Things you should know

Posted on by davidrleng

‘Safety at Heights’: ISEA launches campaign on fall protection, dropped objects prevention

ISEA’s SafetyAtHeights.org website provides educational resources for employers and workers, including:

  • Facts about dropped objects and workplace deaths and injuries
  • A list of job hazards that workers and employers should be aware of
  • Downloadable PDFs of ISEA and ANSI safety standards
  • Links to more than a dozen online safety resources

Proposed rule to amend trucker hours-of-service regs slated for publication in June

A proposed rule intended to add flexibility to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration hours-of-service regulations for commercial truck drivers will be published in early June, according to a Department of Transportation regulatory update released in May.

ISHN magazine publishes 2019 Readers’ Choice Award winners for best PPE and safety equipment products

For the seventh year in a row, the Industrial Safety and Hygiene News published its Readers’ Choice Awards for the best occupational health and safety products from 2019.

Stressed out: Survey shows almost half of workers have cried at work

Work-related stress has driven nearly half of full-time employees in the U.S.to tears, results of a recent survey, 2019 Behavioral Health Report, show. Researchers from Ginger, an on-demand behavioral health services provider, assessed more than 1200 workers’ experiences with behavioral health and their employer-provided benefits. 48% of survey respondents said on-the-job stress has made them cry at work. In addition, 83% said they experienced stress at work at least once a week.

Among workers younger than 40, 45% reported “extreme stress” – defined as experiencing stress on a daily basis. Women were more likely to cry at work, but 36% of men acknowledged crying at work because of stress. Generation Z and millennials are more likely to miss work because of stress.

Reattaching to work before clocking in may improve engagement, health: study

Visualizing and planning for your workday may lead to better engagement and well-being, results of a recent study indicate.

Food truck safety resources spotlight propane hazards

WorkSafeBC has published a safety bulletin and blog post intended to help food truck owners and workers avoid hazards associated with propane tanks.

State News

California

  • Findings from The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) CompScope Benchmarks for California, 19th Edition, showed higher litigation expenses than other states. Total costs per all paid claims were higher than most study states for 2015 claims with an average of 36 months of experience, mainly driven by a higher percentage of claims with more than seven days of lost time.

Florida

  • Florida Gov. DeSantis signed into law a bill that allows firefighters diagnosed with any of 21 types of cancer to receive disability and death benefits outside of the workers’ compensation system. Senate Bill 426 will allow firefighters to receive medical treatment for their condition with no out-of-pocket expenses.
  • The WCRI CompScope Benchmarks for Florida, 19th Edition, shows that two 2016 Supreme Court decisions continue to affect the workers compensation system, but despite an uptick in indemnity benefits per claim, the comp system costs are in line with other states. The cost driver for the increase in indemnity benefits was a jump in lump-sum settlement payments per claim.

Illinois

  • The Workers’ Compensation Commission launched a new case docket website, which was built to work on mobile devices and tablets.
  • The Governor has signed into law Senate Bill 1596, which will allow tort claims to be filed after the state’s occupational-disease statute of limitation expires.
  • The WCRI CompScope Benchmarks for Illinois, 19th Edition, shows the average total cost of a workers’ compensation claim remained higher than most states, driven by high attorney involvement and high medical-legal costs. The report also shows more lump-sum settlements than most other states, and the share of claims paid in lump sums continues to rise every year.

Indiana

  • A new law, H.B. 1341, increasing the maximum penalty to $132,598 from $70,000 for each worker death resulting from an employer knowingly violating safety regulations, goes into effect July 1.

Massachusetts

  • Two key deadlines critical to the implementation of the Massachusetts Paid Family Medical Leave law (PFML) have been extended. Employers have until June 30, 2019 to provide written notice to covered individuals of their rights and obligations under the PFML. Also, businesses will now have until September 20, 2019 to file an application for a private plan exemption.
  • Massachusetts’ workers’ compensation fraud investigators in 2018 referred 256 cases for prosecution, the most ever in a single year, according to a local news station.

Michigan

  • Medical marijuana is now available to patients immediately after receiving online approval. The approval email may be used as a temporary substitute for a valid registry card in order to obtain their medication.
  • Michigan’s attorney general launched a new enforcement unit to prosecute worker misclassification and wage theft by employers.
  • Michigan State University College of Human Medicine has launched a campaignintended to raise awareness of work-related asthma.

Minnesota

  • The Workers’ Compensation Division released a draft of the latest implementation guideline for its electronic data interchange, which is expected to be mandated in August 2020.
  • Minneapolis’ Sick and Safe Ordinance extends to any employee who performs at least 80 hours of work per benefit year in the City of Minneapolis, even if his or her employer is not located within the city’s limits, the Minnesota Court of Appeals has held in Minnesota Chamber of Commerce v. Minneapolis.

Missouri

  • The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) continues to expand the use of Box Account, a virtual mailbox. The Attorney General’s Labor Unit recently began using Box to file Answers to Workers’ Compensation Claims filed by injured state employees.

New York

  • New York City has enacted a law prohibiting New York City employers from requiring prospective employees to submit to testing for the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana. The new law, the first of its kind in the United States, became effective on May 10, 2019.

Pennsylvania

  • The WCRI CompScope Benchmarks for Pennsylvania, 19th Edition, showed the average total cost of a workers’ compensation claim is among the highest of 18 states studied, with litigation costs a key driver of higher overall benefit delivery expenses.

Tennessee

  • A new amendment to Tennessee’s Healthy Workplace Act may offer employers protection from lawsuits for mental anguish. The new amendment became effective April 23rd when Governor Bill Lee signed H.B.856 into law expanding coverage to include private employers.

Wisconsin

  • By executive order, the Governor has authorized the creation of a joint enforcement task force on payroll fraud and worker misclassification. The DWD’s Worker Classification website is available here.

For Cutting-Edge Strategies on Managing Risks and Slashing Insurance Costs visit www.StopBeingFrustrated.com

Things you should know

Posted on by davidrleng

CDC: Half of workplaces offer health/wellness programs

Almost half of all U.S. worksites offered some type of health promotion or wellness program in 2017, according to a new study, Workplace Health in America 2017. This was the first government survey of workplace health promotion programs in 13 years.

Nationally, almost 30 percent of worksites offered some type of program to address physical activity, fitness, or sedentary behavior. Some 19 percent of worksites offered a program to help employees stop using tobacco products, and about 17 percent of worksites offered a program to address obesity or weight management.

FMCSA delays publication of proposed rule to amend trucker hours-of-service regs

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has delayed until further notice the publication of a proposed rule intended to add flexibility to hours-of-service regulations for commercial truck drivers. The proposed rule remains under the Office of Management and Budget review.

NLRB gives employers greater discretion to limit union activity on their premises

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently issued a decision in UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside that reverses a longstanding precedent and holds that employers no longer have to allow nonemployee union representatives access to public areas of their property unless (1) the union has no other means of communicating with employees or (2) the employer discriminates against the union by allowing access to similar groups.

Study: Energy drinks take toll on heart health

Popular caffeine-packed beverages could affect heart rhythm, according to a new study. Research findings of a recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (AHA) confirm the short-term risk consumers take when consuming energy drinks. Drinking 32 oz. of an energy drink in a 60-minute timeframe directly affected the heart rhythm of the study’s participants, a result bolstered by previous research.

State News

California

  • The Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board is planning to reorganize its Rules of Practice and Procedure, and is seeking comments from system users about other changes that it should consider. Comments can be sent to WCABRules@dir.ca.gov.

Georgia

  • A new law, the Georgia Long-Term Care Background Check Program will take effect Oct. 1, requiring nursing home and other long-term care workers to submit to extensive background checks.

Illinois

  • Illinois became the 11th state to legalize recreational marijuana.

Massachusetts

  • More changes to three key deadlines for the Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) law.
    • September 30, 2019 – Employers and covered business entities are required to post a notice and provide written notice to their current workforce.
    • October 1, 2019 – Payroll withholdings begin for the October 1 to December 31 quarter.
    • December 20, 2019 – Deadline to file for a private plan exemption for first quarter contributions.
    • January 31, 2020 – First quarterly contribution payment due through MassTaxConnect.

Michigan

  • The governor issued an executive order creating a separate workers’ compensation appeals commission. The action separates the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Commission from the Workers’ Disability Compensation Appeals Commission.

Minnesota

  • Enacted detailed new recordkeeping requirements for employers, effective July 1, 2019, and wage theft protections for employees, effective August 1, 2019. For more information.
  • Department of Labor and Industry is urging all employers to examine their safety programs, after a spike in reported amputations this year.

Missouri

  • Department of Labor is offering confidential safety and health consultations aimed at helping employers build safer workplaces. Businesses must have no more than 250 employees at any one site, and fewer than 500 total employees, to qualify.

New York

  • The Workers’ Compensation Board formally adopted its drug formulary and prescribing rules for injured workers, set to go into effect Jan. 5, 2020.

Tennessee

  • Rejecting the strict “ABC” test adopted by its appellate court, that state has enacted a new law (H.B. 539) adopting a 20-factor test to determine employee-versus-independent contractor status. The new law becomes effective January 1, 2020.
  • An NCCI study found that prescription drug utilization decreased across all categories, regardless of whether they required prior authorization. After the Official Disability Guidelines Workers’ Compensation Drug Formulary was adopted, the utilization of N-drugs, which require prior authorization, dropped by 23.2%.

Virginia

  • On July 1, 2019, a new amendment to Virginia Code Section 8.01-413.1 will take effect, requiring all employers to provide copies of employment records to employees upon written request.


For Cutting-Edge Strategies on Managing Risks and Slashing Insurance Costs visit www.StopBeingFrustrated.com

Highlights of the 2019 NCCI Symposium

Posted on by davidrleng

Each year, the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), which gathers data, analyzes industry trends and legislation, and prepares insurance rate and loss cost recommendations, holds an Issues Symposium. The theme of the program is always described in one word that describes the current workers’ compensation environment.

Bill Donnell, president and CEO, identified the 2019 word as “delivering.” “…we should never, never lose the thought that we deliver for injured workers. So this idea of delivering on a 100-year-old promise is a very powerful statement. It distinguishes workers’ compensation from other safety nets.” A short,compelling video, Back to Work: The Faces of Workers Compensation, told the story of how workers comp supported four employees to find the strength and commitment to recover from devastating injuries. Focusing on and motivating the person behind the injury is key to successful outcomes.

State of the Line

Presented by NCCI’s chief actuary, Kathy Antonello, highlights of the State of the Lineinclude:

  • Net written premiums for private carriers rose from 39.8 to 43.2 billion. Most of this increase can be attributed to tax law changes and carriers keeping the money onshore.
  • While payroll increased, this was offset by lower rates so the overall direct written premium was flat 2017 vs 2018.
  • Workers compensation combined ratios decreased 6% from 89% to 83%. 2018 was the lowest workers’ compensation combined ratio on record since the 1930s. This was attributed to the improvement in the underlying loss ratios as a result of underwriting discipline in a low-interest environment.
  • California, Illinois, and Florida saw an overall decrease in premiums as declining premiums offset increased payroll.
  • Overall reserve position for carriers is $5 billion redundancy. “A redundant workers’ compensation reserve position has not been observed in at least 25 years.”
  • In 2018, every NCCI state except Hawaii saw rate decreases. The most significant was Tennessee with a 19% decrease.
  • Indemnity claim severity in NCCI states increased 3%.
  • Medical lost time severity increased 1%.
  • Accident claim frequency decreased by 1%. This is the lowest decrease since 2011. The tight labor market, which means less qualified, younger, and more deconditioned workers in the workforce, could have contributed to the lower decline in frequency. Carriers also saw an increase in slip/fall claims due to the harsher winter in 2018.

Can this good news continue is a common question. While there is no way to predict the future, NCCI CEO Bill Donnell speculated that large swings might be mitigated by two factors. Improved analytics and faster access to data allow stakeholders to see the impact of their decisions and quickly make corrections, and investment in competencies around core processes, such as claims handling, underwriting, and reserving processes add to stability.

On the other hand, the regulatory landscape always has a big impact on the workers’ compensation world, as well as domestic and global affairs. Issues such as marijuana, opioids, opt-out, and post-traumatic stress disorder loom large in states, and the lack of infrastructure spending and a trade war with China could spell bad news for the comp industry looking forward.

Recent studies

Barry Lipton, Practice Leader and Senior Actuary for NCCI discussed a variety of recent NCCI studies .

Key takeaways:

  • Group Health (GH) vs. Workers’ Comp (WC) pricing: Costs for physician services are 77% higher in WC than GH. Price differences were mainly driven by the quantity of services not fees for service. On average, WC prices were about 12% higher per service than GH. However, WC performed 60% more services on similar injuries than GH.
  • NCCI Experience Rating Modification: Mods are good predictors of loss outcomes across all industries and Mod types. NCCI sees opportunities to improve predictive power and accuracy and is undertaking a major review of the system.
  • Mega claims: The number of mega claims (over $10 million) reported in 2017 and 2018 has dropped back down to long-term average values from an uptick in 2016. However, it remains a top concern and more studies are expected.

Physicians’ view of workers compensation

A panel discussion highlighted the challenges physicians face in working within the workers’ comp system. There is a dearth of occupational medicine physicians in the US (3300) and occupational medicine is not part of education in most medical schools. Many treating physicians don’t understand the medical benefits of work and the effects on patients who are out of work for extended periods of time.

Both primary care and occupational medicine physicians have substantial recordkeeping requirements, discouraging specialization in these areas for other more financially rewarding areas. Moreover, case management time is often not billable. Payers and patients complain that they are not getting enough information. Too much time is spent filling out the forms on the computer, which often means clicking boxes rather than a narrative.

Quality of care, return to work, and medical outcomes do not get the priority they should. Network referral requirements can prohibit the best care options. Telemedicine is gaining traction in the group health setting but much less in workers’ compensation and some feel it is best used for follow-up in comp. Personal interaction can keep the return to work messaging on track.

Opioid use and excess physical therapy are the biggest cost drivers on workers’ compensation claims. Other factors include co-morbid conditions, mental disorders, and legal involvement.

Takeaway: Good occupational medicine physicians are a valuable asset. Take time to understand the challenges they face and the best way to work with them.

Other presentations

For more information.

For Cutting-Edge Strategies on Managing Risks and Slashing Insurance Costs visit www.StopBeingFrustrated.com

Things you should know

Posted on by davidrleng

2018 WorkComp Benchmark Study released

The sixth annual Workers’ Compensation Benchmarking Study Report by Rising Medical Solutions, Inc. focuses on key issues influencing medical management performance and the most potent strategies to address these issues.

BLS report: Fatal injuries remain over 5,000

The number of fatal work injuries dropped slightly in 2017 to 5,147 down from 5,190 in 2016. Fatal falls were at their highest level in the 26-year history of the BLS’s reporting, accounting for 17.2% of employee deaths, while transportation incidents again account for the most deaths with 2,077, or 40.4%.

In 2017, 15.1% of fatally injured workers were age 65 or over – a series high. The number of deaths among Hispanic or Latino workers rose 2.7% to 903 in 2017.

Report: Injured restaurant workers miss an average of 30 days

AmTrust Financial Services Inc., a provider of workers compensation insurance, took a deep dive into common restaurant injuries, lost time, industry loss ratio trends and how to implement loss control best practices in its report, Restaurant Risk Report. Cafés and coffee shops had the highest lost time, on average 45% more time lost than all other restaurant types. Wrist injuries are the biggest danger for coffee shop workers, with “barista wrist” resulting in an average of 366 days to return to work.

Study: Musculoskeletal injuries to long-haul truck drivers

Nearly half of all musculoskeletal injuries reported by long-haul truck drivers are to their arms, backs or necks – the majority being sprains and strains – according to a recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Drivers most often were injured because of a fall (38.9 percent) or contact with an object or equipment (33.7 percent).

Of those injured, 53 percent required time away from work, at a rate of 355.4 incidents per 10,000 full-time workers, which is more than double those of other hazardous professions. The researchers said the study suggests the need for injury prevention and interventions and ways to improve recovery when injuries occur.

Report ranks states by risk of violence from Black Friday

A report ranking states by risk of violence during Black Friday was recently released by Reviews.org. Included in the report are the employers that have the most incidents during Black Friday.

State News

Florida

  • Department of Economic Opportunity announced that the statewide average weekly wage paid to injured workers by employers will be $939 starting Jan. 1.

Minnesota

  • A total of 101 fatal work-injuries were recorded in Minnesota in 2017, an increase from the 92 fatal work-injuries in 2016 and 74 fatal work-injuries in 2015. More information

Missouri

  • The Department of Insurance is recommending a 3.5 percent decrease in workers’ compensation insurance loss costs for 2019, the fifth year in a row rates will decrease.

New York

North Carolina

  • The Workers’ Compensation Research Institute’s (WCRI) Benchmark shows that medical payments per workers’ comp claim decreased significantly since 2013, falling 6 percent each year through 2016.
  • The Industrial Commission has finalized settlement agreement rules, The “Group 2” rules aimed to clean up some inconsistent language and streamline the settlement process, as well as clarify wording relating to attorney’s fees. The rules took effect Jan. 1.
  • The Commission approved Group 1 rule changes, which took effect Dec. 1. Medical motions, responses and appeals on medical motions must be submitted electronically and must include the opposing party’s position on the matter.

Pennsylvania

  • Insurance commissioner approved two loss cost reductions that together will amount to a 14.74% decrease, starting Jan. 1. Loss costs are one of many factors that determine premiums for workers’ comp insurance.
  • Department of Labor and Industry reported that the maximum compensation rate will rise by 2.3%, to $1,049 per week, starting Jan. 1. It’s website offers a chart to determine compensation based on the employee’s average weekly wage.
  • Department of Labor and Industry announced that it has adopted the Red Book, published by Truven Health Analytics, to determine the average wholesale price of prescription drugs.

For Cutting-Edge Strategies on Managing Risks and Slashing Insurance Costs visit www.StopBeingFrustrated.com

Important takeaways from recent studies and reports

Posted on by davidrleng

Outlook for workers’ comp is stable, but rising medical and legal costs and payroll threaten profits – AM Best Co. Inc.

Currently, AM Best has a stable outlook on the U.S. workers’ compensation industry, the largest component of the U.S. commercial lines segment. However, the well-known rating agency sees some threatening headwinds that can alter the industry’s course. In 2017, growing payrolls helped offset rate decreases and overall soft-market conditions, according to the report. The agency believes that the use of technology, which has provided greater insights into underwriting, pricing and claims decisions, has helped support the line’s health and will continue to do so.

Despite the positive results, AM Best believes the trend of declining rates likely will trigger profit margin compression, possibly as soon as 2019. Unemployment has decreased steadily since 2010; however, AM Best notes that long unemployment rate declines typically are followed by sharp spikes in unemployment, and believes that workers’ compensation writers should be prepared for a downside scenario as well.

In addition, while there has been a decline in loss frequency, medical cost inflation, as well as the potential for accelerating frequency if employers hire less-qualified candidates are a concern. Rising medical loss cost severity, the declining benefit from prior accident year reserve redundancies and high average settlements on cases stemming from attorneys’ growing involvement and litigation, also put pressure on pricing.

Employer takeaway: The report is good news about the stability of rates in the short term. It also provides insights as to how insurers will be evaluating risk. The continued growth of technology in underwriting and pricing means that a company’s risk profile is critical. Insurance companies have become quite sophisticated and rates will be based on their perception of your risk. The way to get the best rates is to improve your risk profile – not bidding and quoting. There are trends and claims that are red flags for underwriters, including claim severity, high medical costs, and excessive attorney involvement. If you have claims in these categories, it’s a good idea to document special circumstances as well as actions taken to prevent future occurrences.

Employee care concern and satisfaction -WCRI

An average of 10.5% of workers across 15 states never return to work as the result of a workplace injury, and an average of 16.7% reported difficulties getting the health services they wanted or their physicians requested, according to Comparing Outcomes for Injured Workers reports by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). Telephone interviews were conducted with close to 10,000 injured workers from 15 states who were hurt at work between 2010 and 2014. The workers interviewed live in Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Florida, Iowa, Indiana, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

Among the findings:

  • An average of 10.5% of workers across 15 states never return to work as the result of a workplace injury, and an average of 16.7% reported difficulties getting the health services they wanted or their physicians requested.
  • Between 12% and 21% of injured workers reported “big problems” getting the service they or their primary provider wanted, with 10 of the states falling in the 17% to 18% range. Pennsylvania had the lowest rate of 12%.
  • Between 11% and 20% reported being “very dissatisfied” with their care.
  • Thirteen percent of workers said they did not return to work for at least a month after their injury.
  • Between 6% and 11% of injured workers report a significant loss of income due to injury at the time of the interview.

Employer takeaway: The data reinforces the message that employers must be proactive and vigilant in managing workers’ comp. This is not new “news” – recovery-at-work programs, medical management best practices, and open lines of communications among all stakeholders are the cornerstones of a successful program.

First-ever industry breakdown of drug use in the American workforce – Quest

Quest, a leading drug-testing provider, announces the rate of positive drug test results annually based on an analysis of 10 million urine tests. The new data marks the first time Quest has broken it down by industry.

The rate of positive test results for illicit drugs was highest in retail (5.3%), health care and social assistance (4.7%), and real estate rental and leasing (4.6%) sectors in 2017, while the utilities (2.8%) and finance and insurance (2.6%) sectors had the lowest rates. Drug use by the workforce increased each year, and by double-digits over the two years between 2015 and 2017, in five of 16 major U.S. industry sectors analyzed. The highest rates were in consumer-facing industries.

Marijuana was the most commonly detected substance, with the highest drug positivity rate of all drug classes across the majority of industry sectors. Marijuana positivity was highest in accommodation and food services, at 3.5 percent in 2017, more than 34 percent higher than the national positivity rate of 2.6 percent for the general U.S. workforce.

Employer takeaway: With low unemployment and tight job markets as well as legalized recreational marijuana in many states, many employers have dropped pre-employment drug tests for positions that aren’t safety sensitive. The analysis suggests that employers can’t assume that workforce drug use isn’t an issue in their industry. Employers are responsible for ensuring the safety of workers, customers, and members of the general public and this is one of the more vexing areas. Review your written drug policies, clearly communicate expectations and company rules to all employees, and be sure supervisors know how to recognize signs of impairment.

For Cutting-Edge Strategies on Managing Risks and Slashing Insurance Costs visit www.StopBeingFrustrated.com