction The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has put together a mechanism to receive and evaluate future medical and future ...

Innovation in Work Comp - Part 2

• 07/21/17
• Joe Paduda

Yes, there is some “innovation” in workers’ comp – but none that’s “disruptive.” Not yet. And it’s because too many of us are like the hitter pictured here.  After yesterday’s post, I received a ...

Innovation in Workers' Comp Doesn't Exist

• 07/20/17
• Joe Paduda

REAL innovation in workers’ comp is rare indeed — which is completely understandable, and unfortunate indeed.  As the rest of the world embraces automation, artificial intelligence, and disruptive technology, we ...

Let Posture Be Your Guide

• 07/20/17
• Maureen Graves Anderson

I took up a new sport, speed skating.  This is the short-track version where you wear long-bladed skates to speed around a hockey rink.  Think Apollo Ono and the Winter Olympics.  I am not an elite athlete nor do I like dangerous ...

The Reality of the Biggest Myth Regarding Your Third Party Administrator

• 07/20/17
• ReduceYourWorkersComp.com

MYTH: The best way to reduce workers’ compensation costs is to change insurance companies or TPAs. REALITY: Wrong! The best way to reduce workers compensation costs is to build a better relationship ...

Rousmaniere and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

• 07/24/17
• BWilson

Peter Rousmaniere made an excellent point last week with his column, The Stale State of Reform. In it he discussed our industry’s almost myopic focus on cost whenever legislative reform is discussed. He rightly pointed out ...

Five Things You Need to Know: 7/24, Monday Edition

• 07/24/17
• Dara Barney

Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) - 1) CA: NFL Mistreatment Claims Dismissed by Federal Judge  "A federal judge in California dismissed the remaining claims in a wide-reaching lawsuit filed by former football ...

Three Essential Elements of Any Return to Work Program

• 07/24/17
• J. Bradley Young

One of the more frustrating aspects of defending or managing a workers’ compensation program is getting injured workers back to work. Usually, we are faced with either (A) an injured worker who wants to stay at ...

A Cultural Change: Viewing Opioid Addiction as a Brain Disease

• 07/24/17
• WorkersCompensation.com

Oklahoma City, OK (WorkersCompensation.com) - The nation’s modern-day Black Death is opioid addiction, said Dr. Jason Beaman. “Like the plague in the 14th century and the HIV/AIDS crisis in ...

DC: Professor Sues for Workers' Comp

• 07/21/17
• Liz Carey

Washington, DC (WorkersCompensation.com) – A former American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) professor has filed a claim with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) for workers’ compensation after being injured in an attack at ...

Judge David Langham

David Langham is the Deputy Chief Judge of Compensation Claims for the Florida Office of Judges of Compensation Claims at the Division of Administrative Hearings. He has been involved in workers’ compensation for over 25 years as an attorney, an ...

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Terry Bogyo

Terry is an active researcher, speaker and commentator on workers compensation issues. Now retired, he was the Director of Corporate Planning and Development for WorkSafeBC. His responsibilities included environmental scanning, strategic planning ...

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Liz Carey

Liz Carey has worked as a writer, reporter and editor for nearly 25 years. First, as an investigative reporter for Gannett and later as the Vice President of a local Chamber of Commerce, Carey has covered everything from local government to the ...

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Dara Barney

Dara Barney comes to WorkersCompensation.com as the Senior Editor of Premium Media. Her previous journalism experience in Idaho and California, along with her former role as Public Information Specialist at the Idaho Industrial Commission, all play ...

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John D'Alusio

John D’Alusio has over 30 years experience in P/C insurance with executive management positions in administration, field operations, and claim technical areas. Mr. D’Alusio has had many articles published in industry periodicals, and is also a ...

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Peter Rousmaniere

Peter Rousmaniere is widely known throughout the workers’ compensation industry, both for his writing and consulting experience. Based in the picture perfect New England town of Woodstock, VT, he is a regular on the conference circuit, and is deeply ...

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Bob Wilson

Bob Wilson is the CEO of WorkersCompensation.com, and author of the award winning blog, "From Bob's Cluttered Desk". Bob is an accomplished presenter for the workers' comp industry, and we are lucky to have him. We don't ...

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John Gerboth

John Gerboth worked for many years as a workers' compensation attorney in Ohio. Since relocating to Connecticut, he has taken to "blawging" about various legal topics. He's also a husband, a father and a huge fan of the New ...

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Heather Schwartz Sanderson

Heather Schwartz Sanderson, Esq., MSCC, CHPE, CLMP, CMSP Heather is Chief Legal Officer for Franco Signor LLC, the nation's compliance authority for Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) matters. She has lectured on MSP compliance to the workers’ ...

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