July 2, 2008
Cavalcade of Risk; WC and hospital profits; poultry industry expose
It's Cavalcade of Risk day, and Louise Norris has an Independence day edition posted at Colorado Health Insurance Insider. Louise and her husband Jay have an interesting story about how they came to the field of health insurance: literally, through the school of hard knocks after intersecting with the health care industry through personal experience, a series of sports-related injuries....June 26, 2008
Health Wonk Review and news roundup
Health Wonk Review - Jaan Sidorov has posted a well-written and very interesting issue of Health Wonk Review at Disease Management Care Blog. Jaan has been a frequent contributor to HWR of late but this is his first time hosting - so when you stop by, be sure to check out his blog, which is billed as "An ongoing forum...June 13, 2008
Health Wonk Review, scaffold survivor update, hand protection, and potential cancer cluster
Jane Hiebert White has posted a great edition of Health Wonk Review: Washington Week at Health Affairs - and she notes that this issue coincides with Academy Health's Annual Research Meeting held in DC this past week, a gathering based on the concept that health policy should be informed by research. In this HWR issue, one of the major themes...June 5, 2008
News roundup: Cavalcade of Risk, disease mongering, claims adjusting, crane safety, and more
Congratulations to Hank Stern of InsureBlog on the the second anniversary of Cavalcade of Risk - check out some of the best of the web's risk management posts from the last few weeks. Kudos to Hank for keeping this biweekly "best of" carnival going - it's a great way to be introduced to new blogs. Disease mongering - HealthLawProf Blog...May 29, 2008
Health Wonk Review is Up
Hank Stern has posted the latest edition of Health Wonk Review. Essential for wonks, a nice option for the rest of us. Check it out here....May 15, 2008
Health Wonk Review, NCCI, networks, Missouri, and more
Jason Shafrin of Healthcare Economist hosts this week's edition of Health Wonk Review in newspaper style - it's lean and clean, and packed with interesting pointers to the latest news. NCCI conference - Peter Rousmaniere attended the annual NCCI Conference this year and reports back on his findings, posted at Joe's place. When less is more - Joe Paduda of...May 8, 2008
Cavalcade of Risk; kudos; perverse incentives; legal nooks and crannies
Cavalcade of Risk is being hosted by Spencer Hill at Hill's Personal Finance Blog. He's got a good roundup of posts on a variety or risk-related matters from business to personal exposures - check it out! Kudos - Congratulations to Michael Fitzgibbon for his five year "blogiversary" at Thoughts From a Management Lawyer, a blawg (or law blog) that offers...May 1, 2008
Health Wonk Review, RIMS, emergency responders, mysterious pork worker illness
Daniel Goldberg has posted an excellent new edition of Health Wonk Review at his Medical Humanities Blog. This week's roundup from the brainiacs of health wonkery encompasses everything from the usual health policy debates to alcopops, including a handful of posts on legal matters and new legislation. RIMS - Joe Paduda of Managed Care Matters has been blogging his observations...April 23, 2008
Cavalcade of Risk #50
We're honored to be hosting this 50th edition of Cavalcade of Risk, a smörgåsbord of some of the best posts from blogs that focus on the realm of risk. We have a hefty helping of posts so we'll dispense with further formalities and just dig right in. Health Care Which countries have the best health care systems? That's a question...April 17, 2008
Health Wonk Review is posted at Health Beat
Maggie Mahar and Niko Karvounis have posted a fine new edition of Health Wonk Review at Health Beat. They've done superlative work in summarizing and commenting on each post, making it a very good read indeed. While visiting Health Beat, be sure to check out some of Maggie's other posts - in the sidebar, there's a collection of links to...April 14, 2008
News Roundup: trouble in FL; medical apartheid; exclusive remedy in NJ; regulators caving, and more
Trouble brewing in Florida - Joe Paduda of Managed Care Matters is looking at a proposed regulation in Florida for hospital reimbursement and he is not liking what he sees. He says its a situation that is likely to "scare the pants off you." Medical apartheid - Richard Eskow of Sentinel Effect posts about recent studies by the Robert Wood...April 3, 2008
Health Wonk Review is posted; plus, weekly news roundup
An excellent new edition of Health Wonk Review is awaiting your perusal at The Health Care Blog. The post is authored by Brian Klepper, a nationally recognized health care analyst and consultant and a roving blogger who regularly posts at Matthew Holt’s The Health Care Blog, Patricia Salber MD’s The Doctor Weighs In (where he is the sole non-physician contributor),...March 20, 2008
Health Wonk Review and news roundup
Fresh wonkery - A fresh new edition of Health Wonk Review - the "fearless leader" edition - is hot of the presses at Joe Paduda's blog, Managed Care Matters. As the original mastermind behind HWR, Joe has more than earned that nickname. This week's edition focuses on reform - a continuing theme this year - as well as pharma &...March 12, 2008
Cavalcade of Risk
A fresh Cavalcade of Risk is posted and awaiting your perusal - it's the 47th edition, and ably hosted by John Cogan at the Regulating Health Insurance blog. John is the Executive Assistant for Policy and Program Review for the Rhode Island Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner and his blog focuses on health insurance, health policy and health law...March 10, 2008
News roundup: transportation fatalities, managed care, combustible dust, and common WC mistakes
Transportation safety - Celeste Monforton at The Pump Handle talks about when a work-related traffic fatality is not a work-related traffic fatality in her thoughtful post When the Road is Your Workplace. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts on-the-job traffic fatalities in its annual census of fatal occupational injuries - and last year, transportation-related fatalities represent ed 40% of all...February 21, 2008
Health Wonk Review and other news
Health Wonk Review is posted at GoozNews, a first-time host for this health policy compendium. GoozNews is the blog of Merrill Goozner, who was in the news business for 25+ years as a foreign correspondent, economics writer and investigative reporter for the Chicago Tribune. His freelance work has appeared in some of the nation's most prestigious publications. He's also been...February 13, 2008
Cavalcade of Risk, plus a look at celebrity body parts and the matter of risk
Cavalcade of Risk #45 is now posted at I’ve Paid For This Twice Already…, a blog that intriguingly describes itself as being "From financial imprisonment to financial independence, a penny at a time. This is one family’s story." It's a good healthy issue, lots of posts covering a variety or risk-related matters. And while we're on the topic of...February 7, 2008
Health Wonk Review and news roundup
Health Wonk Review - David Williams of Health Business Blog is the host of this week's edition of Health Wonk Review - he includes a wide variety of posts and his concise briefs on each entry make it an easy issue to skim through. From here to the election, content should be rich as health care policy positions and debates...January 30, 2008
Cavalcade of Risk #44
Silicon Valley Blogger does a superb job hosting this week's Cavalcade of Risk at The Digerati Life. The intro gives a hint of this week's content: The theme of this carnival is risk management. From disruptive physicians, to Indian IPOs and patents, and even baboons, you’ll find quite a diverse set of articles in this carnival that are tied together...January 28, 2008
Weblog roundup: recession and WC; cost of physicians; undocumented workers; and heath & safety
Recessions effect on WC - Joe Paduda offers his analysis of what the recession will mean for workers comp. Citing a 2002 Minnesota study, he notes that costs rise during recessions for two reasons: claims rates and disability duration both increase. He notes that other factors may well have a larger impact on costs than the recession. Some of these...January 24, 2008
Health Wonk Review and some handy new tools
A new edition of Health Wonk Review is being hosted by Vince Kuraitis at e-CareManagement blog, including posts about in-store clinics, physicians, problems and solutions in health systems, and cats, dogs and kangaroos. Suffice it to say that this is the first time kangaroos have surfaced in HWR, and I will leave it to you to discover why. This edition...January 16, 2008
Cavalcade of Risk #43
We're pleased to be hosting this week's edition of Cavalcade of Risk. Participants have submitted a wide spectrum of analysis, tips, tricks, and tools to help manage risk, both in the public and the personal arenas. It's a hefty issue, so let's jump right in. First, a few brave souls take a look at the landscape. Blogging at the...January 10, 2008
Health Wonk Review and news roundup
Bob Laszewski of Health Care Policy and Marketplace Review has posted the first Health Wonk Review of 2008, and it's a good one because people had to save up their best posts over the last month since we had a short hiatus. Many entries focus on analysis of the presidential candidates' positions on health care, which will be one of...January 3, 2008
Cavalcade of Risk's first edition of 2008
Jonathon Pletzke of Consumer's Health Insurance Book Blog does a fine job hosting this week's back-to-work edition of Cavalcade of Risk - the first edition of the New Year. We'll be hosting the January 16 edition here at Workers' Comp Insider. Also, Health Wonk Review had a brief holiday hiatus but will be returning to its regular schedule a week...January 2, 2008
2007 insurance year in review
Here at Workers Comp Insider, we're digging out after a holiday hiatus, and getting back into the swing of things with recaps of top insurance news from 2007 as presented by some of the leading insurance publications. While few of the major insurance stories in 2007 were specific to workers compensation, nothing in the insurance world lives in a vacuum....December 19, 2007
Cavalcade of Risk
Matthew Paulson is hosting the holiday edition of Cavalcade of Risk at American Consumer News. The host blog is an online magazine offering tricks, tips and ideas designed to promote financial freedom. It focuses on such topics as investing, real estate, frugality, saving money, debt reduction, and more - timely topics for those of us who are in New Year's...December 13, 2007
News roundup: Health Wonk Review, survival story, manhole covers, I.C.E. followup, OSHA agenda
David Harlow hosts the holiday edition of Health Wonk Review at Health Blawg, our final edition of the year. As one of the few attorneys in our HWR lineup, David lends a unique and valuable perspective to our discussions. Today, he sheds light on a variety of health matters in what may well be the largest edition of the year....December 6, 2007
News roundup: Cavalcade of Risk, modern day slavery, new NIOSH blog, and more
This week's Cavalcade of Risk, the pre-holiday edition is hosted by our respected friend, Joe Paduda at Managed Care Matters. It's a smorgasbord of links on a wide variety of risk-related topics, from the sub-prime mortgage mess to health insurance. And for all you workers comp wonks out there, while visiting Joe's place, be sure to check out his two-part...December 3, 2007
News roundup: Iraq contractors, OSHA safety violations, night shifts, and more
Iraq civilian contractors - It can be difficult to come by news about this shadowy work force, despite the fact that at 180,000 thousand strong, civilian workers trump the presence of our armed forces by about 12,000. To date, at least 1,000 contractors have been killed in Iraq and last year, 5,749 were wounded, up from 804 the preceding year....November 29, 2007
Health Wonk Review, NCCI Drug Study, OSHA news
If it's an alternating Thursday, this must be Health Wonk Review day. This week's edition is hosted by Dr. Roy Poses at Health Care Renewal. While we have many wise wonks in our roster, Dr. Poses is one of the few participating physicians, a welcome perspective. His introduction to this week's HWR discusses the reasons why he and his physician...November 21, 2007
News Roundup: Cavalcade of Risk; Terrorism bill; new OSHA PPE rule
Jay Norris of Colorado Health Insurance Insider has the Thanksgiving Cavalcade of Risk posted, and it's a great edition - good reading to ease you into the holiday hiatus. At least, I am making the assumption that many non-retail, non-essential services folks have Friday off, but that is not necessarily the case - just ask some 80,000 state workers in...November 15, 2007
New Health Wonk Review, ably hosted by Maggie Mahar
Maggie Mahar of Health Beat has posted a fresh edition of Health Wonk Review, which is ready for your perusal. With the political season upon us, HWR has been quite lively of late, as participants debate the various health plans that candidates throw into the public arena. This week is no exception, with posts commenting on ideas put forth by...November 12, 2007
News roundup: WTC, Rocky Flats, report from Chicago
Disaster management and the WTC - Previously, we noted Peter Rousmaniere's excellent in-depth series on the World Trade Center. The final two installments have been posted: Part 3: Peeling a Sour Apple, which deals with the ongoing efforts to pay for the lingering health effects of the cleanup, and Part 4: Out of the Ashes - Another Failure?, an assessment...October 29, 2007
News roundup: Oregon's WC success, aftermath of California's fires, and more
Oregon's success with workers' comp - Can you imagine a state where rates haven't increased in nearly 20 years? No, this isn't a dream - it's happening in Oregon. Joe Paduda of Managed Care Matters takes a closer look and analyzes Oregon's success in workers' comp. Joe notes that there is no single silver bullet, but a total package that...October 26, 2007
Cavalcade of Risk
Spencer Hill of Hill's Personal Finance is this week's host of Cavalcade of Risk. Topics run the gamut from business and insurance to gambling and health care. For those of you who are interested in investment, financial planning, and money-related matters, the regular fare on Spencer's blog is also worth a look-see!...October 18, 2007
It's Health Wonk Review day
Jason Shafrin at Healthcare Economist is hosting this week's edition of Health Wonk Review - grab a coffee because it's a hefty issue. To give you an inkling of this week's contents, he developed a brief index of posts: BEST POSTS OF THE WEEK Politics: S-CHIP, the Candidates and Conservative Health Scientists From Aspen to San Francisco to México Health...October 16, 2007
News roundup: popcorn lung, medical tourism, health care matters, and more
Popcorn lung - We've previously taken OSHA to task for being slow off the mark in protecting workers who are at risk for severe respiratory illnesses related to exposure to microwave popcorn butter flavorings containing diacetyl. Now, while the agency continues to "seek evidence", legislators have passed a diacetyl bill requiring the agency to issue an interim final standard to...October 11, 2007
Cavalcade of Risk and the Clinton Health Reform Plan
Bob Laszewski of Health Care Policy and Marketplace Review hosts this week's edition of Cavalcade of Risk noting that posts run the gamut from the traditional corporate sense of limiting "loss costs" to the less traditional popular notion of assuming individual responsibility. He offers up a good sampling of both. We've had Bob's smart blog on our regular reading list...October 5, 2007
Health Wonk Review: SCHIP Veto, Health Reform Prospects, and more ...
Jane Hiebert-White has posted a most excellent edition of Health Wonk Review at the Health Affairs Blog. Among other matters, she takes the pulse of the blogosphere in the aftermath of the presidential veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). As the political debates about health care and health care policy heat up from now to the election,...October 4, 2007
News Roundup - Mining, MO, SC, ergonomics, and overtime
Mining hearings - Yesterday, families of deceased miners began testifying in a hearing on the Utah mine collapse sponsored by the House Committee on Education and Labor. In an emotional hearing, many testified that workers had been concerned about the safety of the mine but were reluctant to voice concerns too strongly for fear of losing their jobs. Much of...September 21, 2007
Health Wonk Review - go see Joe
Our friend Joe Paduda has a most excellent edition of Health Wonk Review posted at Managed Care Matters, overflowing with good Friday reading. Go see for yourself why HWR is gaining a reputation as a gathering of some of the smartest minds in the online health policy world. Don't miss Joe's post, where he takes on the you'll-die-before-you-get-your-MRI in Canada...September 12, 2007
Cavalcade of Risk #34 is ready for your perusal
David Williams has a great edition of Cavalcade of Risk posted at Health Business Blog - more than 20 choice links summarized with concise, witty commentary. We particularly enjoyed his "pariah"s corner." David's one of the health care blogging luminaries, a mainstay in the Cavalcade and Heath Wonk Review. If you haven't seen his newer adjunct blog, MedTripInfo, you might...September 6, 2007
News roundup: HWR, WV, safety, guestworker abuse, case law, and Rx PR
Health Wonk Review day - Brian Klepper hosts a great issue of Health Wonk Review at The Doctor Weighs In. He offers very readable and interesting summary of 15 posts culled from the health policy blogosphere. Check it out! And as usual, the host blog -- which features physicians offering perspectives on fat, fitness, health, and longevity -- is worth...August 30, 2007
Cavalcade of Risk and Katrina's aftermath
Jane Hiebert-White has a special edition of Cavalcade of Risk posted at Health Affairs Blog. In addition to the usual smörgåsbord, she has a special focus on examining risk two years after Katrina. She links to some excellent articles: one on risk analysis; another being a rather depressing account of the state of health care disaster preparation; and another discussing...August 23, 2007
News roundup: Health Wonk Review, OH, NY, fraud, BP and safety
Health Wonk Review - Daniel Goldberg is this week's host of Health Wonk Review and he offers up an abundance of varied links with interesting context and commentary. And while visiting HWR, please be sure to check out Daniel's excellent Medical Humanities Blog. In today's posting, he offers a good introduction to the nature of medial humanities as a discipline...August 15, 2007
News Roundup: Mining, frequency and severity, CA fraud, WTC deadline, CPR
The most dangerous job in the U.S. - The nation has been following the desperate efforts to rescue 6 miners in Utah, our thoughts are with the miners and their families. The Pump Handle posts about the outreach bySago victims, who are offering support to Utah miners’ families. Wall Street Journal notes that this awful vigil underscores the failure of...August 9, 2007
Health Wonk Review: the party's at our place this week
Kudos to some of our Health Wonk Review "usual suspects" who were included in Managed Care's July story on health care blogs. Author Alan Adler, MD, who is the Medical Director, Independence Blue Cross, offers a brief intro into what blogs are and a sampling of various health care blogs. I think he did a great job explaining blogs. For...August 1, 2007
Weblog roundup: news and views from around the blogosphere
Jason Shafrin at Healthcare Economist hosts this week's edition of Cavalcade of Risk - check it out! Tammy Miser gives us The Weekly Toll. Find out who, where, when and why American workers are dying on the job. Often, work-related deaths are relatively quiet affairs in terms of media coverage, but one tragedy played out on the national stage last...July 26, 2007
Health Wonk Review #36
Robert Laszewski of Health Care Policy and Marketplace Review is hosting a fine edition of Health Wonk Review today, the bi-weekly roundup of some of the best posts from the policy wonks in the health care blog world. Lately, as the debate about health care heats up, Health Wonk Review is a good way to keep up on the issues...July 24, 2007
News roundup: Cavalcade, immigrants, TRIA, NIOSH and more ...
Cavalcade - Catching up with news after being on vacation for a week, I find a good place to start is with last week's Cavalcade of Risk, ably hosted by Richard Eskow of The Sentinel Effect. Illegal immigrants and WC - Peter Rousmaniere of Working Immigrants posts about a review of workers compensation coverage of illegal workers that was compiled...July 12, 2007
Health Wonk Review - the Sicko edition
Today is Health Wonk Review day, so grab a coffee and click on over to Colorado Health Insurance Insider where host Jay Norris has amassed a great compilation of links. Unsurprisingly, Michael Moore's Sicko is the focus of the lion's share of today's posts; that, and the ongoing debate about the best approach to fix the health care system. Even...July 11, 2007
News & blog roundup: WTC workers, retaliation, health care, new blog, NY immigrant ruling
WTC workers get a break - The workers' compensation registration deadline has been extended by a year for recovery workers who were involved in the World Trade Center cleanup. Rupal Parekh of Business Insurance reports that WTC workers and volunteers will now have until August 19, 2008 to submit a registration. Registration extends the time line in which an injured...June 25, 2007
News roundup: health care reform, nursing safety, blog discoveries, retaliation, falls & more
Health Care Reform - Joe Paduda was blogging the Democratic candidates' positions on health care all last week. He offers a handy summary of where candidates stand on issues related to health care and offers his own prescription for the basics in health care reform. And in today's post, he tells us what voters want in health care. Nursing safety...June 20, 2007
Cavalcade of Risk #28
We're pleased to be hosting Cavalcade of Risk as we embark on Year 2. We have a full house today, so we'll dispense with any introductory blather and get right to the meat of the matter! Bork Buzz - Eric Turkewitz of New York Personal Injury Law Blog looks at Robert Bork's million dollar plus trip/fall lawsuit suit against the...June 14, 2007
Health Wonk Review #34
For the latest reads on health policy issues - everything from Armageddon to the uterus - head on over Health Business Blog. David Williams has done a masterful job in compiling the latest Health Wonk Review. David's blog is always worth a read, too. We enjoyed the recent podcast and transcript of an interview with Rudy Rupak, Founder and President...June 11, 2007
News roundup: SC, AZ, NY, energy workers, and dangerous jobs
South Carolina - Lawmakers reach deal on workers' comp overhaul. In a long-awaited move, legislators came to agreement on workers comp reforms this past Friday, but the full House and Senate will need to approve the bill when they return for a special session June 19. As expected, the Second Injury Fund will be phased out by 2013. Also, fraud...June 6, 2007
Cavalcade of Risk - 1st anniversary edition
There's nothing worse than throwing a party and having no one show up. Such was the case when I prematurely cracked open the champagne to celebrate the first anniversary of Cavalcade of Risk a few weeks ago and learned that the commemorative date should actually be this week. As Miss Emily Litella would say: "never mind." So the real party...May 31, 2007
Health Wonk Review: the daily double
Richard Eskow of The Sentinel Effect is hosting this week's edition of Health Wonk Review and he's seeing double. It's a 24-issue post, so dig in for some good reading. Health Wonk Review is truly becoming a force in the health care policy arena - I'd be surprised if there were any other nook or cranny on the web with...May 24, 2007
Cavalcade of Risk is awaiting your morning coffee break
Cavalcade of Risk #26 is freshly posted. Kudos to Jay Norris of Colorado Health Insurance Insider for a substantive issue. The excellent blog that Jay and his wife Louise maintain is the expert source for Colorado health care matters. If I'm not mistaken, issue #26 marks the one year anniversary for Cavalcade - kudos to founder and chief cheerleader, Hank...May 21, 2007
The Comp Success Story in Massachusetts: Who Pays?
Massachusetts recently announced yet another reduction in workers comp rates, this time a double digit 16.9 percent. Since 1990, when the state implemented wide-reaching reforms, the rates have come down well over 60 percent. Employers are paying about the same rates that were in effect in the early 1980s. It's the greatest comp success story among the industrial states. Indeed,...May 17, 2007
Health Wonk Review #32
A new issue of Health Wonk Review is posted at Health Care and Marketplace Review and is awaiting your perusal. The host blog's author, Robert Laszewski, is a welcome addition to the health blogosphere. Our friend Joe Paduda calls him "one of the most intelligent, insightful, and articulate observers and critics of the US health care system" and since Joe...May 11, 2007
News Roundup" Cavalcade of Risk, networks, docs & drugs, scandal watch & more
Carnival time - Cavalcade of Risk #25 is posted at Getting Green. Among other fine entries, we note there are two posts about data security. In one case, the Transportion Security Office lost the records of 100,000 workers - great, that speaks well to their ability to protect us! And in another item, we learn that Chase is careless in...April 30, 2007
News roundup: workplace cancers, medical costs, SC reform, ergonomics, photo of the week
Workplace cancer - According to the World Health Organization, at least 200,000 workers die each year from cancers related to work exposures, such as asbestos, benzene, and second-hand smoke. Nearly half of those deaths - or 90,000 each year, are related to asbestos. Think that asbestos exposure is no longer a problem here in the U.S.? Think again. Chlorine exposure...April 25, 2007
Cavalcade of Risk #24
The Silicon Valley Blogger is hosting Cavalcade of Risk #24 at The Digerati Life. One of the things that I enjoy about this blog roundup is that there are not only good work-related topics, but there's usually some topics that are useful for one's non-work life too, such as investing advice and discussion about housing markets. We also encourage you...April 16, 2007
News roundup: Job strain & diabetes, the costs of conflict, short takes, the lighter side
Medical risk factors - Occupational Hazards features a report on a study in the April Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine that links job strain to high blood pressure. Job strain is defined as "high psychological demands combined with low control or decision-making ability over one's job." Is litigation the answer? - Stewart Levine goes into some detail about the...April 5, 2007
Health Wonk Review - hot off the presses
Jane Hiebert-White has posted a new edition of Health Wonk Review at Health Affairs Blog, with a special thematic focus on "Health Reform 2.0." There's no doubt about it - health care reform is in the air - and a bi-weekly reading of Health Wonk Review is a great way to stay up on issues, news, and opinions from those...April 4, 2007
News roundup and weekly web finds
Tool of the week - Kearney-Abrams offers a pretty cool tutorial on office ergonomics - helpful for anyone who works on a desktop computer. It's a slide show with a voice over that discusses ergonomics in general, offers self-assessment tools to identify risks for potential pain and strain, points out common ergonomic risks in an office environment, and explains how...March 29, 2007
Cavalcade of Risk #22
Richard Eskow has posted a fresh version of Cavalcade of Risk at Sentinel Effect - it's a particularly good issue. And as usual, we use our visit as a chance to explore the host blog in greater depth - and we can see that Richard's blog is on we should be visiting more frequently. A sampling of recent posts include...March 22, 2007
Fresh wonkery
Every other Thursday, the health policy people get restless and issue a fresh heaping of health wonkery. Today's the day - Health Wonk Review #28 is freshly posted at The Health Care Blog. And you can always catch up on any back issues if you have fallen behind. In reviewing today's entries, we note a promising new participating blog, e-CareManagement,...March 15, 2007
Cavalcade of Risk #21
Rita Schwab of MSSPNexus hosts the latest version of Cavalcade of Risk - it looks to be the biggest issue ever. I haven't gotten all the way through it yet, I am hung up on the first two articles that focus on the risks for corporate bloggers! After you're done digesting Cavalcade postings, you might want to poke around a...March 13, 2007
News roundup: Drugs, teens, transportation, police fatalities, Iraq contractor fatalities
Cool tools: Drug Digest - We'll be adding Drug Digest to our sidebar's Cool Tools. The site bills itself as "the most comprehensive source of noncommercial, evidence-based, consumer-oriented drug information on the Internet." It's designed as a consumer information tool to provide reference materials on drugs, vitamins, breakthrough medical research, and state-of-the-art disease management. It includes a variety of useful...March 9, 2007
Get your wonk on
Grab a coffee and sit yourself down for a spell. Hot off the presses, the 27th edition of Health Wonk Review. This week, it's hosted by Joe Paduda at Managed Care Matters, capo di tutti capi when it comes to health wonkery. When you have had your fill of wonkery, mosey on over to check out a few other posts...March 1, 2007
Cavalcade of Risk #20
A fresh edition of Cavalcade of Risk is posted at Renthusiast. The current edition includes a variety of risk-related posts broken into a few major categories: Investor & Economic Risk, Political & Regulatory Risk, and Personal & Professional Risk. Renthusiast is a blog about the business of real estate, featuring the inside skinny on some celebrated real estate deals, among...February 22, 2007
Health Wonk Review #26 - the one year blogiversary edition
Yay us! One year ago this week, Health Wonk Review launched to much ballyhoo and fanfare, thanks to Joe Paduda, our fearless leader and his partner in crime, Matthew Holt. The stated purpose was to be a biweekly compendium of the best of the health policy blogs. In our first few issues, there was some scuttlebutt about the name...February 14, 2007
Cavalcade of Risk - Valentine's Day edition
SuperSaver is hosting the Valentine's Day edition of Cavalcade of Risk with more than 20 entries posted. SuperSaver points out how Valentine's Day is a risky day in its own right. And speaking of Valentine's Day, if you love those little candy hearts like the one you see in this post, you can make your own a the Acme Heart...February 12, 2007
News roundup: fraud, kudos, back pain, WV, and more
Fraud watch - Last week, Florida uncovered major workers comp fraud ring. "Three Floridians including two insurance brokers have been charged with fraud and conspiracy for allegedly providing hundreds of workers with falsified workers' compensation insurance certificates to more than 300 Florida construction contractors." The fraud included the creation of fake documents and records, including certificates of insurance, payroll records,...February 8, 2007
It's Health Wonk Review day - 25 and counting
David Harlow of HealthBlawg is the excellent host of this week's Health Wonk Review and he notes that it is our silver anniversary, the 25th edition. We have a fine host for such a momentous occasion, too - his post is a thing of beauty, he has done a masterful job of providing context for all the entries. For those...February 1, 2007
Cavalcade of Risk #18 - the Paduda edition
If you hear a faint hint of mariachi when you read this week's edition of Cavalcade of Risk, that's because Joe Paduda is hosting it from a beach-side hammock in Puerto Morelos, Mexico. Several of this edition's posts deal with analyses of Bush's health care proposals from last week's State of the Union address. Plus, there's a variety of posts...January 23, 2007
News roundup: compensable harassment, Bush health-care, Iraq vets, new blogs, and more
Unwelcome sexual advances factor into compensability award - Judge Robert Vonada of PA WC blog points us to the a recent PA Supreme Court decision that awarded workers comp to a miner based on sexual harassment that aggravated the claimant's pre-existing PTSD. (RAG (CYPRUS) Emerald Resources, L.P. v. WCAB (Hopton), Appeal of: Ronald A. Hopton) The unanimous decision by five...January 18, 2007
Cavalcade of Risk, No. 17
David Williams is hosting Cavalcade of Risk #17 at Health Business Blog. It's brimming with lots of good links for you risk-o-philes out there. While over at David's place, be sure to check out his blog's svelte new layout, too....January 11, 2007
News Roundup: Health Wonk Review, unions sue OSHA, medical tourism, NY work violence law, and more
Health Wonk Review - Roy M. Poses, MD, hosts Health Wonk Review #23 at Health Care Renewal. This is the first issue of the new year and it's a meaty one, with 22 participants. While there, check out some of the other posts on Health Care Renewal, a multi-author blog with a focus on addressing threats to health care's core...January 5, 2007
News Roundup: Cavalcade of Risk, safety, traffic losses, fraud, and more
Cavalcade of Risk - Jason Shafrin hosts Cavalcade of Risk #16 at Healthcare Economist. This issue has a heavy focus on health-care, so if that's a topic on on your 2007 agenda, go there now! Jason is a pretty smart guy, currently getting his PhD. in Economics at the University of California-San Diego. He regularly blogs on health care policy...December 29, 2006
2006 retrospective - work in the news
We'd like to extend New Year's greetings to all our readers - we'll be back to our regular blogging schedule next week. Meanwhile, it's that time of year when some publications are looking back at the top stories of the year. As the year grinds to a halt, we've found a few wrap-up stories about goings-on in the workplace that...December 20, 2006
Cavalcade of Risk #15
Hank Stern at Insure Blog is hosting this week's edition of Cavalcade of Risk. Kudos to Hank, who is the founder and intrepid leader of this carnival, which keeps growing. And while visiting the Cavalcade, take a few minutes to check out more from the host blog. Hank and and his fellow bloggers - Bob Vineyard and William Halper -...December 12, 2006
News Roundup: trucks, trains, TRIA, and more
Trucking problems - Jordan Barab of Confined Space comments on a pair of articles on the trucking industry that recently appeared in The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune in his post entitled American Truckers: Sweatshops on Wheels, Adrift In A Tumultuous Sea. He discusses the "race to the bottom" that the trucking industry has become since deregulation in...December 6, 2006
Cavalcade of Risk is up!
Michael Cannon at Cato@Liberty has been doing double-duty hosting blog carnivals lately. Last week, he hosted Health Wonk Review, and today, he just launched a fresh edition of Cavalcade of Risk. He offers a good and diverse collection of articles, and packages them up nicely with his commentary - check it out!...November 30, 2006
Health Wonk Review 21
"Is there a happier day of the bi-week than HWR Day? Not for us health wonks," says Michael Cannon at Cato@Liberty, who hosts a great issue of Health Wonk Review today. If you're interested in the cost of health care (and who isn't?), health care policy, or the latest buzz, check out the news from the blogosphere's elite health-care wonks....November 27, 2006
News Roundup: NY construction, CA law, OH fraud, and more
New York construction - Fatal construction accidents have risen sharply over last 12 months, according to an article by Sewell Chan in The New York Times: Of the 28 incidents in which the 29 workers were killed, 19 involved companies with 10 or fewer workers and 21 involved workers who were immigrants or had limited English proficiency and 24 involved...November 16, 2006
Health Wonk Review #20
David Williams of Health Business Blog has just posted the latest edition of Health Wonk Review, and he's produced a nice juicy issue - just in time for you to savor with your morning coffee!...November 2, 2006
News Roundup: HWR, Ohio, Iraq, scaffolding, and Spanish on the job
New Health Wonk Review - Health Wonk Review - hot off the press, over at Jason Shafrin's Healthcare Economist. His introduction states: When economists analyze any industry, their first step is to look at the incentives facing the producers and the consumers. Next, an economist will examine the manner in which the government is regulating the industry and then the...October 25, 2006
News Roundup: Carnivals, Ohio scandals, P&C market trends, and more
Week of the Carnivals - we are a tad tardy in posting to last week's great issue of Health Wonk Review, hosted over at Ezra Klein's blog. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Ezra, he is a journalist and a regular commentator on health policy issues. His work has appeared in The LA Weekly, The Washington Monthly, and...October 16, 2006
Blog Roundup: CA immigrants, "Safety Pays," case reviews, and more
Major California study of low wage immigrant workers - Peter Rousmaniere of Working Immigrants brings us the important study Barriers to Occupational Health Services for Low-Wage Workers in California. The study deals with the 3.7 million Californians are employed in occupations whose median wage is less than $10 an hour and the estimated 2 million in the underground economy. The...October 13, 2006
Cavalcade of Risk #10
For your Friday reading, we offer you the most recent edition of Cavalcade of Risk, which is hosted at Wisdom from Wenchypoo. There's a good smorgasbord of posts ranging from insurance and health-care related items to economics and finance. We particularly liked this post on Risk Management & Insurance from the Specialty Insurance Blog - a discussion of the trend...October 5, 2006
News Roundup: Health Wonkery, DBA, NLRB ruling, and more
Health Wonk Review - Joe Paduda hosts Health Wonk Review - the Harvest Moon Edition - a meaty issue with lots 'o links to substantive posts. With 57 percent of the claims dollar going to medical costs, we are inextricably linked to the larger health-care market. HWR is a good way to keep an eye on the trends. Additions to...September 28, 2006
News roundup: Cavalcade of Risk, air marshals, night workers, and more
Week of the carnivals - This is a big week for the blog carnivals. Yesterday, we alerted you that this week's Health Wonk Review is posted. Now we have news that a fresh Cavalcade of Risk compiled by Joe Kristen of Roth & Company Tax Updates blog. it's a pretty hefty issue - something for just about everyone in the...September 27, 2006
Health Wonk Review
Just in time for your lunchtime reading, a new issue of Health Wonk Review has been posted at The Century Foundation. Many thanks to Leif Wellington Haase for serving as our host. One of the big topics for discussion this week is a recently released health care study by the Commonwealth Fund....September 15, 2006
Cavalcade of Risk no.8
For a smorgasbord of posts covering risk, sample this week's edition of Cavalcade of Risk. Jay Norris does a fine job hosting - check out his blog, too - Colorado Health Insurance Insider....September 7, 2006
Health Wonk Review #15
Our pal Hank Stern at InsureBlog is hosting Health Wonk Review #15. It's a robust edition, and it is served with a special side order, Hank's secret sauce. Be there or be square!...August 30, 2006
Cavalcade of Risk No. 7
Kristen McAllister, a reporter who covers personal finance for the Dayton Daily News, hosts this week's edition of Cavalcade of Risk at her blog, Making Cents. Check it out!...August 28, 2006
News roundup: FedEx, evidence-based medicine, 9/11 workers, references, and more
FedEx loses contractor battle in Mass - Last year, my colleague Jon Coppelman blogged that FedEx should beware of Massachusetts when calling drivers "independent contractors." Last week, the Massachusetts Department of Workforce Development ruled that a FedEx ground driver was not an independent contractor, and was therefore illegally denied unemployment benefits. Of course, this opens a can of worms about...August 24, 2006
Health wonkery redux
Jared M. Rhoads hosts a fine edition of Health Wonk Review at the Lucidicus Project. He calls this compilation "Selected Writings on Capitalism in Medicine." If you are interested in the goings-on in the world of health care, it's definitely worth a look-see....August 17, 2006
Weblog roundup: work fatalities, HR, language barriers, psychiatric disability, and more
Blog carnivals - catch up on news from the blogosphere. Stop by My Money Forest, which features this week's edition of Cavalcade of Risk. Also, we are bit tardy in pointing out last week's edition of Health Wonk Review, hosted by The Health Care Blog. Workplace fatalities - Jordan Barab of Confined Space brings us the good news and the...August 8, 2006
News roundup: heat illness, stalking, ID theft, cost of drugs, and more...
Heat illness prevention - The State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF) in California is offering a series of free Heat Illness Prevention seminars at various locations throughout the state. For those who don't live and work in California, see the helpful page of tips and resources that SCIF compiled: Heat Illness in the Workplace: How You Can Control the Risk. Stalking...July 21, 2006
News roundup: Cavalcade of Risk, Ohio, productivity and blogging
Cavalcade of Risk #4 - Christopher at MedBill Manager is hosting a baker's dozen of fine posts at the latest edition of Cavalcade of Risk. Grab a coffee and hunker down for a read. More from Ohio - Robert Ceniceros of Business Insurance breaks the story that the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation will return $52 million to injured workers...July 19, 2006
News roundup: NY, PCBs, heat stroke, horseplay, and FedEx
New York rejects a rate hike. A 7.5 percent rate hike requested by the New York Compensation Insurance Rating Board on behalf of insurers was rejected by state officials yesterday. As a reason for the rejection, officials stated that the New York market remains profitable. Officials also berated insurers for not being aggressive about pursuing fraud, and linked this as...July 10, 2006
News roundup: Ohio BWC, insurer competition, terminations, teen safety, and more
Ohio BWC report out - the Office of the Inspector General of Ohio has issued a report on the its fiduciary review of the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation. Essentially, the report states that, since the BWC's restructuring in the mid 1990s, too much power has been vested in the Governor's office, resulting in a the potential for abuse of...June 22, 2006
News roundup: Cavalcade of Risk, comments, lunch breaks, and quick takes
Risk roundup - The second issue of Cavalcade of Risk is posted over at It's Just Money. LA Money Guy is the host, and he's assembled an eclectic array of posts ranging from drug caps to hurricane insurance. Check it out! Comments - Our apologies if you've ever left a comment that didn't get published here. When emptying several thousand...June 15, 2006
Health Wonk Review #9
We're honored to host Health Wonk Review #9 here at Workers' Comp Insider. Health wonkery is part of a long, fine tradition of social commentary on medicine, medical providers, and health care delivery systems. Witness the entertaining online exhibit from the University of Virginia Health System, Very Ill: The Many Faces of Medical Caricature in Nineteenth-Century England & France,...June 12, 2006
News roundup - PBMs, mine safety, pandemics, vacations, and IED
PBMs - By declining to review an Appeals decision, Maine's Supreme Court let a decision affirming a law that regulates Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) stand. The PBM industry's lobbying group had been challenging a law that requires disclosure of rebates, conflicts of interest and discounts from drug manufacturers. The law is an attempt to create more transparency for consumers and...June 5, 2006
News Roundup - WV, OH, WTC, hurricanes, and the billion dollar derriere
West Virginia - Employers will be facing some confusion - and likely some change in rates - as BrickStreet Mutual Insurance, the entity that has replaced the prior state fund, switches over to the NCCI system of employee classification and rating. Under the prior state system, there were only 94 employee classifications, and under the new system there will be...May 22, 2006
News roundup: Miner Deaths, First Aid, Mergers & Acquisitions, and more
I've been in Spain over the last few weeks. Any blogging under my name was done in advance since, by design, I had little access to the Web while traveling. I spent much of the weekend online trying to catch up with news - here are some items I found noteworthy. Miner deaths - In the light of 5 more...April 25, 2006
News roundup: hotel workers, certificates of insurance, productivity, and more
Hotel worker risks - Your comfort is a pain in the neck for many hotel workers - literally. Jordan Barab at Confined Space posts on how the increasingly plush bedding that hotels use to lure guests - duvets, double mattresses, down pillows - are adding to the injuries experienced by hotel workers. "Still other research, by Orr Consulting, a firm...April 19, 2006
News roundup: RTW, Ambulatory Care, Rhode Island shake-up, and more
Today's must-read list: Give disabled workers every reason to remain part of your work force - an article discussing a report by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) on the Stay at Work/Return to Work process. The report discusses the psychological, emotional, and economic impact of disability on the individual. Read the full report: Preventing Needless Disability...April 12, 2006
News Roundup: Immigration, illnesses, frequency, and more
Immigration - A column by Dana Parsons in the L.A. Times (free registration required) discusses illegal workers and the cost of doing business in California. He interviews a roofing contractor on reasons why he hires people off the books and - no surprise - the cost of workers comp is one of the primary reasons cited. Parsons follows up with:...April 4, 2006
News roundup: kudos, unions, sheepherders, and more
Congratulations - to Jordan Barab of Confined Space. He recently celebrated his 3-year blogiversary, and now this week, his blog has been recognized with a Koufax Award for Best Single Issue Blog. Well deserved recognition it is - Jordan is a tireless voice for worker safety, shedding light on topics that would otherwise be relegated to coverage in obscure journals...March 28, 2006
News roundup: fraud, health care, compliance, and "quit complaining about your job!"
Premium fraud - Misclassifying your employees can get you in trouble. Just ask the executives of Mayer Roofing, a southern California company that is facing a charge of premium fraud for allegedly listing workers as managers to get more favorable rates. Historically, this is one of the largest cases of premium fraud - the premium that was bilked may reach...March 20, 2006
News updates: industry buzz, Kansas legislation, eye safety, and more
Industry buzz - Is there a St. Paul Travelers and Zurich merger afoot? Despite a recent Wall St. Journal article saying this was under discussion, the companies say no. Something to keep an eye on. Meanwhile, Joe Paduda tells us that long-time CEO of the Louisiana Workers Compensation Commission (LWCC) Steve Cavanaugh is moving to a start-up in Texas, and...March 13, 2006
News roundup: pandemics, employment law, immigrants, HR blogs
Flu pandemic - Michael Fitzgibbon at Thoughts from a Management Lawyer asks what your business plan is should a flu pandemic hit. As a denizen of Toronto, a city that faced the SARS outbreak, he is perhaps more sensitized to the potential impact on business than many of us here in the States. He points to a study conducted by...February 27, 2006
News roundup: McCain guest worker bill, Rx repackaging, trench deaths, chromium exposure, and more
Peter Rousmaniere is watching the developments in the McCain guest worker bill, along with a rundown of the bill's supporters and opponents. How big is the issue of immigrant workers? Check out his recent posting on an estimate of the number of undocumented workers by state and their workforce share. Joe Paduda covers the latest in the Ohio Bureau of...February 13, 2006
News Roundup: AIG settlement, teen safety, odd claims, new blogs
AIG settlement: Rupal Parekh writes about AIG's $1.64 billion (that's billion with a "B") settlement in Business Insurance this week. Robert Ceniceros reports that, of that amount, $343.6 million is earmarked for workers comp to pay states for alleged underpayment of premium taxes and residual market assessments: "According to terms of the settlement, AIG will pay $87,801 to New York...February 6, 2006
News roundup: blogs, RTW, meth users, ethics, and more
Insurance weblogs. We are featured in an article about weblogs by Therese Rutkowski that appeared in the December issue of Insurance Networking News: Online Soapboxes Get Down to Business. Several of our fellow bloggers are cited too. Returning to Work: Overcoming Injury and Achieving Success - an article written by Kurt Schuhl and Michael McMahon the January issue of Risk...January 23, 2006
State news briefs: KY mining, NY first responders, OH BWC, SC reform
Kentucky: Miner's Family Wins Increased Death Benefits Insurance Times reports on a recent Supreme Court ruling that awarded the surviving family members of a deceased Kentucky miner an increased 15% in workers compensation benefits because the company he worked for had violated safety rules. Legal advocates for miners are optimistic that this ruling will set a precedent for this and...January 13, 2006
Weblog roundup: news and views from around the blogosphere
Workplace health & safety is good for business (PDF). So says the Ontario's Ministry of Labour, which has established the goal of "reducing workplace injuries by 20 per cent by 2008. That would translate to 60,000 fewer injuries a year. The ultimate goal is to eliminate all workplace injuries and deaths." To back up this commitment, 200 inspectors are being...December 29, 2005
Weblog roundup: bad faith suit, TX networks, and "what were they thinking?"
We are catching up on blog reading after an erratic holiday schedule, and offer this grab bag of interesting posts from our fellow bloggers. Legal matters - Michael Fox of Jottings by an Employer's Lawyer has recently posted on suits involving workers comp issues. The first is a recent $15 million judgment involving a safety incentive program run amuck. This...November 28, 2005
News briefs: MA mandatory insurance, Peter Drucker, OR work blog, work safety
Health insurance: mandatory in Massachusetts? "Under two major proposals that aim to cover the estimated half million uninsured in Massachusetts, the state would require all residents who can afford it to purchase some type of individual plan or face penalties, such as losing their driver's licenses. Massachusetts joins a growing number of states grappling with how to expand coverage at...November 22, 2005
News roundup: SC, CT, safety, HR, healthcare, and more
S.C. Carrier to Stop Writing New Workers' Comp Policies - The Companion Property and Casualty Insurance Group, a Columbia-based subsidiary of Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina, announced that as of December 1, it will have a moratorium on new policies, blaming the decision on five years of losses and deteriorating business conditions. The company says that it will...November 14, 2005
News briefs: TRIA, RSI, Medicare Set-Asides, and more
House bill would extend TRIA for two years - Mark Hoffmann of Business Insurance reports that legislation that would extend the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act by two years is scheduled for review on Nov. 16. He report: "Sources familiar with negotiations surrounding the legislation say that the bill would create so-called silos that would segregate individual lines of coverage and...November 3, 2005
News roundup: Guns, depression, CA doctors, translation services, and more
Kudos - Congratulations to friend and colleague Joe Paduda on the one-year anniversary of his excellent blog, Managed Care Matters. If this blog isn�t on your regular reading list yet, it should be! Guns at Work - Thanks to Michael Fitzgibbon for pointing us to a post at Workplace Prof Blog about guns at work: "Oklahoma and Kentucky have enacted...October 26, 2005
News roundup: Premium rates, ADA, disability awareness, OHIO privatization, and more
RIMS Benchmark Survey: downturn in commercial rates Commercial insurance renewal premiums in the third quarter were down by more than 5% from rates in the same quarter last year, although the survey notes that workers comp was the only major line to drop by less than 5%, with an average reduction of 3.75%. However, for many respondents, the effects of...October 14, 2005
Weblog roundup: Gulf recovery workers, managed care, pay for performance, and FMLA
Addition to the blogroll. We welcome the Brooklyn Dodger to our growing list of resources in the sidebar. Brooklyn Dodger comments on research in occupational and public health and current events in politics related to public health, occupational health, and the environment. The blog reports on studies and articles from Journals that may not be readily available. Here's a sampling...October 5, 2005
Weblog roundup: health care costs, OSHA, safety, case law, brokers, trends, & more
Medical inflation - B. Janell Grenier at BenefitsBlog links to and comments on the 2006 Towers Perrin Health Care Cost Survey. One excerpt: "Employees are paying 64% more in health care costs today than they spent five years ago. Employers, meanwhile, are paying 78% more in health care costs today than five years ago." OSHA - thanks to Mike, one...September 9, 2005
State news roundup: Problems in KY, OH, CT
KY: "Joint and several" liability at work A Circuit Court judge has ruled that members of the failed AIK Comp self-insurance group must pay millions in assessments to cover benefits for injured employees. We wrote about this matter in December, discussing the concept of joint and several liability and the so-called 'long tail' of workers comp claims. At that time...August 16, 2005
Short takes: OSHA inspections, HR jargon, Trump blog, Ohio scandal
OSHA inspections. Meg Fletcher of Business Insurance reports that OSHA is targeting about 4,000 high-hazard worksites for inspections in the coming year. Inspections will first target sites that "reported 12 or more injuries or illnesses resulting in days away from work, restricted work activity or job transfer for every 100 full-time workers in 2003. Nursing homes and random sites will...July 11, 2005
Weblog roundup: safety, market dynamics, scandals & more
I'm just back from a 10-day vacation jaunting around Quebec, Maine, and Cape Cod. I am suffering from that addle-pated fuzziness that so often occurs on work re-entry, so in this foggy state, I quite enjoyed Michael Fitzgibbon�s post about vacations at Thoughts from a Management Lawyer. He presents some interesting factoids: "30% of employees do office-work during vacation" and...June 7, 2005