Insight, analysis & opinion from Joe Paduda
OK, here’s a post for the workers comp folks, laden with industry acronyms and inside scoop.
I’m at the AmComp annual meeting; its in Chicago this year, ably hosted by Aon. There was a particularly interesting session yesterday on underwriting in a soft workers comp market, moderated by Kathy Muedder of Selective. Rob Purdy of AIG’s American Home, Karl Amidon of Aon’s reinsurance group, and Bob McFadden of Munich Re America were on the panel. Here’s the report.
My post on the efforts by WCPA and others to roll back parts of the NY workers comp reforms has generated a lot of criticism by individuals who appear to consider themselves advocates for the injured worker.
My motives, intelligence, experience, and perspective have all been questioned, with varying degrees of civility. The personal assaults are not helpful nor are they constructive.
The efforts by third party billers and their partners to overturn a key part of the NY workers comp reform package appear to be gathering strength. Two legislators have introduced a bill that would kill the ability of payers to direct injured workers to specific pharmacies.
The rationale, that the pharmacies would somehow deny scripts, is ludicrous.
If you want to know why you are getting more physician bills with meds on them, it’s simple – physician dispensing generates big profits.
The comp managed care marketplace has been changing rapidly, and no company has been more affected than CorVel. It looks like the company has decided to switch rather than fight.
Why?
Coventry’s workers comp business appears to be going through some interesting changes, especially in case management.
I think I’m starting to figure this out.
Workers comp managed care firm CorVel is once again on the acquisition trail. Schaffer Companies, a Baltimore TPA, was acquired by CorVel with the deal announced yesterday. This deal follows by several months the company’s purchase of California TPA Hazelrigg, a deal that had many in the industry doing a collective head scratch.
A reader posted a very insightful comment on my post regarding hospital overypayments in workers comp.
Her point? “overpayments to hospitals and other providers whom participate in PPO’s are not necessarily accidental or unintentional.”
She is right, and the explanation should give any PA workers comp payer or employer pause.
It is well worth a read.
Texas just released workers comp medical payment data for 2005 and 2006. There’s some really great stuff here.
I finally cracked the latest Health Affairs, and immediately found myself engrossed in Gerald Anderson’s piece on hospital pricing trends (paid subscription required for entire article).
While the article is focused on self-pay patients, the implications for workers comp payers are striking. And this isn’t some academic exercise, we’re talking serious money.
Continue reading Hospital overpayments in workers comp – part 2