Insight, analysis & opinion from Joe Paduda
David Deitz, MD PhD was last up at CWCI, his task to bring it all together by asking an apparently simple and straightforward question: What can California learn from Washington? Or put another way, “Can California’s workers comp system be … Continue reading Can California’s comp system be fixed?
Read More...One of the best places to visit on business is the SF Bay Area – great people, great wine, great food, a fun vibe, and, of course, the site of one of my favorite meetings – CWCI’s annual meeting. The … Continue reading A quick take on the state of California work comp
Read More...To date, 94 percent of medical treatment requests are approved after initial/internal UR and elevated physician-based UR. At most, 4.7 percent of all medical treatment requests are denied. At most. Those are the headlines from CWCI’s just released analysis of … Continue reading How is California’s IMR process working out?
Read More...The FBI caught two California politicians allegedly accepting bribes to stop legislation that would have drastically cut reimbursement for spine surgeries. Here’s the money quote: “We’ve been keeping him [a spine surgery hospital CEO] in business now for the last four years, … Continue reading Outrageous spine surgery costs in California – now we know why
Read More...The pace of change – mergers, consolidations, physician/hospital affiliation, new construction and shifting of services – in California’s health care system is fast and accelerating. Several area-specific reports just out from the California Healthcare Foundation provide a great overview of … Continue reading Rapid change in California’s health system
Read More...This was the tenth year NCCI Chief Actuary Dennis Mealy gave the State of the Line presentation (I’ll post the link when it’s available). Claim frequency – on an adjusted basis – was down slightly (a single point). This continues … Continue reading NCCI – the state of the line 2012
Read More...California’s workers comp rate roller-coaster looks to be poised to make another steep drop. The combination of the national decrease in claims frequency and the impact of reforms have led to drastic decreases in comp rates, with more likely on … Continue reading Why is California’s workers comp injury rate dropping?
Read More...Two states’ child health insurance initiatives (free subscription required) show different approaches to the same problem; providing access to health care for the nation’s kids. South Carolina is adopting a scheme based on private insurers while Illinois is pursuing a … Continue reading State initiatives for child health insurance
Read More...As the number of employers offering health insurance declines and Medicaid enrollment increases, the people left without health insurance coverage tend to be members of families where the parent(s) have jobs without coverage. A new study released by the University … Continue reading California’s kids and health insurance
Read More...The White House is seeking a compromise with governors over Medicaid funding, and is rolling out the big guns in an effort to reach agreement this week. At issue is the Administration’s desire to reduce expenditures by some $60 billion … Continue reading Medicaid battle – White House v. State House, round 1
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