Quote of the day
“You are hemorrhaging money right now. There are so many problems … you have to bring in people who know enough about this to help the Medicaid division do that … it’s a very complex industry.”
Linda Cahn, national drug-pricing consultant, to Ohio General Assembly’s Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee
Dispatch opinion: Fight for fair prescription contracts goes on as Ohio is ‘hemorrhaging money’
Pharmacy benefit managers in state-run health-care programs are bleeding the state dry, argues the Columbus Dispatch editorial board. The heart of the problem has been the secrecy under which PBMs operate. ‘Spread pricing’ added up to $224 million for two PBMs operating in Ohio in 2017. Columbus Dispatch
Contractor sentenced in deaths of two employees in Boston trench collapse
The owner of a Massachusetts drain services business was sentenced to two years in a correctional facility in connection with the drownings of two employees in an October 2016 trench collapse in Boston. The two men were killed when the walls collapsed and a nearby hydrant ruptured, overwhelming them with a rush of water. Prosecutors contended the company falsified training paperwork, while the defense tried to blame the city for failing to maintain the hydrant. WBZ (Boston) [with video]
New York bill would classify ride-share drivers as employees
Currently, Uber and Lyft drivers are considered contractors for their companies, meaning they aren’t entitled to minimum wage, overtime pay requirements or workers’ comp, but two new bills in the New York legislature would change that. The measures will be considered in January. WHEC (Rochester, N.Y.)
New York: Cortland votes for new workers’ comp plan
Cortland, New York officials have voted in favor of joining onto a new workers’ compensation plan worked out by the county, specifically through the Public Employer Risk Management Association. WXHC (Homer, N.Y.)