I’m off to Minneapolis this morning, attending the annual seminar put on by the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network (NWCDN). The NWCDN is a group of very skilled defense law firms, and they have produced these seminars for their clients and interested employers and insurance professionals for well over a decade. It has grown exponentially; I understand…

Quantum computing represents the next true frontier in computing power, and with its advance will usher in incredible opportunities in data analysis, artificial intelligence and augmented reality systems. That is the good news. The bad news, for the unprepared, is that quantum computing will have the ability to strip through today’s encryption processes like a…

In just over two weeks many of us in the workers’ compensation industry will be headed to the Comp Laude® Awards & Gala. It is being held in San Diego, California, October 9ththru 11th. The brainchild of the late David Depaolo, it is an event designed to reinforce and celebrate the successes we see in the industry.…

We sometimes have the opportunity to review workplace injuries that are more, shall we say, unusual given their unique situation. And when a football team’s mascot is hauled off the field in a medical cart after a workplace incident it would represent one of these moments. This past weekend, Chip, the mascot for the University…

There was a time where our lives were our own. We could go about our day without concerns regarding privacy or monitoring. Your thoughts, comments, purchases and more were your domain; or at least the province of those you chose to share them with. There was no “permanent record” of your life, except for the…

When “The Medical Billing Shell Game” was published Friday, a follow up post was not expected to be written, but here we are. Another bill arrived this weekend that further highlights how irrelevant retail medical billing can be. If you read that article, you will recall our subject “Joe” had received multiple versions of a…

Recent experiences helping an elderly relative navigate the morass of medical bills accumulated after several medical incidents has convinced me of one thing. Medical billing is largely a shell game, and the losers in that game are the ones most likely unable to endure the exorbitant costs. This relative had some issues that required a…

The AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, Sixth Edition, has been a pretty hot topic lately. Challenged in multiple states and found unconstitutional in two, it has drawn the ire of plaintiff attorneys and labor leaders, who say it unfairly punishes seriously injured workers, while supporters say it “provides a consistent methodology with…

Three trends in technology are poised to make significant impacts in medical care, and by the nature of our relationship to that industry, in workers’ compensation itself. The continuing advancements in miniaturization, artificial intelligence and robotics will give us unparalleled opportunity to improve care and achieve more satisfactory outcomes.  Eons ago someone, somewhere came up…

Liz Carey wrote an interesting piece on this site Friday showing that, while the state of California regulates the porn industry, there is little actual enforcement of workplace safety laws currently in place. Given recent court decisions in the state, the adult video industry could be a good microcosm in the study of benefits afforded employers by…