From Bob's Cluttered Desk

I hate being wrong, even though I have had ample experience in that arena. It’s just that, while I am not always right, I am generally never in doubt, and it turns out that is a bad combination when your self-confidence betrays your actual accuracy and ability. I just hate it when that happens. Yesterday I…

Note from Bob: Whoops! When I am wrong others will be the first to admit it. Apparently the New York legislature recognized the sheer stupidity of the new law discussed below, and passed legislation earlier this year to reverse it. I will have more on this in a day or so. Thanks to Adam Fowler…

There are times I just don’t know what we would do without the news media. Think about it. If they didn’t exist, we would likely never know about the dire state of the world in which we live. But, of course, in addition to feeding the narrative of constant peril and crisis, they occasionally serve…

The same technologies that will improve our ability to communicate with others may also eliminate our ability to actually relate with those same people.

At the Annual Issues Conference of the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute last week, Dr. Mark Holmes from the Sheps Center for Health Services Research at UNC delivered a sobering keynote on the growing threats to healthcare access in rural America. His presentation outlined how rural communities face systemic disadvantages in healthcare availability, accessibility, and financial…

At the recent Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) Annual Conference in Phoenix, Alex Swedlow of the California Workers’ Compensation Institute (CWCI) presented key findings on the current state of California’s workers’ compensation system. His presentation highlighted significant improvements in efficiency and cost control while acknowledging persistent challenges in the nation’s largest workers’ compensation market. Claim…

At the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) Annual Conference in Phoenix yesterday, researchers presented findings on how changes in the medical workforce are impacting workers’ compensation systems across the United States. The presentation highlighted significant shifts in who provides care to injured workers and what these changes mean for claim outcomes. The panel began by…

Thursday, at the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) Annual Conference being held in Phoenix, AZ, Keynote speaker Lanhee Chen, Ph.D., from Stanford University offered a comprehensive analysis of the US healthcare system’s trajectory. His presentation, “The US Healthcare System in 2025, Where We’ve Been, Where We Are, and What’s to Come ” provided insights into…

The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) has announced a compelling lineup of speakers and panels for its 2025 Issues & Research Conference, scheduled for March 6-7 in Phoenix, Arizona. The conference will feature prominent healthcare policy experts addressing critical challenges facing the workers’ compensation industry. Many of us look forward to this annual event, as…

This is a post that once again must come with a warning. It is not that I wish or desire to offend people. Instead, it seems that we must occasionally discuss topics that offend people. So please don’t blame me. Blame the topic. You’ve been warned. If you are easily offended, please stop reading. Now.…