Blog - Lastest News from Work Comp Staffing Solutions
CMS to Use Updated Life Table
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that it would use an updated life table to calculate life expectancy for workers’ compensation set-asides later this month. CMS said it…
Supreme Court Partially Revives Attorney’s Suit Over Controversial Social Media Posts
The Alabama Supreme Court partially revived a workers’ compensation attorney’s suit against another lawyer for sharing some of his controversial social media posts with his firm, which led to a…
Senate Labor Committee Passes UR Duty of Care, Value-Based Payment Study Bills
The California Senate’s labor committee passed bills that would require that utilization review physicians are licensed in the state and have the same duty of care as treating physicians, as well…
Bill to Create Good Faith Duty Heading to Governor
Lawmakers in Washington state passed a bill that would specify that self-insured employers and their private-sector counterparts that employ firefighters owe a duty of good faith and fair dealing with regard…
Supreme Court Faults Board for Failing to Provide Sufficient Basis to Review Penalty
The Oregon Supreme Court ruled that the Workers’ Compensation Board failed to provide a sufficient explanation for its reasoning in a dispute over an award of penalties to allow for…
Partial Summary Judgment on Labor Law Claim Reversed
A New York appellate court overturned a partial grant of summary judgment on a worker’s Labor Law claim for his fall from a plywood platform. Case: Fischer v. VNO 225 W.
Court Upholds Summary Dismissal of Injured Worker’s Retaliatory Discharge Claim
The Tennessee Court of Appeals upheld the summary dismissal of an injured carpenter’s claim that he was fired in retaliation for pursuing workers’ compensation benefits. Case: Burns v. Ford Construction Co.,…
High Court Affirms Finding That Worker’s Hearing Loss Wasn’t Caused by Industrial Noise
The West Virginia Supreme Court unanimously upheld a denial of benefits for a worker’s hearing loss claim. Case: Fragmin v. TC Energy Group LLC, No. 21-0660, 04/05/2023, published. Facts: William Fragmin worked…
Q&A With Joe Paduda on OWCP Audit
The workers’ compensation program that covers federal workers and postal employees lacked a pharmacy benefit manager to help contain costs, resulting in more than $320 million in excess spending for…
Mirek Wieczorek Named SVP, Head of Reinsurance for ICW Group Insurance Cos.
ICW Group Insurance Cos. promoted Mirek Wieczorek to senior vice president, head of reinsurance, where he will be charged with leading the growth strategy for ICW Re. Mirek Wieczorek Wieczorek joined…
Fiscal Committee Passes Skin Cancer Presumption, Debit Card Bills
A California Assembly committee passed bills that would give certain San Diego city workers a presumption that skin cancer is compensable and allow carriers to continue using debit cards to pay indemnity…
Supreme Court Upholds Denial of Benefits, Continuing ‘Disturbing Trend’ Identified by Dissent
The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld the closure of a coal miner’s claim for a crush injury over a dissenting justice’s concern that the court is developing a “disturbing pattern”…