A fresh Health Wonk Review is hot off the press and the word for the day is “fatigue.” The 3rd congressional attempt at Affordable Care Act repeal ground to a halt last week after it became apparent that there weren’t enough votes in the the Senate to get it over the finish line. Brad Wright hosts this week’s Health Wonk Review: Repeal Fatigue Edition at Wright on Health, with wonks weighing in. But if you don’t want to read about ACA, never fear – the wonks weigh in on other health policy issues, too.
Here’s some other recent news that caught our eye:
NCCI: The Marijuana Conversation: What’s Next – Medical marijuana is currently legal in 29 states, as well as Washington, DC. It’s also legal for recreational use in eight states and Washington, DC. However, marijuana is still illegal at the federal level and is classified as a Schedule I drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act. NCCI’s “Marijuana Conversations” series explores questions from workers compensation insurers, employers, employees, regulators, and legislators. Each face unique challenges, complexities, and implications.
MSHA – David Zatezalo, Trump’s nominee for assistant labor secretary in charge of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration, is a former coal exec whose mines logged a “pattern of violations.” It raises more than a few uneasy hen-guarding-the-chicken-coop questions about his appointment. His latest critic? Manchin will oppose Trump mine safety nominee, as per Ken Ward Jr. at the Charleston Gazette-Mail.
Dairy Workers: Suffocating in Manure – Jordon Barab of Confined Space talks about a recent Washington Post story on a truly horrific agricultural hazard, and just one of many. “There were 6,700 injuries on dairy farms with more than 11 employees in 2015 — a rate more than double the average for private industries. On those farms, 43 laborers died.” Barab notes that the article fails to mention that, “due to a 40 year old Congressional budget rider, OSHA is not allowed to set foot on farms that have ten or fewer employees. No inspections, even as a result of a worker complaint, and no investigation or citations, even if one or more workers is killed.”
- Related: See our recent post: High hazards, gruesome deaths; farm worker safety programs facing cuts
- I’ve Said It Before: A Manure Pit is a Crappy Place to Die
Joe Paduda reports on a recent study by Princeton University’s Alan Krueger in his post at Managed Care Matters: Opioids responsible for a fifth of the decline in male workforce
Amid Opioid Crisis, Insurers Restrict Pricey, Less Addictive Painkillers – New York Time/Pro Publica
At a time when the United States is in the grip of an opioid epidemic, many insurers are limiting access to pain medications that carry a lower risk of addiction or dependence, even as they provide comparatively easy access to generic opioid medications.
The reason, experts say: Opioid drugs are generally cheap while safer alternatives are often more expensive.
Drugmakers, pharmaceutical distributors, pharmacies and doctors have come under intense scrutiny in recent years, but the role that insurers — and the pharmacy benefit managers that run their drug plans — have played in the opioid crisis has received less attention. That may be changing, however. The New York State attorney general’s office sent letters last week to the three largest pharmacy benefit managers — CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and OptumRx — asking how they were addressing the crisis.
Defending Against Cumulative Trauma – Roberto Ceniceros says that “Repetitive motion, or cumulative trauma injuries, stubbornly persist as generators of workers’ compensation claims and productivity losses year after year.” But remedies do exist – and he explores these in his article in Risk & Insurance.
Job loss due to medical care calendar vs. FMLA calendar – Dr. Jennifer Christian reminds physicians that they need to keep an eye in the calendar during worker recover, particularly in light of a recent court case.
Gig Economy Workers May See Benefits Relief – The Portable Benefits for Gig Economy Workers Act addresses a real need at a time when many people work in the gig economy and don’t have employer-provided benefits.
Quick takes
- New York Times: How to Help Puerto Rico and Other Islands After Hurricane Maria
- Business Insurance: Comp insurers enjoyed positive results in 2016, but challenges loom
- HR Dive: Sleeplessness endangers workers’ lives and costs employers $1.4M per year
- Insurance Journal: U.S. Safety Board Says Train Crash Engineers Had Undiagnosed Sleep Disorder
- Health Affairs Blog: ACA Round-Up: Graham-Cassidy’s Demise, Pressures On 2018 Open Enrollment, And New HHS Draft Strategic Plan
- EHS Today: The High Cost of Exposing Workers to Chemicals at Point of Use
- Risk & Insurance: Acupuncture Moving Mainstream in Workers’ Comp
- US News: How Commuting Is Changing
- Workforce: A Refresher on Pre-employment Medical Exams
- The Guardian: Access denied: wheelchair metro maps versus everyone else’s
- NPR: Scanning The Future, Radiologists See Their Jobs At Risk
- EHS Daily Advisor: OSHA Reveals the Top 10 Violations for FY 2017
- Insurance Journal: Trump Regulation Approach Likely to Stall Connected Vehicles
- Risk Management Monitor: Drive Safely Work Week Campaign Revs Up in October
- Consumer Insurance Blog: Your seasonal flu prevention reminder!
- Insurance Journal: NYWCA Launches Campaign to Stop Cuts to Injured Worker Benefits
- TX Dept. Of Insurance: Workers’ Compensation Weekly Benefit Rates Set for October 1, 2017, Through September 30, 2018
