I’ve always been a ‘non-advocate’ of tight fee schedules and broad based discounted networks. Actually it’s a little more than that – I believe mandated across-the-board low fees are counterproductive, ill-conceived, harmful, and may actually increase costs while decreasing access to good providers.
Other than that. they’re fine.
The final presentation at WCRI’s 2007 conference was an analysis of the pre- and post-reform changes after Florida changed its fee schedule on 1/1/2004 (raising it significantly for physicians and decreasing it for facilities).

Continue reading What happens when a fee schedule goes up?

Back pain is a huge issue in workers comp – not only due to cost, but also because the range of treatment options is seemingly as broad as the number of claimants.

Continue reading Back pain – what the data mean

I’m attending the annual WCRI meeting in Boston today and tomorrow, and will be blogging from the meeting. For those not up on all things workers comp, the workers comp research institute is, along with NCCI and the CWCI, among the leading research and education organizations dealing with workers comp.
Perhaps the most important topic at WCRI this year is the evaluation of recent reform initiatives in California and Texas.
Here are the highlights from Texas – numbers are not included as the results are preliminary.

Continue reading WCRI conference report – how’s Texas doing?

Coventry was wasted no time. Just a month after the company signed an (essentially) exclusive deal to market Aetna’s workers comp network, a deal that eliminated its last major competitor, it is seeking price increases from many customers.

Continue reading Coventry’s work comp strategy

With workers comp rates dropping everywhere, many employers are ignoring safety, risk management, and loss prevention.
That’s not smart. One of the smartest people in the industry is warning that now is not the time to lose focus – Frank Pennachio’s piece is a wake-up call for employers lulled into complacency by the persistent soft market.

Continue reading Complacency’s cost

Coventry appears to be wasting no time in flexing its market-share muscles. Sources indicate they have begun efforts to restructure deals with their network resellers – the bill review and managed care companies that have traditionally marketed Coventry’s networks to their customers.

Continue reading Coventry’s next move in workers comp