Insight, analysis & opinion from Joe Paduda
Welcome to the war, everyone. Okay, so work comp is not the most progressive industry. We are – often justifiably – seen as slow-moving, overly conservative, reluctant to adopt change and averse to innovation. Except when it comes to opioids, … Continue reading Workers’ comp is leading the way on opioids
Read More...Each year I publicly prognosticate about the year to come – and, being one committed to personal responsibility, I report back 12 months later. Here’s how prescient I was this time around. 1. Aetna will NOT be able to sell … Continue reading 2015 Work Comp predictions – how’d I do?
Read More...ProPublica and NPR have a new investigative report out on Opt-Out, the nascent industry seeking to allow employers to “opt-out” of workers comp. Perhaps more accurately, PP/NPR focused on one individual in the Opt-Out industry, concentrating their attention on Bill Minick, his … Continue reading ProPublica’s Opt-Out reporting
Read More...CompPharma, a consortium of workers’ comp pharmacy benefit managers, released the 12th Annual Survey of Prescription Drug Management in Workers’ Comp yesterday. The Survey is an in-depth look at the issue based on telephonic interviews with 21 TPAs, insurers, state … Continue reading Workers’ comp pharmacy costs – Survey says…
Read More...Way back in January I posted my 10 predictions for work comp in 2015. Usually I do a mid-year review how things are going; it was such a busy summer I haven’t had time till now. So, here we go… … Continue reading Predictions for work comp; how am I doing?
Read More...Yesterday’s post about testing work comp patients for opioids struck several nerves; perhaps the most sensitive involves frustration on the part of payers unhappy about paying for tests prescribed by docs who don’t read the results. That and the outrageous prices … Continue reading Drug testing explained – part 2
Read More...The capstone to an excellent NCCI AIS was provided by WCRI Exec Dir Dr. Rick Victor and his counterpart at CWCI, Alex Swedlow. Rick led off with my LEAST favorite topic – physician dispensing of drugs to work comp claimants. … Continue reading Controlling work comp medical – Swedlow and Victor weigh in
Read More...After several attempts to get the ProPublica and NPR reporters working the work comp beat to see both sides of a very complex “system”, better understand the drivers and dynamics, and correct their errors publicly, I’m giving up. Clearly, they don’t want to hear … Continue reading ProPublica’s slanted “reporting” is a public disservice
Read More...Dr Rebecca Yang discussed the correlation of fee schedules and associated physician billing activity. Key takeaways There’s somewhat of a correlation between low office visit reimbursement rates and higher incidence of physician dispensing. evidence from CA indicates that when th … Continue reading Lower fee schedules, increase costs?
Read More...With WCRI’s annual confab coming up Thursday am, meetings in Boston tomorrow, and lots going on already this week, here’s a quick summary of goings on from all over the health care world. Kudos to Liberty Mutual’s (and fellow Syracuse … Continue reading Pre-WCRI catch up…
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