Frankly, it's about damn time. A doctor in Southern California has been sentenced to a minimum of 30 years to life in prison for over-prescribing drugs that caused the fatal overdose of three of her patients. It is the first murder conviction of its kind in the country. We need some more of those. Killing…
Who Will Lead the National Conversation on Workers' Compensation?
I was speaking with a state workers' compensation regulator recently, when our conversation turned to a number of the issues facing the workers' comp industry these days. We spoke about ProPublica, Opt Out and legal challenges to exclusive remedy that the industry is facing. We talked about the regulatory challenges the states are confronting. And…
Workers' and Feces and Bombs, Oh My! What’s a Guy Got to do to Get Fired Around Here??
I have been an employer for many years now, and over the course of my somewhat varied career I have encountered many strange and unique tales. In fact, it is easy to assume that after 30 plus years of professional management, almost 17 of them in workers' compensation, one might be honestly able to say…
Getting Yelled At By Angry Idiots
Okay, the people yelling at me weren't really idiots; but they were angry. It is just that after an extended time of steady abuse, they all seemed like idiots. Or ingrates. But they really weren't. Many of them were pretty pleasant, despite the issues they encountered. The angry ones were just people who were rightfully…
This Pig Needs More Than Lipstick; Workers' Comp Opt Out Needs a Transparency Makeover
There is an old saying that you should never put lipstick on a pig, as it does not make it beautiful, and it just annoys the pig. However, after this week's unexpected potential setback for Opt Out supporters in Tennessee, me thinks that hog could be headed for a complete makeover. I wouldn't be surprised…
Tennessee Opting Out of Opt Out – The Bill is Dead for This Year
Yesterday afternoon the Tennessee House Consumer Affairs Committee cancelled a hearing related to proposed workers' compensation Opt Out legislation, and took the bill off “notice”. That means it has been removed from the legislative calendar for this year and likely will not come up for a vote. This represents the second failure for SB721 and…
It's Official: For Workers' Comp Florida Supremes Will Stahl in 2016
The Florida Supreme Court has announced it will hear arguments in the case Daniel Stahl v. Hialeah Hospital. The Stahl case confronts the elimination of elements of partial disability benefits, and is yet another case challenging the exclusive remedy protections of the Florida workers' compensation system. It looks as though we can honestly say that…
On Losing Pets and Managing Impairment
It has been a tough month at our house. I wrote a couple weeks ago about losing Coal, our blind and toothless cat that inspired us with his ability to overcome whatever obstacle came before him. In previous articles about Coal, I mentioned a second cat we had adopted with him, named Big Bang (we…
Bob’s Fat and Wheezy Yoga Program for Workers' Compensation
I have long thought that the workers' compensation industry would be wise to seriously investigate the efficacy and potential benefits of alternative treatment protocols to better improve our medical outcomes. Our industry, being essentially a medical management entity, generally follows the tradition of western medicine in poo-pooing those alternative services, often considered of “eastern” origin.…
Unmonitored Workers' Comp Systems Leadeth to Temptation
“On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” -Luke 22:40 While I firmly believe that people are largely good and honest, I recognize weakness and temptation as elements of the human condition. Former Oklahoma Congressman J.C. Watts used to quote his grandfather as saying, “Character is doing…