Last week the workers' compensation industry was rocked by a double blast of bad news, one in the form of an OSHA report on the failings of our industry, and the other from a combined effort of NPR and Investigative Journalism site ProPublica. The ProPublica article, which took a very dim view of the industry,…
With Physician Dispensing, Less is Now Much Much More
A session on physician dispensing at last week's WCRI Annual Conference shows that, despite legislative gains in the fight against this practice, we still have a long way to go.Research indicates that doctors who are more concerned with their investment portfolio than their patients well being will get very creative in order to keep the…
For Cars, Clocks and Comp, Sometimes Simpler Is More Effective
I was only home from WCRI’s annual conference a little more than a day when I saw a reminder that “simpler” systems often offer more effective solutions than more complex ones that are supposed to make our lives better. It was a lesson that overlays easily on the world of workers’ compensation with it’s all…
WCRI: Nerdvana for the Worker's Comp Geek Elite
Some people are in heaven here in Boston. There are statistics, graphs and extensive analysis, presented by skilled academics with many, many initials behind their names. The WCRI Annual Conference in Boston is the absolute Woodstock for Statisticians, Actuaries, and Cost Containment professionals, except this Woodstock happens every year, has bathrooms, and everyone generally leaves…
ProPublica Workers' Comp Demolition Article Should Prompt Hard Look in the Mirror
I could just as well have titled this article, “WSI, Just Give Dennis Whedbee His Goddamned Hand”. Investigative Journalism website ProPublica, in partnership with NPR, issued a scathing analysis of the workers’ compensation industry this morning, looking at what they term a continued degradation of protections and benefits for injured workers. The North Dakota monopolistic…
When Stupid People Collide
Personal interactions can be a complicated thing, and when the parties conducting the interaction are devoid of any acceptable level of perspicaciousness, the challenge of maintaining clear communication rises exponentially. Said more simply, when two people both suffering from Cranial Rectal Insertion cross paths, the sparks can really fly. After all, that's what happens when…
It's 28 Degrees in Boston. Good Thing the Information Will Keep Us Warm.
Perhaps I’ve been in Florida, a state where freeze warnings are issued if the temperature approaches 45 degrees, too long. Like many here in the Sunshine State, harsh winters, collapsing roofs and ice encrusted roads are but a distant memory. That makes the thought of leaving it in March a bit daunting when the rest…
Dave North to Keynote ABA Mid-Winter Workers' Comp Seminar
The American Bar Association Mid Winter Conference on Workers' Compensation is rapidly approaching, and this year's session, scheduled for March 19 thru 21, 2015 in Naples, Florida, will take an in depth look at the future of workers' comp. I have the distinct pleasure of moderating an opening panel on that topic, and am looking…
Intent Wasn't Only Unconscionable Element for New Jersey Teacher Fraud Case
A former Piscataway, NJ teacher pleaded guilty earlier this month to “theft by deception” for collecting $249,000 in disability retirement benefits from New Jersey while working as a teacher in Virginia. He had claimed in 2003 that he could no longer work because of stress and back pain. His application for disability was approved in…
Full Speed Ahead: Woman Sues Herself for Negligence After Causing Death of Husband
Seems incomprehensible, but it is apparently true. The Utah Court of Appeals has granted a woman the ability to sue herself for negligence in the case of a deadly accident that killed her husband in 2011. She will be allowed to “proceed with a wrongful-death lawsuit against herself for alleged negligence” after a car accident…