Quote of the day
″[Gov. DeWine] had a quote early on that I really latched on to. He said, ‘I want to do as much good as I can with the time that I have.’ And we are working very hard—he moves fast. Keeping up with the governor has been a challenge because he moves very, very fast … trying to address the opioid epidemic, trying to be innovative with regard to safety and come up with new ways to protect injured workers.”
Stephanie McCloud, Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation administrator and CEO
Connecticut workers’ comp costs to drop again next year
The cost of workers’ compensation insurance will drop a sixth consecutive year in Connecticut, as a result of fewer workplace injuries and a resulting lower frequency of claims, according to the state’s insurance department. Workers’ comp premiums have dropped nationally in the past year, with Connecticut employers to see the fourth smallest decrease after Hawaii, West Virginia and Missouri. Montana is seeing the largest average decline at 17.2 percent according to the National Council on Compensation Insurance. The Hour
West Virginia workers’ comp judge suing insurance commissioner
In a lawsuit, West Virginia’s top workers’ compensation judge alleges state officials retaliated against her after she worked to close payment discrepancies between female and male employees in her office. Charleston Gazette-Mail [may require registration]
Oklahoma appeals court rules for injured worker despite positive drug test
Charlie Plumb, a labor and employment attorney, discusses a recent case in which an injured Oklahoma machinist who tested positive for cannabis prevailed in a workers’ compensation claim. What happened? Oklahoman
New Ohio BWC chief running a changed agency
The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, which is the largest of 27 state-run workers’ comp insurance funds and among the top five single-line insurance carriers in the country, led by Stephanie McCloud is very different from the troubled one where she started. Columbus CEO