I got the letter Monday at my house. Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi have determined that my Aetna health insurance plan, the one I was told I could keep if I liked, is not adequate, does not meet their standards, and will not be renewed. Now, this is part of an employer group…
Wrapping Up on RIMS 2014
Well, another big RIMS conference has come and gone, and I thought I would take a few minutes to reflect as we adjust back to the humdrum routine of our daily lives. Denver was a good, albeit cold, host city for the conference this year. Hotels were reasonable and close to the Conference Center, and…
RIMS 2014 – Using Predictive Modeling to Ferret Out Your Land Mine Claims
There is a danger to writing about this particular session from the RIMS 2014 conference held last week. It turns out one of the presenters is a regular reader of this blog. Normally I can opine on my impressions from a seminar with no one being the wiser about whether I really understood the topic…
2014 Kids' Chance Annual Meeting Highlights – Changing Lives One Scholarship at a Time
Kids' Chance of America, Inc. released a terrific video this week showing some of the highlights of the recent Kids' Chance Annual Meeting held in Philadelphia. I had the pleasure of attending and presenting at this meeting, and I think the video does a great job of capturing both the excitement and emotion of this…
RIMS 2014 – Waddling My Fat Fanny to the Workers Comp Obesity Session
The workers’ compensation session agenda here at RIMS 2014 appears to be significantly lighter than in previous years, so I suppose it is appropriate that one session I could attend was covering a heavy issue for the industry. The session, titled “Obesity Weighs Down Workers’ Compensation”, was held Tuesday morning here in Denver. In retrospect…
RIMS 2014 – Who Is Creating a Picture of Success in Workers' Comp?
How does a one legged black girl from San Diego become a competitive skier and Olympic Medalist? Apparently someone created a picture of success to guide her. Bonnie St. John was the luncheon keynote at the RIMS 2014 convention Monday here in Denver, CO. She was the first one legged African American woman ever to…
In Denver I've Seen the Future, and It's Kinda Stoned
I had an entertaining first 24 hours in Denver while waiting for RIMS 2014 to officially kick off. My wife and I arrived in the mile high city around noon on Saturday, and after settling in to our hotel, took a walk along the 16th Street Mall. For those unaware, the mall is a mile…
When Your Murder Tattoo Spells Trouble, and Your Dickey Just Won't Do
We see a lot here in workers’ comp. Horrific accidents. Minor boo-boos. Silly mistakes. Fraudulent claims and more. Every once in a while, however, we encounter a story that tells us we’re not alone out there; that the weird, the wild and the wacky are not just limited to our little slice of paradise. A…
OOOOOOOOklahoma, Where Reforms are Causing So Much Pain
Last Thursday the Oklahoma Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a state workers compensation commission established by major reforms last year does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate claims for injuries occurring prior to the commission’s effective date. The decision means that Oklahoma may be running two distinct workers compensation systems for many years to come. It…
Component Medicine: The Medical Team Will See You Now
It was an unmistakable conclusion from the 8 hour Medical Institute program that was part of the IAIABC 2014 Forum two weeks ago. Across multiple sessions ranging from Opioid abuse to insurance reform; physician dispensing to medical marijuana, one thing was clear. Medicine in this country is headed for an abrupt change, and the way…