Quote of the day
"There has got to be a middle ground between technology and people. Whoever gets that right is going to do well in this business."
Mark Noonan of Marsh USA, discussion moderator at the at the National Workers' Compensation and Disability Conference in Chicago, on the issue of processes versus outcomes in workers' comp management
Crescent City Officer Cops to Post-Katrina Workers’ Comp Fraud
A former New Orleans police officer admits to defrauding the city of more than $8,000 in workers’ compensation claims after Hurricane Katrina. The city classified him as having a temporary, total disability, but he became a self-employed contractor repairing hurricane-damaged homes. New Orleans Times-Picayune
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Committee Recommends Group Discount Cut
Following weeks of uncertainty, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation announced that its actuarial committee will recommend a 3 percentage-point reduction in the group discount for next year.
Go to the full story in the Dayton Business Journal
Go to the full story by Dan Provance, Toledo Blade
Oklahoma Labor Commissioner Says Jockeys Need Workers’ Comp
Oklahoma State Labor Commissioner Lloyd Fields tells the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission that the state’s four racetracks need to ensure there is adequate workers’ compensation coverage for people hired by horse trainers. Fields says the state Labor Department is investigating claims that some horse trainers do not offer workers’ comp insurance for their employees. By AP via KSWO-TV
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North Dakota A.G. Investigates Possible Open Meetings Violation
The North Dakota attorney general’s office is looking into whether the Workforce Safety and Insurance board violated state open meetings laws. An attorney contends the WSI board might have used a closed meeting to talk about retaliation against employees who have asked for whistleblower protection for exposing possible illegal activity. By AP via KXMC-TV (Minot)
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N.D. County Suspected WSI Spokesman Concealed Documents
Investigators seized a journal kept by a North Dakota workers’ compensation official because they suspected him of tampering with public records as the state explored allegations of wrongdoing by agency officials. By Patrick Springer, Fargo Forum
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‘In Defense of the Workers’ Comp Process’
Insurance executives recently faced tough questions from a skeptical audience at the National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Conference in Chicago, leading to a back-and-forth discussion on how to add a human touch to tech-driven workers’ comp processes. By Dan Reynolds, Risk and Insurance
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