The Opioid Crisis: What is The Government Doing About It? Part 5 - Improving the Quality of Research on Pain and Addiction

• 02/18/19
• Jean S. Goldstein

This blog series is devoted to better understanding the efforts our Federal government is undertaking to combat the opioid epidemic in America. Last year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ...
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Can a Medicare Advantage Plan Assert a Greater Right of Recovery for Conditional Payments than Traditional Medicare? Optum Seems to Think So

• 02/14/19
• Heather Schwartz Sanderson

The Non-Group Health Plan (NGHP) industry is not only experiencing increased recovery demands from Medicare Advantage Plans (MAPs) as of recently, but are also experiencing MAPs attempting to assert a ...
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How can they Both Increase?

• 02/13/19
• Judge David Langham

A headline in the summer of 2018 caught my eye. Fox News reported Exercise and obesity both on the rise in America. As one who has struggled with weight for decades, and for whom exercise is a ...
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Is there a Benefit?

• 02/11/19
• Judge David Langham

The January 2019 issue of the National Association of Workers' Compensation Judiciary's Lex and Verum includes an intriguing article regarding attorney fees: How Many Slices are in a Twelve ...
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No One can do it for Me

• 02/08/19
• Judge David Langham

In recent years, I have seen the Alliance of Women in Workers' Compensation programs at various conferences. Their programs include the motivational, but also substantive topics of interest to ...
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CMS Targets Medical Providers, 'Other Interested Stakeholders' in Upcoming Part D Opioid Overutilization Policies Call

• 02/07/19
• Jean s. Goldstein

Next week, CMS will be holding a telephone call to discuss and answer questions regarding CMS’ new opioid policies for Medicare drug plans.  CMS finalized new policies for the Part D ...
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New Insights Into Modified Duty's Benefits

• 02/06/19
• Peter Rousmaniere

Do modified duties work to reduce workers’ compensation costs? Aside from anecdotal evidence, we haven’t had firm evidence. But a study reported late last year, based on in depth interviews with ...
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Judicial Discipline and Being Aware

• 02/05/19
• Judge David Langham

On January 29, 2019 the Florida Supreme Court issued a decision in In re Judge Maria Ortiz, Case No.: SC18-674. This case involved gifts or gratuities to a Florida county court judge. There were also ...
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I'm Tired, You Tired?

• 02/03/19
• Judge David Langham

Last fall WorkersCompensation.com reported on the release of a National Safety Council report on fatigue in the workplace. The bottom line is that we are tired. Not a few of us, but almost 70% of ...
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