The possibilities of telemedicine in workers’ comp While more and more insurers are offering telehealth as part of their health plans, the highly regulated workers’ comp industry is just getting it’s feet wet. Telemedicine is the use of electronic communication...

The USG + U.S. Chamber of Commerce Commercial Construction Index (CCI) https://www.uschamber.com/sites/default/files/cci_2018_q3_9-06_release.pdf is a quarterly economic index designed to gauge the outlook for, and resulting confidence in, the commercial construction industry. While earlier reports indicated that the shortage of skilled...

Even employers who have carefully researched the options, involved employees in the selection of PPE, and ensured that it is comfortable, attractive, and fits properly, still struggle to get workers to use it. Training often focuses on how to properly...

The Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) examined the impact of opioid prescriptions on the duration of temporary disability benefits for workers with lower back injuries. The conclusion: long-term opioid prescriptions lead to temporary disability durations more than three times longer...

Getting LOTO wrong is costly Here’s how to get it right Many companies believe they are in compliance with OSHA’s Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) standard; yet, it is one of the most difficult to comply with and is the number five violation...

OSHA’s removal of the term “unexpected energization” from the LOTO standard likely to lead to more citations Under the Obama administration, OSHA began an effort under the Standards Improvement Project 4 to fix minor, noncontroversial issues in several existing regulations,...

Fraud or abuse that might not reach the legal requirements for criminal sanctions happens in all aspects of the Workers’ Comp system. There’s employee fraud, employer fraud, health provider fraud, attorney fraud, and even insurer and claims adjuster fraud. The...

In today's fast-moving business environment and volatile political atmosphere, nothing stays the same for very long, including Workers' Compensation. Here are 18 ongoing trends and emerging issues to watch in 2018. Comp rates continue downward trend It’s good news for...

A premium audit happens every year, so some employers view it as routine and assume it will be correct, others take it lightly and may miss filing deadlines, but it is the savvy employer who prepares for the audit, in...

By Kevin Ring Institute of Work Comp Professionals Editor’s note: Kevin Ring, CWCA, CWCA, MWCA, is Lead Analyst at Institute of WorkComp Professionals, Asheville, NC of which we are a member. It trains, certifies independent insurance agents and their support...