Workers Comp & Safety News – December 24/January 25
Long COVID’s Lasting Impact: Rising Costs and Workforce Challenges for U.S. Businesses
Long COVID continues to pose significant challenges for U.S. businesses, particularly through its impact on employee health and productivity. Read on for details.
Migraine Drugs Emerging as a Workers’ Compensation Cost Driver in California
Migraine medications made up less than 1% of all prescriptions for injured California workers in 2023 but accounted for 4.7% of drug payments, a steep increase from 0.6% in 2018, according to a California Workers’ Compensation Institute (CWCI) study.Read on for details.
Despite DEI Backlash Nearly 60% of US Workers Support Current DEI Policies
A landmark Supreme Court decision. A polarized electorate. ESG in the crosshairs. These factors and others are putting Corporate America’s diversity efforts on defense like never before. Read on for details.
What Do Executives Think of DEI?
The political and legal landscape for corporate diversity efforts is increasingly contested. Read on for details.
Workers Comp & Safety News – October/November 2024
Pros and Cons: Fee Caps on Workers’ Compensation Cases
In August 2024, New Jersey raised the attorney fee cap for workers’ compensation cases from 20% to 25%, aiming to encourage more attorneys to represent injured workers. Read on for details.
Presumption Laws Make Strong Showing Among New Comp Laws Passed
According to a report by the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), only twelve percent of proposed workers’ compensation bills gained passage this year. Read on for details.
What’s the Difference Between a Stipulation and a Compromise & Release?
There are essentially two types of workers’ compensation settlements: a Stipulated Finding and Award or “Stipulation,” and a Compromise & Release. Read on for details.
Work Comp Fraud Losses Surge Since 2020
As of 2024, workers’ compensation fraud costs U.S. employers and insurers significantly more than previous estimates. Read on for details.
Workers Comp & Safety News – August/September 2024
Today’s Major Workplace Challenges: Weather, Safety, and Mental Health
According to the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), the three biggest challenges for today’s worker are weather, safety and mental health.Read on for details.
Identifying and Addressing Fraudulent Workers’ Comp Claims
States are cracking down on workers’ compensation fraud. For instance, California’s Workers’ Compensation Fraud Task Force recently uncovered a $30 million scheme involving fraudulent claims. Read on for details.
Cost Containment Strategies in Workers’ Compensation
With medical benefits representing the largest cost component for many state workers’ compensation systems, a new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) provides a comprehensive understanding of cost containment strategies used across all 50 states and three federal workers’ compensation programs as of January 1, 2024. Read on for details.
Strategies for Improving workplace ergonomics
Ten Strategies: Adjust workstation, promote poperty posture, use ergonomic equipment, implement regular breaks optimize lighting, provide ergonomic training, encourage movement and excercise, use ergonomic accessories, adjust job tasks and monitor and evaluate. Read on for details.
Workers Comp & Safety News – June/July 2024
How Targeted Wellness Programs
Can Reduce Workers Comp Claims
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), workers’ compensation costs U.S. employers nearly $1 billion per week, including indirect expenses like lost productivity, human resources support, replacement employee training, and reputational damage.
Read on for details.
Workers Comp Ratemaking Bureau Reveals How Rates Have Improved
Over the last several years, there have been notable decreases in workers compensation premium levels in the 36 states where NCCI (National Council on Compensation Insurance) provides ratemaking services.
Read on for details.
Survey Reveals Leading Causes of Distracted Driving
The Travelers Companies, Inc. has announced the results of its 2023 Travelers Risk Index on distracted driving, highlighting the dangerous behaviors that occur on U.S. roadways.
Read on for details.
What’s Driving Workers to Distraction?
32% of business leaders are concerned about their employees using technology while driving for work purposes, up from 26% last year.
31% of employees admit to getting into a crash or collision while driving for work because they’re distracted, up from 26% last year.
Read on for details.
Workers Comp & Safety News – April/May 2024
Stricter New Rules Limit Independent Contractor Hiring
A new independent contractor rule from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) could spark an increase in misclassification lawsuits and make businesses less likely to hire gig workers, experts say.Read on for details.
New Solutions for Employee Mental Health
More than one in five U.S. adults suffer from mental illness each year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.Read on for details.
How Does the Independent Medical Exam Process Work?
The work of independent medical examiners can directly affect what you pay for a claim. Their findings may help determine whether an injury or illness is indeed work-related, or the extent of a permanent disability. Here are some pointers for working with independent medical examiners.Read on for details.
What Is an Independent Medical Examiner?
An independent medical examiner (IME) examines and documents a claimant’s medical condition. Although IMEs evaluate personal injury and disability cases, we’ll limit discussion in this article to workers’ compensation IMEs. Read on for details.
Workers Comp & Safety News – February/March 2024
Workers Put Priority on Psychological Health
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), its “2023 Work in America Survey” confirms that workers place an extremely high value on their psychological well-being at work. Read on for details.
AI Delivers 10 to 15 Percent Work Comp Cost Savings
AI’s impact on workers compensation is becoming increasingly important. A report by Deloite suggests that the predictive analytics in workers’ comp alone can deliver a 10 to 15 percent reduction in claim costs. Several software companies and a state rating bureaus have been taking advantage of AI to develop products in the areas of safety, claims processing, fraud detection and claims administration. Read on for details.
Workplace Shootings Not Always Compensable
While gunshot wounds or deaths are not common workplace injuries, they have become more frequent in the past few years. According to an article in TIME, among companies with employer-sponsored health insurance, the rate of total firearm injuries in employees and dependents increased more than fourfold from 2007 to 2020—from 2.6 to 11.7 per 100,000 insurance enrollees. Read on for details.
The Benefits of Structured Settlements
Once a worker suffers an occupational injury while working for you, he or she becomes your responsibility for life. If the injury recurs or flares up, the employer remains responsible for providing the necessary medical treatment. This holds true even years after a relatively minor accident. Read on for details.