Insight, analysis & opinion from Joe Paduda
Yikes! A year has passed (good riddance!), and it’s time to own up to how I did on my annual predictions for workers’ comp – and stuff that will drive WC. A view inside HSA’s intergalactic headquarters’ predictive analytics department… … Continue reading Predictions for 2023…how’d I do?
Read More...It’s that time of year…when the brilliant minds at WCRI release the latest CompScope report. The top finding…is likely to surprise many… Couple observations: yes, this was during COVID….medical costs during COVID were LOWER, not higher than previous in previous … Continue reading CompScope is up…medical costs are not.
Read More...Wonder why that office visit/imaging study/minor surgery/diagnostic test costs twice what it did last year? Partly/mostly because the physician practice was acquired by a health system or big hospital…which – under current Federal law – allows the new owner to upcharge … Continue reading Medical costs are going up because…
Read More...The Tar Heel State is the latest to expand access to Medicaid, a move that will drastically improve the health of 600,000 (!!!) North Carolinians and financial stability of dozens of hospitals and hundreds of other care providers. 40 states … Continue reading Yay North Carolina!
Read More...Isn’t a problem. In most states. Today. That is the headline takeaway from WCRI’s presentation last week… First a few key factors. Drug spend is a much lower percentage of total medical today than it was a decade ago. I’m … Continue reading Medical inflation in work comp…
Read More...Loyal readers know I hold myself accountable…if I call out others, I need to do the same for my own errors and misjudgments. also – I dumped my Twitter account and moved to Threads – joe_paduda is the handle. so … Continue reading 2023 predictions for workers’ comp – how am I doing? part 2
Read More...Basics here folks… Facility costs soak up 2 out of every 5 dollars of work comp medical spend. “Physician” costs take up another 2 bucks…however that is misleading. In NCCI-speak, “physician” is a catch-all for most practitioners…MDs, DOs, PTs, chiropractors, … Continue reading the basics of price and spend in work comp medical…
Read More...Back from the boys’ annual mountain biking trip…this one to Hurricane Utah. Great riding in a beautiful area… Okay, at last week’s NCCI conference we learned workers’ comp insurance is earning insurers record profits…despite continued drops in claims frequency, rater … Continue reading This won’t last.
Read More...WCRI is out with its latest inventory of state regulations re prescription drug management. This is a must-have for claims execs, managed care leaders, medical directors and risk managers…pricing, utilization review, opioid management, formularies and PBM regs are all covered. … Continue reading Stuff I missed while my server was down…drugs, profiteering hospitals
Read More...and for the first time in forever I’m not there…apologies to my friends at WCRI; a Board meeting conflicted with this year’s annual meeting. Good news is the estimable Stuart Colburn Esq. provided an excellent summary of the session on … Continue reading WCRI kicks off…
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