Our local neighbor Tinker Ready of Boston Health News has done a most excellent job in her illustrated Halloween edition of Health Wonk Review – she even included photos from her local haunted house. Go visit now: Health Wonk Review: Killer viruses and the undead public option – lots of good posts in an entertaining format.
Other news from the blogosphere
Is the party over in workers comp? – Joe Paduda of Managed Care Matters sees a lot of similarities between market conditions today and back in the dread late 1990s – lengthy soft market, premium rates that have dropped by two-thirds over five years, continued increase in medical severity … he doesn’t see a soft landing as likely.
FDA issues list of fraudulent H1N1 flu products and websites – “This list is intended to alert consumers about Web sites that are or were illegally marketing unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products in relation to the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus (sometimes referred to as the “swine flu” virus). Note that until evidence to the contrary is presented to FDA, the owner of the listed Web site is considered responsible for promoting the unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products. The uses related to the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus are not necessarily being promoted by the manufacturers of the products.” (Thanks to Gooznews for the pointer.
Could integrating comp medical care into group health could save big bucks? That’s a question that Roberto Ceniceros examines at CompTime in light of a recent California study that says savings could be achieved.
Judge Robert Vonada has been frequently updating Pennsylvannia Workers’ Compensation Journal of late. We particularly enjoyed a recent post entitled an entertaining primer on mediation, in which he points to and comments on a list of thirty things to say in mediation – or as he puts it, a list of things you will hear yourself say and wish you hadn’t.
CDC NIOSH Science Blog offers workplace safety & health tips for tattooists and piercers – a group of workers who are at hgh risk for exposure to bloodborne pathogens. They’ve created a Body Art Topic Page for more information.
We’ve recently been discussing the issue of injuries inflicted by animals and workers comp in the light of the chimp that attacked a CT woman. Risk Monitor features a posting called when circus animals kill that focuses on risks related to wild animals in the entertainment industry.
BLR’s Safety Daily Advisor reminds us that OSHA gives your employees 14 specific workplace rights. See OSHA’s 14-Point Employee Bill of Rights
Quickies
- Conning Research and Consulting – Workers’ Compensation Public Options Outperform Private Industry
- Edmonton hostage recalls ordeal in last week’s Workers Comp Board hostage taking incident
- Advisen – Recession Will Keep Commercial Insurance Premiums Under Pressure in 2010 (pdf)
- Business Insurance – No hard market in sight: Reinsurers’ meeting
- DOT Announces Driver Pre-Employment Screening Program
Tags: animals, bloodborne pathogens, HWR, market conditions, OSHA, rights, wildlife
