Health Wonkery – David Williams hosts the October Surprise Edition of Health Wonk Review at Health Business Blog – and as might be expected in a pre-election climate, it’s a good one – with many submitters weighing in on the debates or other campaign related issues.
State premium rankings – The Oregon Department of Consumer & Business Services announces the availability of the 2012 Oregon Workers’ Compensation Premium Rate Ranking Summary (PDF). National premium rate indices range from a low of $1.01 in North Dakota to a high of $3.01 in Alaska. The 2012 median value is $1.88, which is a drop of 8 percent from the $2.04 median in the 2010 study. The authors of the study – Jay Dotter and Mike Manley – say: “One notable trend nationally is that the distribution of state index rates in our study continues to compress–there is less variation between the highest and lowest states, and there are 20 states within plus or minus 10 percent of the study median. This makes the rank values more volatile from one study to the next. I would recommend that states look also to their “Percent of study median” figure for comparisons over time.”
See Background information and historical state rankings since 1995. See also: Dave DePaolo on the Oregon study.
Paduda Earns IAIABC Award – At their recent 98th Annual Convention, the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC) recognized Joe Paduda, Principal of Health Strategy Associates with the IAIABC Presidents Award for his efforts in raising awareness about opioid abuse in workers’ compensation. IAIABC noted that, “Through his weblog, during speeches, and in the course of his ongoing work with workers’ compensation stakeholders, Mr. Paduda has urged discussion and action on the growing use of opioids in the treatment of work injury. ” Kudos to Joe, who has clearly been a leader on this issue – as well as a driving force in raising awareness about the pricing abuses associated with physician dispensing and drug repackaging. See: IAIABC Award Recipients Uphold a Tradition of Excellence and Dedication.
Kudos also to seven other individuals who were recognized for their contributions and leadership. These include: Glenn Shor, California Division of Workers’ Compensation; Dr. Kathryn Mueller, Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation; Ken Eichler of Reed Group; Christine Siekierski of the Wisconsin Compensation Rating Bureau; Gregg Lutz of NCCI; Terry Bogyo of WorkSafeBC; and Mike Manley of the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services.
Related: Joe Paduda has good things to say about IAIABC: Mutual Admiration Society.
Breast Cancer Screenings – October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month – a good time to remind employees about screenings. The CDC’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program make breast and cervical cancer screenings and diagnostic services available to low-income, uninsured, and underinsured women across the United States. Search for free and low-cost screenings in your state. The American Cancer Society offers good resources on dealing with a coworker who has cancer, including helpful tips for supervisors.
Nursing Homes – The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries has introduced a page of resources addressing Nursing and Residential Care Facilities. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing and residential care facilities experienced some of the highest rates of lost workdays due to injuries and illnesses. In response, OSHA has introduced a National Emphasis Program, and Washington’s resources gather some helpful tools. See Washington’s A-Z list of Safety & Health Topics.
Risky Business – Risk Scenarios are an interesting and noteworthy ongoing interactive feature by editors of Risk and Insurance. A Risk Scenario consists of two parts — The Scenario, a hypothetical situations that showcases an emerging risk, and The Analysis, which offers a summary of themes, as well as access to relevant articles and resources. They are interactive features that allow readers to decide how they would handle a situation and learn how peers and other industry experts would handle the situation. They cover a range of risks from data breaches and gas explosions to MRSA exposure and complex claims. Browse an archive of Risk Scenarios.
Other items of note from around the web
- OxyContin marketing and opioid deaths
- Webinar: Domestic Violence and the Workplace: Protecting Your Employees & Your Bottom Line in 6 Steps
- Spine Epidurals: Multistate Meningitis Outbreak Investigation
- Whistleblower Retaliation on the Rise
- On Death and Flying
- Distracted Driving–Are Employees Talking and Texting Behind the Wheel?
- The Seven Steps to Stagnation
- Even a Dummy Knows October is Protect Your Hearing Month
- Managing Safety-Related Documents
Tags: nursing homes, Research, state rankings
