Quote of the day
"Make sure your QME is doing adequate assessments for symptom validity, and engage [the patient] quickly and frequently. The more they are engaged, the less they themselves will engage in feigned behaviors."
- Dr. David Freeman, psychologist
Rights Groups Argue Apportionment Ethics
AARP and ACLU have taken aim at apportionment, calling some of the factors taken into consideration discriminatory. What elements of apportionment are the groups questioning, and what’s to do if the court of appeals agrees with their argument? Find out by clicking here, if you’re a premium subscriber. Workers’ Comp Executive
Go to the Full Story…
State Fund Losing Associations to Soft Market
Can California’s State Compensation Insurance Fund maintain its decades-old relationships in the face of scandals, investigations and falling prices? Apparently not. Premium subscribers can read candid comments from former clients by clicking here. Workers’ Comp Executive
Go to the Full Story…
Test for Malingerers, Embellishers
Dealing with an injured worker claiming psychological damage? A battery of tests is available to determine the validity of the claimant’s alleged symptoms, but how often are these exams put to use? Whose responsibility is it to ask for them? Find out by clicking here, if you’re a premium subscriber. Workers’ Comp Executive
Go to the Full Story…
Back to Work By Publius
With the 2007 legislative session in California come and gone, our Publius discusses the prospects for workers’ comp legislation in the coming year. Workers’ Comp Executive
Go to the Full Story…
Post-Reform Cost Savings Are Eye-Opening
A new study released by the California’s Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau shows that cost-saving numbers, post-reform, are not as expected. Premium subscribers can find out which way the numbers are trending by clicking here. Workers’ Comp Executive
Go to the Full Story…
Legislative Session Roundup: What’s Hot, What’s Vetoed
Many changes to the California workers’ comp system were attempted. Find out here what passed, what the governor signed and why, and which ones he vetoed. Premium subscribers can click here to learn the answers. Workers’ Comp Executive
Go to the Full Story…
New York Senate Approves Increased Benefits for Sept. 11 EMTs
The New York State Senate passes legislation that would increase workers’ compensation for private hospital workers, emergency medical technicians or paramedics who were dispatched to Ground Zero immediately following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The bill increases the salary replacement for disabled first responders to 75 percent of their salary at the time of disability and increases workers’ comp survivors’ benefits to reflect that change. North Country Gazette
Go to the Full Story…
Florida Commissioner Faults NCCI’s Methodology
Additional cuts beyond what the National Council on Compensation Insurance has recommended would save Sunshine State employers more than $700 million annually, according to Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty, who took issue with the methodology NCCI used to calculate profit and trend factors, including frequency of claims, changes in wages and losses. By Kathy Bushouse, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Go to the Full Story…
Australia: NSW to Cut Workers’ Comp Rates
WorkCover plans to cut premiums for New South Wales employers by about 5 percent in response to the state’s lowest work-related injury rates in two decades and the workers’ compensation scheme’s surplus of more than $717 million USD. ABC News (Australia)
Go to the Full Story…