Quote of the day
"Every day some new technology comes on board, and you need to be proactive in assessing them, be proactive in making them available for the people of the state of Ohio."
Robert Balchick, Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation medical director, who wants to open up the bureau's network of physicians and occupational therapists and expand the types of medicines and treatments that the state will pay for
BWC’s New Medical Director Wants Patient Choice
Injured workers would have a wider choice of doctors and greater access to new medical technology, and businesses would face less government red tape. To people who have experienced a job injury claim handled by the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, this may seem like a dream world, but it’s the vision of Robert Balchick, the bureau’s new medical director. By Julie Carr Smyth, Forbes.com
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Feds: Cinci Lawyer Threatened Doctor for Drugs
Cincinnati lawyer Ken Lawson threatened to harm a local doctor unless he wrote thousands of phony prescriptions for high-powered painkillers, say federal prosecutors. According to the court records, the conspiracy began in 2004, when the lawyer told the physician he was the subject of an investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, but that the lawyer had friends in Columbus who could “fix” the problem for $50,000. By Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer
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Opinion: Kansas Has Not ‘Kept the Faith’
Under the Kansas Workers Compensation Act injured workers with higher paying jobs do not receive a full two-thirds of their wages, because Kansas imposes a maximum benefit rate based upon 75% of the state average wage, currently $529 per week — among the lowest in the nation, and far lower than surrounding states. By Timothy A. Short, Pittsburg Morning Sun
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Employers’ Insurance Needs Mirror Complex Business World
If you own a business, you are almost certainly insured against property loss and injury claims, the time-honored basics of the commercial insurance industry. But are you protected against lawsuits filed against you by your own employees? By Steve Higgins, Business New Haven
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Idaho Regulators Charge Out-of-State Contractor
An out-of-state paving contractor who has been working in northern Idaho since this spring is cited by the Idaho Industrial Commission for failure to carry workers’ compensation insurance. Idaho Business Review
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Australia: Disgruntled Injured Worker Plotted to Destroy Supermarket
A disgruntled worker who planned to destroy a Sydney supermarket after stockpiling chemicals and explosive devices told police that he did not intend to hurt anyone, according to court testimony. The worker had suffered facial injuries during an armed robbery in 2005 and had been living on workers’ compensation. By Harriet Alexander, Sydney Morning Herald [with photo] Go to the Full Story…