Posts Tagged ‘market conditions’

What’s the Real Workers’ Comp “Secret Sauce?”

Tuesday, July 31st, 2012

“An educated consumer is our best customer.” – Sy Simms (a really smart retailer)

In the mid-1980s and early 1990s, our nation was in the midst of an awful workers’ compensation crisis. In my home state of Massachusetts, the cost of workers’ comp was approaching $2 billion dollars annually. Employers were looking for straws to grasp. Associated Industries of Massachusetts, the leading employer organization in the state, held quarterly seminars in large hotel ballrooms and filled them every time with CEOs, CFOs and HR VPs, all wanting to know what they could do to stem the tide.

Often, I was a keynote speaker. Why? Because my company, Lynch Ryan, had figured out that even though, as Peter Rousmaniere, my CFO at the time, put it, the crisis was “a horrendoma of the first order,” employers who were committed and driven to reduce their costs could do so if they instituted real, systemic programs with roles, responsibilities and accountability throughout the organization. These employers learned that time was their enemy and that when safety failed and injury resulted, they needed an urgent sense of immediacy to take hold of the injured person and keep him or her as close as possible to the bosom of the workplace. They didn’t just report the injury to their carriers and return to business as usual.

Relative to their peers — their competition — these employers shone like bright stars in the clear night sky.

In 1992, Massachusetts enacted far-reaching legislation to significantly improve what had become a woebegotten state system. This reform legislation produced results that still echo today as Massachusetts continues to have among the very lowest costs in the nation, but among the highest benefits. The big national bugaboo, medical costs, are about 40% of the total spend, as opposed to around 60% nationally. The $2 billion has shrunk to around $600 million.

Yet, even now, employers who treat workers compensation as they would treat any other important business function (time to repeat – with written documentation, roles, responsibilities and accountability established throughout) still outperform their competitors. I’ve worked with many of them who managed workers’ comp well and were proud of the results they’d achieved.

And that, to me, remains the secret sauce.

Yes, the Great Recession has caused terrible damage to the nation and, by extension, to the workers compensation system. Yes, the combined ratio is unsustainable (and may be understated). Yes, we’re in the middle of an epidemic of opioid abuse, enabled, for the most part, by doctors who long ago forgot their Hippocratic Oath and who now bow to Gordon Gecko. And, yes, workers’ comp, especially with respect to medical claims management, has gotten much more complicated over the years (and the Medicare Secondary Payer Statute hasn’t helped). But in the midst of all this, you will still find employers who are so serious about safety and injury management, that their workers’ compensation costs, relative to their peers, give them a significant competitive advantage. All things being equal, their boats are in a safe harbor, waiting to sail when the storm lifts.

In many cases, these employers who “got religion” long ago are large organizations, at least upper middle market. They have the resources to institute systemic programs. But what about the other 80% of American businesses? These companies need help. How do we bring them the education they sorely need to weather the market vagaries?

I think that’s the bull’s eye challenge.

Workers’ Comp Annual “Must-Read” Doc: The NCCI Issues Report

Thursday, May 3rd, 2012

Workers’ comp geeks and nerds, your wait is over: NCCI’s 2012 Workers’ Compensation Issues Report is out. For the uninitiated, NCCI stands for “National Council on Compensation Insurance, Inc.” NCCI manages the nation’s largest database of workers compensation insurance information, supplying data to more than 900 insurance companies and nearly 40 state governments.See the NCCI state map for a quick glance of states that use NCCI as their licensed rating and statistical organization. NCCI describes the services it offers as “analyzes industry trends, prepares workers compensation insurance rate recommendations, determines the cost of proposed legislation, and provides a variety of services and tools to maintain a healthy workers compensation system.”
So the Annual Issues Report is a rather big deal – arguably one of the most important workers’ comp documents of the year. It offers an annual checkup on the health of market, along with discussion of trends, legislative changes, and the like. Plus, informed commentary on hot topics from various industry leaders.
The cornerstone document in the report is President and CEO Stephen Klingel’s annual update, this year entitled Workers Compensation Market Struggles to Identify a Direction (PDF). Klingel notes that it’s no easy matter offering any forecasts because we are in a time of uncertainties and adjustments as we make the long, slow climb from the recession. A few of his observations we found noteworthy:

  • In what is referred to as “the most surprising and disturbing negative
    development,” claims frequency saw its first increase in 13 years.
  • After 6 years of decline in the residual market (aka, “market of last resort” or “the pool”), NCCI is seeing initial signs of an increase.
  • Direct written premium is showing some growth.
  • State results show deterioration, with the ratio of increases in loss costs to declines doubling in just two years, a trend that is expected to continue in 2012.
  • Key quote: “With investment yields at historic lows, the current levels of underwriting losses are not sustainable. Even with what appears to be a temporary increase in investment gains, the combined ratio needs to decline substantially to earn a reasonable return on capital.”

Goring forward, uncertainties prevail. There are many wild cards that make forecasting difficult, with two big ones being the effect of the economic recovery and the 2012 election. And while there have been both troubling indicators (a rise in frequency, signs of residual market growth) and more positive indicators (improved investment scenario, growth in written premium), it is too soon to say if any of these are the beginnings of a trend.
Here’s an overview of other articles included in the Issues Report – all available for download, and all worth your time.

  • Robert P. Hartwig looks at the labor market recovery and the impact on insurers
  • Harry Shuford talks about the economy and what it will take to get us moving again
  • Peter Burton offers a legislative outlook, in which he recaps some of the major changes in 2011 and looks ahead to 2012
  • Joe Paduda looks at some key issues driving medical costs, opioid overprescribing and physician dispensing
  • Nancy Grover offers an overview of the state of insurance technologies
  • Tanya Restrepo and Harry Shuford write about the aging workforce and its effect on comp
  • Jim Davis and Yair Bar-Chaim examine the first rise in injury claims frequency in more than a decade
  • Dennis Mealy and Karen Ayres discuss the history of ratemaking in workers compensation
  • Charles Tenser examines four of the most discussed legal challenges involving workers comp

Health Wonk Review, OSHA, state reports, and the single best thing for your health

Friday, January 6th, 2012

Healthcare policy – Kick off the new year with a bit of health policy wonkery. Jared Rhoads hosts 2012’s first edition of Health Wonk Review at The Center for Objective Health Policy. We’ll be hosting the next issue here on this blog later in the month.
OSHA fines double for serious violationsOSHA Law Update has a good overview of statistics recently released by OSHA. While the number of inspections have dropped in 2011, fines for serious violations or workplace safety doubled. The average OSHA penalty per serious violation in 2011 increased to $2,132, more than doubling from 2010’s average of $1,053. OSHA head David Michaels points out that this is still too low, “We have to maximize the impact of our penalties because we’re trying to not just focus on the employer where we found the [violation], but the whole industry.” OSHA conducted 40,648 inspections, down from 40,993 in 2010. The drop was attributed to a change in inspection priorities, with a higher mix of health inspections and recordkeeping compliance, which take longer.
Wyoming – “Wyoming’s overall workplace death rate was more than three and a half times the national average in 2010 and has ranked worst in the nation five of the past 10 years.” A yearlong study and report to the Governor by epidemiologist Dr. Timothy Ryan points to a lack of workplace safety culture and finds that employers consistently fail to enforce safety rules. (Thanks to Joanne Wojcik for the pointer.
Hello, hard market – By year’s end, it looks as though insurers finally had something to toast. Joe Paduda posts that the soft workers comp market is over. He cites a MarketScout report, which indicated rates were up 3% in December, the highest increase among all P&C lines.
Claims adjuster workload norms – At Comp Time, Roberto Ceniceros asks if 12 to 18 minutes per claim file is adequate. He’s looking for feedback on “how much time should be devoted per file in order for adjusters to do a really great job.”
Michigan, Maryland – WCRI recently issued two new cost-per-claim reports on Maryland and Michigan. Both studies include observations about the impact of recessionary pressures on claim costs. The picture may change going forward in Michigan, where reform legislation was just signed, the state’s first overhaul in more than twenty years.
Brief takes

We close with this compelling video, which might provide some inspiration for your new year. It’s a great video to share with your work force. (Hat tip to the Renaissance Alliance Consumer Insurance Blog

Risk roundup, elephants in the room, dental claims, yelling as an essential function, and more

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011

David Williams of Health Business Blog hosts the biweekly roundup of posts in the Insurance Fest Edition of Cavalcade of Risk. Check it out! Plus, poke around David’s blog – lots of good information, such as his recent posts on What does an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) actually explain and part 2.
The elephant in the room – Last week, my colleague reported on several issues and trends under discussion at the WCRI Conference. One of the key issues that has attracted some media attention is Richard Victor’s conference summary about the elephant in the room – employment. Insurance Journal’s Andrew Simpson has more on the tough challenges that face the workers’ comp system in the coming years as we cope with the “unprecedented disruption of the labor market.”
Ghosts of crises past… – Peter Rousmaniere recalls the workers comp crisis of 1991 private sector markets in some states came close to collapsing. He discusses ensuing legislative reforms and changes in employer and claims payer practices, which are are still making their impact known in today’s market.
Meanwhile, in England… – Jon Gelman notes that Britain’s Department of Work and Pensions has concluded that the principle of “no fault” should be eliminated from the workers’ comp system. “In a review published next week there are calls for a ‘rebalancing’ of safety laws and a dramatic reduction in the number of rules in the workplace.” Jon notes that our US system was modeled after Britain’s.
California Network Utilization Study – If California proves to be the national pacesetter that it so often is, look for network utilization to increase. According to a recent study by the California Workers’ Compensation Institute (CWCI), the use of Physician Networks in California workers’ comp is at a record high. Network physicians now provide more than 75% of all first year physician-based treatment, and receive two thirds of the dollars paid for physician-based services rendered in the first year. You can download the full report (and other reports too) from the CCWI Research page.
Dental claims – If you think it’s difficult to find a physician who understands workers comp issues, how about a dentist? At Risk Management Magazine, Laura McClain explores some of the complexities involved in dental claims, such as the fact that the average dental claim requires 17 dental provider visits. She notes that risk managers generally rely on their PPOs to manage dental injuries, but suggests that because these claims require a more specialized approach, risk managers need to give them special attention.
Essential Functions – We couldn’t find a better example of why it’s important to document the essential functions of a job that the recent case that Jon Hyman Of Ohio Employers Law Blog discusses in his post, “SAY IT! SAY IT!” Yelling as an essential function. Hyman’s take away for employers: “Just because the ADA (as amended by the ADAAA) renders virtually every medical condition a protected disability does not render employers defenseless. Essential functions come in all shapes and sizes. When handling an accommodation request from a disabled employee, do not omit consideration of all facets of the job.”
US Road Casualties Mapped – Transportation related accidents are not only one of the leading causes of work-related fatalities in the US, they are one of the leading causes of death, period. Between 2001 and 2009, 369,629 people died on US roads. Now, courtesy of the Guardian’s Data Blog, you can see US traffic fatalities – every one mapped across America for those years on an interactive map. You can zoom in to search by your location. (Thanks to Liz Borowski at the always excellent Pump Handle for the pointer).
Cool Tool – NIOSH offers a Noise Meter shows how long it takes before a particular sound level becomes dangerous to the human ear. You can listen to the sounds and sound intensities of everyday objects. It’s an interesting little toy to share with workers to call attention to prevention efforts. Also see the other NIOSH resources on noise and hearing loss prevention.
Still an important health issue… – omorrow is World HIV-AIDS Day. The CDC has a good workplace resource: Business and Labor Responds to AIDS, which includes info on policy development, supervisory training materials, and educational materials.
News of Note

Are Comp Rates Finally Trending Upward?

Monday, October 17th, 2011

For over a decade, workers comp insurers have watched profit margins erode, as rates in many states continue their precipitous fall. The mismatch between premiums collected and losses paid out has reached alarming levels, with a projected combined ratio of 121.5 percent for the current year. Even in the best of times for investments, making up 21 percent against losses would be daunting, and these are hardly the best times for money to make money.
The ever-reliable Roberto Ceniceros writes in Business Insurance that the long-awaited upward trend in rates for comp insurance appears to be underway. Among the 38 states directly administered by NCCI, there are requests for modest rate increases in 19; given that the insurance cycle runs from July to June, we can expect to see more states with rate increase requests over the next 9 months. The increases are by no means dramatic (and, some would argue, hardly adequate when measured against insurer losses). The rate increases proposed by NCCI all fall within single digits.
There are a number of reasons for higher insurance losses:
– payrolls are down due to the recession, resulting in lower premiums
– frequency is up – an ominous sign, given that frequency had been declining year after year
– severity continues to increase, as injured workers stay out of work longer and access more exotic treatments
– returning injured employees to their jobs is increasingly difficult in an economy where jobs are disappearing
Insurers Behaving Badly
When contemplating the problems of insurance companies, we must never lose sight of the tendency, as my colleague Tom Lynch puts it, of “insurers eating their young” – in other words, despite the losses, insurance companies persist in offering steep premium discounts, leading state regulators to conclude that they don’t really need rate reductions. Insurers continue to hope that their underwriters have a magic touch in finding the good risks and avoiding the bad. With margins as tight as they are, finding a profitable book of business becomes increasingly unlikely, no matter how skilled the underwriting.
A.M. Best projects the short term prospects for comp carriers to be “grim.” That is no overstatement. State regulators tend to be slow to respond to requests for higher comp rates. Employers are already struggling in a bad economy and regulators will do everything possible to keep comp costs as low as possible. While the long-term trend of lower rates may finally be nearing an end, the upturn is likely to fall short of what is needed. These are tough times for comp carriers, with no significant relief in sight.

Outlook for Workers Comp: Centennial in a Storm

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

In this summer of weather extremes, workers comp is celebrating its 100th birthday in America. The weather forecast – along with the prognosis for workers comp – probably sound familiar: periodic storms, heavy rain, damaging winds. The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) has issued its “state of the line” report for workers comp: 2010 was a tough year and the outlook for 2011 carries a severe weather warning.
The key indicator for insurance health is the combined ratio: add up the accumulated losses and the expenses, subtract investment income and hope you end up somewhere around 1.0. The combined ratio for 2010 went up to 1.15, five points above the previous year. Despite improved returns on investment (otherwise known as the “jobless” recovery), pretax losses for the industry averaged one percent – the first such loss since 2001.
Insurers are suffering from a convergence of negative factors: poor underwriting results, a drop in premiums (due to reduced payrolls), and an increase in claims frequency, which is perhaps the most alarming trend of all. For a number of years the increase in severity (the average size of claims) has been balanced by a decrease in frequency. If frequency continues to trend upward, the warning flags for severe trouble will be flapping in a very stiff breeze.
Politics as Usual
Further complicating matters for insurers, state level politicians are single minded in their effort to keep the costs of comp insurance as low as possible. As part of their relentless struggle to stay competitive, state regulators are reluctant to increase rates. NCCI has applied for rate increases in 14 of the states which they directly manage, up from eight in the previous cycle. Any move toward higher rates may signal at least the beginning of the long-awaited end of the soft market that has endured for over a decade.
Finally, there has been a lot of turnover among the state officials who regulate workers comp: there are 24 new insurance commissioners across the country. As NCCI puts it:

The number of newly elected and appointed officials means that the industry will face a challenge in terms of education and information for next few months at least.

Time to polish up the Gucci’s? The insurance industry hardly needs to crank up the lobbying apparatus – it’s always operating full tilt.
Candles in the Wind
As workers comp turns 100, we note that longevity itself is not cause for celebration. Just as it’s no fun to grow old, it’s not much fun trying to make money in workers comp these days. Despite a decade of tightened eligibility requirements and cuts (some draconian) in benefits, we have seen a continued deterioration in the financial health of comp carriers. Perhaps it’s my imagination, but I seem to detect a tone of anxiety as stakeholders gather to sing “Happy Birthday” to Workers Comp in America. The flames of the candles falter in the midst of a raging storm.

NCCI Reports: A Sobering Look at Risk

Monday, May 9th, 2011

NCCI has released two reports that are essential reading for risk managers and anyone else who enjoys the Big – albeit somewhat gloomy – Picture.
The first report is a summary of workers comp performance through 2010: while many indicators are positive or at least neutral, the major concern is overall performance. The combined ratio for insurers (losses plus expense) is creeping steadily upward: 101 percent in 2008, 110 percent in 2009, 115 percent in 2010. In other words, in 2010 carriers spent 15 percent more than they earned through premiums. Even with improved returns on investments, insurers are caught in the zone where many are losing money, especially those whose combined ratios have drifted above the average.
The troubled economy has complicated matters: as payrolls go down, premiums go down with them. Comp premium peaked in 2005 at $47.8B; in 2010, premium totaled $33.8B. To be sure, fewer people are working, but that often results in increased stresses – and risks – for those who still have jobs.
Finally, there is the highly politicized issue of rates for comp insurance. No state wants to be the first raise the rates, as this increases the cost of doing business and makes the state less competitive in attracting new business. So states hold the line or even force reductions, making all businesses – except insurance related – happy.
The Really Big Picture
For those of you who seek perspectives beyond comp, into the broadest possible, world-wide view of risk transfer, Robert Hartwig of the Insurance Information Institute offers slides that are compelling viewing. He examines the dual specters of terrorism and natural catastrophe. Bin Laden’s unlamented death may increase the risk of attack in the coming months, resulting in open-ended exposures for workers comp and property insurance. As for natural disasters, with the spate of earthquakes, tsunamis, and tornadoes, any actuary who is paying attention is having trouble sleeping these days.
Japan’s earthquake, tsunami and nuclear plant meltdown appears to be the most expensive natural disaster in history. The total losses are expected to run between $100-300B, of which only a relatively small portion ($45B) is insured. (Government will bear the brunt.)
Tornadoes tearing through mid-America thus far have avoided major population areas, but the recent event at the St. Louis airport raises the specter of urban disaster.
Who Pays?
When calamity strikes, the impact is greatest on reinsurance, which kicks in when limits are reached in-front line policies. With the unprecedented scale of recent events, the cost of reinsurance must go up, and as it does, the cost of insurance for the consumer (business and personal) goes up with it. We live in risky times and the increasing costs of risk transfer reflect our darkening world.
One final note: Hartwig reveals that the 9/11 attacks added 1.9 percent to the combined ratio for 2001, which totaled a robust 121.7 percent. That’s a sobering thought for this beautiful spring morning. My advice? Slap on some sunscreen and get out for a stroll. There’s no better cure for gloomy data than a walk in the sunshine.

NCCI suggests a “precarious outlook prevails” for the workers comp market

Monday, April 18th, 2011

The NCCI Annual Issues Report is out and it is available as an online flipbook, you can download each article in PDF, or you can request a hard copy.
Most who work in the industry realize the significance of these reports but for employers, a brief side note is in order. NCCI stands for the National Council on Compensation Insurance, Inc., a rating and data collection bureau specializing in workers’ compensation. because NCCI manages the nation’s largest database of workers compensation insurance information, it is in authoritative position to analyze industry trends and upcoming legislation, to offer insurance rate recommendations, and to provide a variety of services and tools to a variety of constituencies, including state insurance bureaus, insurers, insureds, the media and others with an interest in workers comp.
The Issues Report provides an industry snapshot of where we’ve been, along with some trending and analysis that point to where we are likely heading. While all the articles have merit, for industry financial trending we point you to these three cornerstone documents:

While the property casualty market is generally positive and has performed better than most other sectors during the economic downturn, the same cannot be said for the segment of the market that is workers compensation.
The workers compensation combined ratio continues in an upward direction. This is never good. The combined ratio is a barometer of an insurer’s profitability. It indicates how much an insurer pays out for each dollar it takes in (incurred losses + expenses ÷ earned premium). For most businesses, it’s a problem if you pay out more than you have coming in, but for insurers, investment income on reserves (money held for claims costs) is also a significant component in overall profitability. So an insurer can still realize a profit even if it pays out more in losses than it takes in when investment income is factored in.
Hartwig says that in 2010, the combined ratio is approaching 115. To put this in some historical perspective, the combined ratio at the peak of the crisis in 2001 was 122% percent, and the historic low in recent years was 93% in 2005. In 2009, we saw about 110%, the the worst combined ratio since 2003.
Other significant issues:

  • Investment gains associated with workers compensation have seen some improvements, but are still on the low side.
  • Workers comp written premium eroded significantly as jobs were shed, and although the employment situation is leveling off, it is hardly booming. It’s expected that employment may be fairly flat through 2011.
  • Medical inflation has slowed but medical costs are still on the increase.
  • Uncertainty abounds: about the economy, about the direction of healthcare, about bank & housing market, about financial reform. Plus, there is a broader regulatory environment with OSHA and DOL, and there is policy uncertainty given the volatile political environment.

The pressure is on and the challenge for insurers is clear: the only way to make money under current conditions is through rigorous underwriting and tight expense control. Employers with marginal records may have limited options come renewal time. It’s always a good idea for employers to control losses, but never as important as in a tight underwriting climate.
Hartwig offers some positives about the employment scenario:

” Last year’s stubbornly high unemployment gives the misimpression that no progress has been made in reducing joblessness. In reality, as shown in Exhibit 2, private sector jobs were created every month in 2010, for a total of 1.3 million net new jobs. While job creation so far is at a pace too slow to bring down the overall jobless rate, it remains an extraordinary reversal from the hemorrhaging of jobs and associated payrolls in the two prior years. At the height of the crisis in early 2009, private employers were shedding more than 700,000 jobs per month. Private employers eliminated a staggering 4.7 million jobs in 2009 and 3.8 million in 2007. The unemployment rate remains high today in part because workers, sensing improving labor market conditions, are streaming back into the labor force.”

And on payrolls, the basis for premium:

“… The latest data indicates that aggregate wage and salary disbursements have recouped about half of what was lost during the recession. It is quite likely that those losses will be fully recouped by the second half of 2011.”

He also offers some perspective on other factors beyond payroll that are eroding written premium:

“The economy will clearly exert a major influence on workers compensation insurers’ growth opportunities in 2011 and beyond.Exhibit 3 suggests that other factors are playing an important, if not dominant, role when it comes to explaining the precipitous 29% drop in premium written over the past several years. Workers compensation premium began to fall in early 2006, long before the start of the Great Recession in December 2007. Aggressive pricing, along with the increased popularity of large deductible programs, captives, and self-insurance alternatives have all taken their toll, as have a surge in return premium. The loss of exposure due to the economy was actually one of the more recent contributors to the fall. On net, pricing is likely responsible for about half the decline.”

All in all, the NCCI reports reflect negatives that many of us have been seeing or living through, and while the patient is still in guarded condition, there are reasons for cautious optimism.
And don’t skip the other articles in the Issues Report just because we did not address them here – there is always good information in these reports!

Cavalcade of Risk & workers comp news briefs

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

It’s Cavalcade of Risk week and issue #122 is hosted by our friend David Williams at Health Business Blog – check it out!
Industry pulse – Good news. Robert Hartwig of the Insurance Information Institute takes the pulse of the property casualty industry and sees signs of life: Insurance Industry On The Mend. “Mr. Hartwig said in comparison to all of 2009, the industry’s 2010 third-quarter results are close to all of the prior years. While the industry is not back to where it was prior to the economic downturn in 2007 when it reported property and casualty net income of $62.5 billion, it is performing significantly better than the worst of the downturn in 2008 when p&c income came in at slightly more than $3 billion.”
That’s good news, but it’s not time to break out the champagne yet. A.M. Best forecasts downward rating pressure for the commercial market and two new reports indicate that reinsurance prices should remain soft in 2011.
Physician dispensed drugs – If you are an employer or an insurer and this topic isn’t yet on your radar, it needs to be. Joe Paduda posts about recent NCCI report on physician-dispensed drugs in workers comp, a significant growth area that NCCI says is putting upward pressure on WC costs. California took steps to regulate the practice a few years ago after learning that repackaged costs were two to twelve times higher than the fee schedule.
Labor – The New York Times reports that cash-strapped states are looking to curb labor unions. Expect a flurry of legislative initiatives to limit the power of labor unions representing government employees. While both parties are wrestling with ways to keep state budgets in line, the article notes:
“But in some cases — mostly in states with Republican governors and Republican statehouse majorities — officials are seeking more far-reaching, structural changes that would weaken the bargaining power and political influence of unions, including private sector ones.”
Prevention works – A concerted campaign to reduce textile service worker injuries is working, according to the recently released annual TRSA Textile Services Industry Safety Report. Recordable injuries and illnesses dropped by 17 percent from 2008 to the 2009, and have dropped by 50% since 2005. Sandy Smith reports on SafeTRSA, an industry-wide safety initiative to improve worker safety through awareness, education and training.
Breast cancer & comp – At Comp Time, Roberto Ceniceros discusses City of Las Vegas v. Lawson. The Nevada Supreme Court ruled that a firefighter is entitled to a presumption that her breast cancer arose from her on-the-job exposure to benzene. His post also discusses male breast cancer.
Dramatic Australia flood footage – Office workers catch footage of a modest creek turning into a raging torrent sweeping cars away. More news and dramatic videos of the cataclysmic Australian flooding is available on MSNBC. At least 16 people are reported dead and more than 90 missing in what has been likened to an inland tsunami. Brisbane is under siege. You can follow breaking news on Twitter at #Brisbane.

Fresh Cavalcade of Risk and other news briefs

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

Cavalcade of Risk #103 – Risk Management with the Stars Edition is posted at My Wealth Builder. Check it out – and don’t miss Nancy Germond’s post on the alarming increase in the U.S. disability rate.
Misclassification – Employers can expect a heightened focus on misclassification, with a push on both the federal & state levels. Risk & Insurance reports that the Obama administration recently earmarked an additional $25 million in the DOL’s proposed FY 2011 budget for a misclassification initiative. The plan calls for hiring 100 additional enforcement personnel to address the problem and to provide grants to aid states in addressing the problem. Prior studies have indicated that more than 3 million employees may be misclassified. A 9-state study by the DOL found as many as 30% of audited employers misclassified at least some employees.
Fee schedules – Joe Paduda offers his thoughts on the role fee schedules play in workers comp: “…at best, a short term fix, and at worst, a blunt instrument that actually encourages over-treatment and extended disability.” He also cites a column by Greg Krohm, Executive Director of IAIABC, who has a similar take.
New blog finds
First up – as we all watch developments in the new health care law playing out, you might add Covering Health to your reading list. It’s a blog maintained by the Association of Health Care Journalists. While its mission it to keep health & healthcare journalists informed, it’s a good read for anyone tracking the issues. The Association of Health Care Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization with more than 1,100 members, and is dedicated to advancing public understanding of health care issues. In addition to the blog posts, the blogroll has a good list of health news blogs.
Reinsurance, you say? Try reinsurance girl’s blog. She features a recent helpful post: Who to follow: insurance and reinsurance businesses in social media, which links to more reinsurance resources.
Death on the job – We haven’t linked to the Weekly Toll in some time – it’s a sobering look at recent on-the-job deaths. It puts a human face on statistics and exposes the geographic and industrial diversity of workplace fatalities. In a world that aspires to “zero defect” for product parts, can we aspire to any less when it comes to human injuries?
Hard market – Conning Research & Consulting forecasts that property and casualty insurance rates will begin to firm up in 2011 and that premium will grow modestly at about 2%. But the firm says to expect larger UW losses this year, and a deterioration in loss ratios. Meanwhile, the RIMS Benchmark Survey reports that the soft market still prevails, at least at present.
Virtual medicine – Jon Gelman has an interesting post about the trend to virtual doctors and online medical care, and speculates about whether such technological advances could benefit workers comp.
Massachusetts health care reform – “When Massachusetts’s politicians designed their reform, they calculated that achieving near-universal coverage first would then give all participants in the health care system an incentive to help rein in costs. There are encouraging signs that that is starting to happen.” This according to a New York Times editorial, Health Care Reform and Massachusetts. Thanks to Tinker Ready at Boston Health Blog for the pointer and for more links on Mass. reform.
Quick takes