Study: Use of Physician Networks in California Workers’ Comp at Record High
A California Workers’ Compensation Institute study released on Tuesday shows the use of network physicians to provide medical care to injured workers in California has continued to grow over the past...
View ArticleHawaii Critics Say Employer-Picked Doctors Unfair
Workers’ advocates claim injured Hawaii employees can’t get fair evaluations from doctors hired by employers or insurers. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported critics say the system is unfair by...
View ArticleNorth Carolina Employers Face Jail Time Over Uncovered Workers’ Claims
North Carolina officials are requiring insurers to expedite the payment of workers’ compensation patients medical and wage-loss benefits or risk being sentenced to jail. The North Carolina Industrial...
View Article3 Critically Injured In Wyoming Refinery Fire
Three workers injured in a fire at the Sinclair refinery near Rawlins, Wyo., were taken to a burn center in Colorado in critical condition. Sinclair Oil Corp. says the flash fire happened Tuesday...
View ArticlePhysicians Failing to Treat Narcotics Abuse by Injured Workers: Study
Nearly 1 in 12 injured workers given narcotics are still on them 3 to 6 months later as few doctors appear to be following recommended treatment guidelines to prevent abuse, according to new research....
View ArticleOhio Expands List of Approved Medical Providers for Injured Workers
The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) announced it has expanded the list of providers who can treat injured workers and strengthened certification requirements for those providers Rules that...
View ArticleMedical Care Costs for Injured Workers Rising in Indiana: Report
The costs of medical care for injured workers in Indiana have been growing rapidly at an annual rate of 8 percent, a faster growth rate than most states, according to a 16-state study by the Workers...
View ArticleMissouri House OKs Bill Focused on Injured Worker Fund
Missouri House members advanced legislation that seeks to replenish an insolvent fund for disabled workers while also preventing people who experience job-related illnesses from filing civil lawsuits....
View ArticleJail For Washington Man Faking Work Injuries For Drugs
A Washington man thought he found the perfect way to get prescription narcotics – go to a hospital claiming to be in pain due to a work related injury. But, an investigation by Washington’s Department...
View ArticleInjured Workers Opioid Use on Rise in California, Washington
Editor’s Note: This is part of a team report on opioid use by injured workers. For the national story read: Opioid Epidemic Plagues Workers’ Comp Washington and California are among states in the U.S....
View ArticleNew York, Pennsylvania Rank High for Opioids Among Injured Workers
Editor’s Note: This is part of a team report on opioid use by injured workers. For the national story read: Opioid Epidemic Plagues Workers’ Comp The epidemic of opioid abuse and its impact on workers’...
View Article4 Workers Hurt in Texas A&M Construction Accident
Four workers were hurt, three critically, after a barn frame collapsed on June 22 at an $80 million Texas A&M University equestrian complex that’s under construction. The collapse happened on...
View ArticleLien Fees Working Out in California Workers’ Comp
Jason Molnar makes a living deep in the trenches of workers’ compensation battles in California, so you’d think when there was a no show from an opponent at an official lien hearing that he’d be...
View ArticleCosts per Claim of Medical Care for Injured Workers in Indiana High, Rising
The costs per claim of medical care to treat injured workers in Indiana were higher than most states and growing rapidly, according to a recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute...
View ArticleCalifornia Injured Workers Medical Costs Moderated Before Reforms
A study issued by the Workers Compensation Research Institute shows medical costs for injured workers in California moderated before sweeping reforms were implemented. WCRI looked at the potential...
View ArticleDelays in Thousands of Oklahoma Worker Comp Cases From Court Move
Hearings for thousands of injured workers will be delayed this month while the state’s workers compensation system is split into two agencies – each with its own staff, offices and equipment. Scheduled...
View ArticleSt. Louis Propane Truck Explosion Injures 6 Workers
A worker at a St. Louis truck terminal was in critical condition on Aug. 8 after a propane tank explosion that injured him and five co-workers. The explosion happened the previous night at a trucking...
View ArticleMontana Jury Awards $4.3M in Train Crash Lawsuit
A Cascade County, Mont. jury has awarded $4.3 million in damages to a BNSF Railway employee who was injured in a July 2011 train collision caused by a switching error. The Great Falls Tribune reported...
View ArticleNew Mexico Bill Would Reduce Benefits If Workers Are High
A New Mexico lawmaker has introduced a bill to reduce workers’ compensation in cases when an employee’s death or injury results from being drunk or high on the job. Republican Rep. Dennis Roch of Logan...
View ArticleWCRI: Medical Payment Per Claim in California Fell Following Reforms
The average medical payment per claim for treating injured workers fell by 5 percent in California in 2013, according to a study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute. The findings could...
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