Latest Workers' Compensation Headlines
All the headlines from our Workers' Compensation Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Doctor’s Alleged Fraud Scheme Throws Medical Claims Review Process into Doubt
Oct 2 2018 // For years, Spyros Panos seemed like a successful orthopedic surgeon, seeing dozens of patients a day and bringing in millions of dollars in fees for his suburban New York medical group. In fact, he was inflating charges...
Why Hospitals Charge Auto Insurance, Workers’ Compensation Patients Much More Than Health Insurers
Oct 1 2018 // Insurer market power matters in hospital pricing. Patients with automobile, workers’ compensation, and other non-conventional commercial insurance plans paid much higher prices than patients with HMO/PPO health...
20 People Arrested in Florida in ‘Operation Hot Water’ Workers’ Comp Fraud Sting
Oct 1 2018 // Twenty individuals were arrested in Florida in a workers’ compensation insurance fraud sting operation involving unlicensed contractors in Pasco County in “Operation Hot Water,” according to a statement...
Access to Medical Care in Texas Workers’ Comp System Improving, Study Finds
Oct 1 2018 // From 2005 to 2017, the number of workers’ compensation claims in Texas fell by 20 percent, resulting in a 24 percent decrease in the number of patients per participating doctor in Texas. That’s one of the...
Washington Employers May See Big Drop in Workers’ Comp Costs
Oct 1 2018 // The price of workers’ compensation insurance in Washington could drop significantly in 2019. The Washington Department of Labor & Industries in late September proposed a 5 percent decrease in the average premium...
Pacific Health Care in California Begins Strategic Acquisition Search
Oct 1 2018 // Newport Beach, Calif.-based Pacific Health Care Organization Inc. in late September announced the launch of a strategic acquisition search for an insurance company to add to its suite of comprehensive workers’ comp...
California Governor Signs Bill to Provide Workers’ Comp to Peace Officers Injured out of State
Sep 28 2018 // California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill into law peace officers can file a claim for workers’ compensation if injured or killed while in the line of duty while out of state. Brown signed Assembly Bill 1749 into...
Minnesota Charges Contractor with Workers’ Comp Fraud, Labor Trafficking
Sep 26 2018 // A Minnesota construction contractor has been charged with labor trafficking, insurance fraud and theft by swindle for using undocumented workers on his construction crews and threatening to have them deported unless they...
Construction Company Cited in Connecticut for Safety Hazards, Faces $146K in Penalties
Sep 26 2018 // The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited L.L.E. Construction LLC for exposing employees to fall and other hazards at a construction worksite in Bridgeport, Conn....
Pacific Health Care in California Begins Strategic Acquisition Search
Sep 24 2018 // Newport Beach, Calif.-based Pacific Health Care Organization Inc. today announced the launch of a strategic acquisition search for an insurance company to add to its suite of comprehensive workers’ comp...
Texas Sets Workers’ Comp Weekly Benefit Rates for Coming Year
Sep 24 2018 // The workers’ compensation state average weekly wage for dates of injury from Oct. 1, 2018, through Sept. 30, 2019, has been set at $937.70, the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation...
Texas Workers’ Comp Study Finds Improvement in Worker Access to Medical Care
Sep 21 2018 // The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation reported in a newly released study that access to medical care for injured workers has improved slightly and that a high rate of doctors who treat...
Austin Drops Workers’ Comp Lawsuit Against Firefighter with Cancer
Sep 21 2018 // The city of Austin, Texas, has dropped a lawsuit challenging the determination by state workers’ compensation officials and an appeals panel that a firefighter diagnosed with cancer is eligible for workers’...
Washington Employers May See Big Drop in 2019 Workers’ Comp Rates
Sep 20 2018 // The price of workers’ compensation insurance in Washington could drop significantly in 2019. The Washington Department of Labor & Industries this week proposed a 5 percent decrease in the average premium...
OSHA Fines Contractors $86K Over Miami Bridge Collapse
Sep 20 2018 // Contractors that worked on the bridge near a Florida university that collapsed, killing six people, have been fined more than $86,000 for workplace violations. The Miami Herald reported Tuesday that the Occupational Safety...
Exploring the Jump in Mega Workers’ Compensation Claims
Sep 19 2018 // Mega workers’ comp claims – losses exceeding $10 million – jumped in 2016, according to a new report by the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI). It’s unclear if this is a one time...
Missouri Sawmill Cited for Safety Violations; Faces Nearly $200K in Penalties
Sep 19 2018 // The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed penalties of $199,183 to Missouri-based American Walnut Company LLC for two repeated and 14 serious safety violations....
Amputation Brings Citations Against Ohio Wood Pallet Maker
Sep 18 2018 // The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited pallet manufacturer Buckeye Diamond Logistics Inc. — which operates as BDL Supply — for lockout/tagout hazards after...
19% Workers’ Comp Rate Decrease Proposed for Tennessee
Sep 17 2018 // The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) has filed for a 19.1 percent decrease for workers’ compensation voluntary market loss costs in Tennessee – the largest recommended decrease since reforms to...
Florida Workers’ Comp Rates Going Down Again, But Future Challenges Remain
Sep 17 2018 // Florida businesses could see another significant rate decrease in workers’ compensation rates next year if Florida regulators approve the latest filing from the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI). But...
