Insight, analysis & opinion from Joe Paduda
Day One is concluding with a discussion of legislative and regulatory trends, a panel of legislators and then your devoted author discussing “Thieves, Profiteers, and Enablers”; the bad actors infesting workers comp. Peter Burton led off with his discussion of … Continue reading NCCI’s regulatory and legislative update
Read More...More discussion over macro factors driving workers comp – the always energetic Bob Hartwig Ph.D. followed Dennis Mealy. Hartwig was his typically rapid-fire self, dispensing insights, quick takes on economic data, the impact of catastrophes and myriad other topics faster … Continue reading Bob Hartwig on macro factors – drinking from the firehose
Read More...Workers’ comp pharmacy benefit management firms devote significant resources to research, much of which is published in their annual drug trend reports. Today we focus on PMSI’s just-released report… The big news – narcotic utilization in the first year of the … Continue reading Workers’ comp drug trends – good news at last, Part 2
Read More...There are three workers’ comp drug trend reports out this week; we’ll look at each one (in order I received them). A cautionary note; it is difficult to compare PBMs’ performance on the basis of their reports; the metrics and … Continue reading Workers’ comp drug trends – good news at last – Part 1
Read More...Gensco Labs has been busy filing trademarks for new and wonderful topical medications that are sure to solve myriad problems – to date they’ve filed for 46! They sure are busy down there in Miramar, Florida! There are a LOT … Continue reading The new compounds and who’s making them…
Read More...Here’s the highlights from the week after the annual WCRI meeting and Physician Dispensing Summit… The incontrovertible proof that physician dispensing of repackaged drugs extends disability and increases claims costs has raised the stakes in Maryland, Hawai’i, and Pennsylvania, states … Continue reading Wrapping up the workers’ comp week
Read More...With long-time CWCI President Michael Nolan slated to retire in May, the Board named Alex Swedlow to replace Nolan, passing the torch to one of the leading figures in workers’ compensation. Alex’ research rigor, insight into nuances and intricacies of … Continue reading Smart move, CWCI
Read More...Operation UNITE’s Karen Kelly led off with some of the most disturbing data I’ve ever seen on the impact of opioids in Kentucky and the country. average age of first drug use is 11. Eleven. in some counties, 50% of … Continue reading WCRI and Opioids, part three – Interventions – a successful community approach
Read More...70 doctors are writing one-third of the scripts for opioids in California. Most of those scripts are for conditions where opioids are NOT appropriate treatment. Those claimants that get opioids are off work 3.6 times longer; litigation is 60 percent … Continue reading California State Fund’s great work on opioids
Read More...Oh this is getting fun! Earlier this week WorkCompCentral published a column ostensibly written by a physician attacking me for exposing the dangers, both physical and financial, inherent in physician dispensing of repackaged drugs. I say ostensibly because the column … Continue reading Physician dispensers are getting desperate
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