Insight, analysis & opinion from Joe Paduda
While workers’ comp premiums have been increasing steadily for two years, the industry is still not profitable. Why not? There are a bunch of pluses and minuses influencing profitability; premiums were up 7 percent in 2012, driven by higher rates … Continue reading Workers’ comp rates are up, but still no profit.
Read More...More discussion over macro factors driving workers comp – the always energetic Bob Hartwig Ph.D. followed Dennis Mealy. Hartwig was his typically rapid-fire self, dispensing insights, quick takes on economic data, the impact of catastrophes and myriad other topics faster … Continue reading Bob Hartwig on macro factors – drinking from the firehose
Read More...Perhaps the best-produced workers’ comp conference is the annual issues symposium (AIS), held in Orlando each May. The 800+ attendees got together last night for a pre-conference cocktail party in blessedly comfortable weather; the mood was upbeat, positive, and optimistic, … Continue reading NCCI – happy days are….
Read More...The good folk at WCRI were kind enough to send me their latest CompScope research which covers workers’ comp cost drivers, components, the impact of regulatory changes, and trends in 16 states. Needless to say, there’s a LOT there. And … Continue reading WCRI’s latest research says…
Read More...[see update below] Now that the Supreme Court has handed down the final word on the PPACA, we can stop speculating and start thinking thru how it will effect workers comp. Overall, this is good news. That may not sit … Continue reading UPDATE – Health reform, the Supreme Court decision and workers comp
Read More...There’s precious little good news on the subject of opioid overuse in work comp; NCCI and WCRI report increased usage, pill mills abound, CWCI’s research shows longer disability durations, and payers lament their inability to do much of anything to … Continue reading Progress on opioids – Texas leads the way
Read More...Greg Jones’ recent articles in WorkCompCentral highlight the inherent problem in the debate in California around UR; there’s little data on which to base any assessment, much less draw conclusions. Moreover, the data that is available is not consistent; there … Continue reading UR – we aren’t ready to have the conversation yet
Read More...While construction is still in the dumps, there’s been a remarkable recovery in what was once thought to be a gone-forever industry – mining. While the mineral mines in Michigan, oil shale projects in North Dakota, copper mining in the … Continue reading New risks in workers comp – the rise of mining
Read More...We’re drinking from the firehose that is Bob Hartwig’s annual discussion of economic factors affecting the property and casualty industry. His presentation was – as usual – high energy and entertaining. Example – noting that a Greek default would have … Continue reading Hartwig’s take; the economy and P&C insurance
Read More...This was the tenth year NCCI Chief Actuary Dennis Mealy gave the State of the Line presentation (I’ll post the link when it’s available). Claim frequency – on an adjusted basis – was down slightly (a single point). This continues … Continue reading NCCI – the state of the line 2012
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