Even though my friend, Alabama Attorney Mike Fish, beat me to the punch with this morning's missive on our Blogwire, I simply had to weigh in. After all, I had a great deal to say about this when it happened last year, and regular readers would surely expect me to follow up with my special…
Disproving Workers Comp Fraud by Dying
Fraud is something that is discussed a great deal in our industry. Indeed, it is a matter of great concern, and at times is not pursued as aggressively as we might wish. Still, we occasionally come across a story that should serve as a lesson to us all; that allegations of fraud are simply that,…
Oh Boise, Was I Wrong About Entitlement Numbers
Last week I gave a presentation at the Idaho Industrial Commission Annual Workers' Compensation Seminar called “Breaking the Cycle of Entitlement: How Do We Get Better?” In that presentation I discussed the rapidly expanding growth of SSDI, and how workers' comp can reduce the number of people we feed into that particular system. I also,…
When the TA Texts Her T&A
Technology, for all of its advantages, still can present unique challenges in the workplace. Take teaching for instance. There are already so many things to keep track of for an instructor at a university. There are schedules to plan, lectures to give and tests to grade. And when it comes to texting answers for homework…
In Medicine, Does Boise Have It Goin' On?
I was a presenter at the Idaho Industrial Commission’s Annual Workers’ Compensation Seminar in Boise Thursday. While I was very happy to have the opportunity to fly here from Florida and blather on for an hour, just attending the keynote presentation itself would have been worth the trip. The Keynote presenter was Dr. David Pate,…
Falling in Love with TSA
I didn’t think it was possible. But it could be happening. I have had some small enjoyment through the years poking fun at TSA over some of their airport security procedures. And although I have noted recently that they seemed to be getting noticeably friendlier, the basic hernia checking procedure has remained largely the same.…
Verizon and Healthcare.gov – Can You Enroll Me Now?
For those of us who have been critical of the Affordable Care Act and concerned that the government would botch an already flawed concept, the past three weeks have definitely been ones to behold. You would have to have been living under a rock to not know about the massive failure of the new program's…
Getting Burned by a Recent Cremation
This is a tale of true love. A story about a man and a woman; a man who loved his fiancé deeply, and a woman, taken too soon by cancer, who loved her job. She wanted her cremated remains scattered where she had spent many an enjoyable hour at the place where she worked. He…
Remembering Paul: A Victorious Disability Blast from the Past
To a great degree, the person we are right now is a current result of the accumulative experiences of our lifetime. Certainly genetics plays a role in “who we are”, but our upbringing and interactions to this point in time have had major impact in both our continuing development and core values of today. Part…
The Ethnic Factor in Workers' Comp
Yesterday David North, president and CEO of Sedgwick, provided the keynote address at the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network (NWCDN) Fall Seminar in Hartford. North covered a broad range of challenges facing our industry today. It was encouraging to hear him speak of the need to focus on fast, effective medical treatment, and the importance…