Louise Norris jumps into the political fray with this week’s Health Wonk Review – Campaign 2012 Edition at Colorado Health Insurance Insider. It’s a great edition with some solid submissions, and we are smitten by the great historic voting photos that Louise used to punctuate the posts. Check it out.
Other noteworthy news
Follow the money – In the continuing saga of Florida’s physician-dispensed workers comp drugs and the associated costly price tag for employers, Joe Paduda looks at the behind-the-scenes opposition muscle aimed at any legislative attempts to put limits on this practice. He cites a recent research report, which tracked more than $3 million in political donations to “one Mirimar address, dozens of companies.” The Florida Independent news story goes on to say, “In suburban Tampa, a single-story building at 610 South Blvd. is home to countless political committees in Florida and all over the country, and is known as a veritable political action committee mill. A similar story lies in Miramar, where two doctors — Paul Zimmerman and Gerald Glass — run dozens of companies that, altogether, have funneled more than $3 million into state political campaigns and committees in recent years.” Joe notes, “$3.2 million total shows clearly just how important Florida is to dispensing companies and their affiliates.”
Violence in the Workplace – “Workplace homicides ‘Are not crimes of passion committed by disgruntled coworkers and spouses, but rather result from robberies.’ And the majority of workplace assaults are committed by healthcare patients.” These are a few top line findings in the NCCI research report on Violence in the Workplace. Although homicides are trending down, they comprise 11% of workplace fatalities. You can download a copy of the complete report, which is part of NCCI’s ongoing research into the topic of work violence.
New blog of note – The folks at PRIUM, a workers’ compensation utilization management company, have recently launched Evidence Based, a blog that will focus on our favorite topic – workers comp – with particular emphasis on the over-utilization of prescription drugs in the treatment of injured workers. Recent posts have dealt with state efforts to control narcotics. See recent posts on Arizona: The Simple Path to Controlling Narcotics in Non-Monopolistic States and Ohio’s New Rules: A Good Start (with a Potential Gap).
Getting social – Pro tip for social media users: If you are going to file a workers’ comp claim, you should think twice about posting party pics on Facebook – judges may take them into consideration when evaluating the merit of your claim.
The Feds & Fraud – In Government Executive, Kellie Lunney explores the reasons why the federal workers’ comp program remains vulnerable to fraud. According to a study by the Government Accountability Office, limited access to data is a key culprit. “Specifically, we found that limited access to necessary data is potentially reducing agencies’ ability to effectively monitor claims and wage-loss information,” the report stated. In addition, agencies’ overreliance on self-reported data from claimants, the frequent use of physicians not employed or selected by the government, and the expense involved in conducting investigations and prosecutions have stymied efforts to stamp out fraud. GAO noted that investigations are the “most costly and least effective” way to reduce fraud, but the ability to prosecute those who cheat the system is a valuable deterrent.
OSHA Posting Compliance – Employers, did you remember to post OSHA Injury & Illness Reports on Feb 1? If not, make sure that you do. Rules require that employers post “…the official summary of all injuries and illnesses occurring in the previous year. The information must be compiled on the OSHA Form 300A or an equivalent and posted in a conspicuous place or places where notices to employees are customarily posted. The information must remain up through April 30, 2012.” For more information and to learn if this requirement applies to your organization, check out OSHA’s Recordkeeping page.
Quick takes
- The Emerging Risks of 2012
- The supersizing of America: retooling for the obesity crisis
- Some Downsides of Social Media for Doctors
- Report: U.S. may never get back its investment in AIG
- OSHA Pocket Guide – Protecting Yourself from Noise in Construction (PDF)
- Why inspectors might hesitate to shut down a mine
- Untreatable Tuberculosis Baffles Doctors
- 5 Ways Employers Can Reduce Worker Stress
