While the topic today really doesn’t involve welfare payments specifically, it does involve what are described as disability payments, as well as the need to verify the recipient is still alive to receive them. And of course, this story originates in Florida. A Florida woman was charged earlier this month for concealing her dead mother’s body…
Who Balances the City of Baltimore’s Workers’ Comp Checkbook?
It was reported last month that the workers’ compensation system managed by the city of Baltimore was the victim of fraud that lasted more than a year. Between November 2020 and January 2022 over 300 unauthorized transactions drained a total of $317,241.71 from the city’s Compensation Claims Corporate Checking Account. According to Baltimore Inspector General Isabel Mercedes…
Could a “Council of States” for Standardization Actually Work?
Last week, I attended the 74th Annual Convention of the Southern Association of Workers’ Compensation Administrators (SAWCA). As I have done for the past 8 years or so, I moderated the event’s closing session, called “Things That Make Bob Go, Hmmm.” It is a panel where I am allowed to select the guests and discuss, well, anything…
Banning Assault Hot Dogs
I’ve never been one to shy away from tough and controversial topics of the day. This post is no exception. We once again find ourselves needing to confront dangers in society, and no matter how unpopular, address the elephant in the room. Especially when that elephant can needlessly injure people; in this case the first…
The Danger of I Don’t Know
It is safe to say that we do not know that which we do not know. However, intelligent people tend to recognize there are things they do not know, they just have not yet had the opportunity to learn what they have yet to know at some point. Or something like that. Ok, it was…
A Fond Farewell, But No Goodbye
Today, Tuesday, June 28, 2022, is my last official day as CEO of WorkersCompensation.com. After almost 23 years I am leaving the company I helped found, and am saying farewell to a team of associates for whom I have tremendous love and respect. It is a time of mixed emotions, as I have thoroughly enjoyed…
For Return to Work, Tennessee Offers Ample REWARD
With record low unemployment, the “great resignation,” and staffing shortages almost everywhere, the timing of the Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation’s rollout of a new Return to Work program could not be better. Called “Return Employees to Work and Reduce Disabilities (REWARD), it is a comprehensive effort that involves training and support for employers looking…
Longer Life Means Having a Leg to Stand On
Another cutting-edge health study has been published, and unlike so many we have generally lampooned here in the past, this one may have some merit when it comes to determining the condition of one’s health. Researchers publishing their findings in the British Journal of Sports Medicine report that middle-aged people who can’t stand on one leg for…
Displaying Disapproval of the “Dis” Mentality
At the California Coalition of Workers’ Compensation Conference in Anaheim a couple of weeks back, one of the presenters made a comment that resonated with me. The topic was related to innovative claims management practices and had shifted to discussions of return to work and the role of physicians. One of the panelists made an…
The Art of the Tumble
Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye, as can other mistakes in the workplace. A recent minor mishap reminded me that when an error or accident occurs, the best thing you can do is accept the reality and roll with it as best you can. Sometimes, literally. It is a maneuver based on…