Insight, analysis & opinion from Joe Paduda
California’s work comp pharmacy formulary process is moving ahead, but I have grave concerns in two areas – timing and cost. (these are my personal concerns and are not intended to represent the views of CompPharma, LLC.) First, timing. The … Continue reading California’s work comp formulary
Read More...Hold on, because this isn’t going to end up where you think it is. The comp insurance business is shrinking. Insurers are increasingly outsourcing claims function to TPAs, and TPAs are looking to move more claim-related activities in-house to capture … Continue reading Work comp is fading, and that’s a big loss.
Read More...“If we didn’t come up with the idea, it isn’t worth considering.” “That can’t be a good idea, we didn’t think of it.” “Why would we listen to anyone from outside our company; we’re the biggest/best/most experienced/industry leader.” Those are just … Continue reading The ignorance of arrogance
Read More...Is the Affordable Care Act lowering workers’ comp medical costs? Sure looks that way. Data from NCCI’s 2016 AIS and HSA clients suggested ACA’s impact was positive and sustained. Flat-to-declining total medical costs over a two-year period that coincided with … Continue reading More and stronger evidence that ACA is reducing workers’ comp costs
Read More...There’s lots of news out there about the Congressional Budget Office’s scoring of the Republican healthcare reform bill known as AHCA; we’ll narrowly focus on what passage of AHCA would mean for workers’ comp – and highlight what’s missing from every … Continue reading AHCA, CBO, and Workers’ Comp
Read More...Several states have seen precipitous decreases in the amount of opioids dispensed per claim. KY, NY, MD, and MI all saw reductions in excess of 35%. In every one of the states WCRI studed, at least 30% of patients with … Continue reading Opioid use in work comp has dropped – and cannabis does reduce chronic pain
Read More...WCRI CEO John Ruser PhD led the final panel discussing the status and future of workers’ comp as the Grand Bargain between employees and employers. Bruce Wood and Emily Spieler PhD sparred over who pays for workers’ comp and tort … Continue reading WCRI – Does the “Grand Bargain” exist? Should it continue to?
Read More...Yesterday’s post prognosticated about macro-drivers of workers comp; employment, investment returns, medical costs. Today’s focus is on what those macro-drivers mean for discrete parts of the work comp world – so here are the next five predictions. 6. Winners will … Continue reading Whither work comp in 2017 – Part Two
Read More...It’s time to polish up the HSA crystal ball and prognosticate on what the next year will bring for workers’ comp. Today we’ll keep it at a high level, examining 5 key drivers that will affect insurers, employers, regulators. Tomorrow we’ll … Continue reading Whither Workers’ comp in 2017?
Read More...Workers comp and Medicaid are intertwined. First, a few factoids about Medicaid. Medicaid accounts for about 17% of US medical spend (work comp is about 1%) It is very state-specific; states have a lot of control over who and what’s covered. … Continue reading Workers comp and Medicaid – Implications aplenty!
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