Saturday, January 12, 2013

9/11 VCF Claims: Motley Rice Attorney to Speak About Claims Process

Vincent I. Parrett

Motley Rice attorney Vince Parrett has been invited to speak to a group of N.J. lawyers and judges at a New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education seminar on Jan. 29, 2013, to discuss “New 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Claims: What Attorneys Need to Know.”

Parrett, who represents 9/11 survivors and victims’ families, has been an advocate for the rights of cancer-stricken 9/11 survivors who were exposed to toxins at the 9/11 crash sites and a strong supporter of the efforts made to allow them to seek compensation under the “New” Victim Compensation Fund (VCF).

In addition to the thousands who lost their lives or were injured during the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, many others were hurt by exposure to environmental toxins that the attacks or cleanup work caused. Signed into law by the President in 2011, The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 broadened the scope of the original September 11^th VCF and expanded eligibility for compensation to first responders, cleanup workers, volunteers and others involved in the rescue and debris removal efforts.

This reactivated VCF began the process of providing economic relief to people who were physically injured or suffered toxic exposure. Among those who might be eligible for compensation are first responders, cleanup workers and residents in the Canal Street area who suffered injuries, illness or death resulting from work or toxic exposure at the World Trade Center, Pentagon or Shanksville, Penn., crash sites.

Most recently, on Sept. 10, 2012, federal authorities added 58 types of cancers to the list of covered illnesses. This action enables first responders and others who were at Ground Zero to receive medical care for certain cancers they developed post-9/11.

Learn more about the Victim Compensation Fund.

Click Here to Register Now: for the January 29, 2013 Seminar

Read More About "9/11 Claims" and Workers' Compensation Law.

9/11 Rescue Workers At Increased Risk for Cancer

Dec 19, 2012

The lawmakers wrote in a September 28th letter to OMB Acting Director Zients, “[W]e all agree that applying sequestration to these two programs [established by the James Zadroga 9-11 Health and Compensation Act] does .

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Federal Government Urged to Protect Zadroga (9/11 Health Fund ...

Oct 19, 2012

Lawmakers Advocate for the Heroes Who Answered the Call of Duty on 9/11 to be Treated With Same Dignity As Military Veterans -- Slashing 9/11 Treatment and Compensation Funds Violates Congressional Intent and ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers' Compensation: NIOSH Announces That 9/11 Cancers Are ...

Sep 11, 2012

The National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety today announce publication of a Rule that will allow for medical treatment coverage for 9/11 cancers suffered by 1st responders and residents of lower Manhattan as a ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers' Compensation: 50 Cancers To Be Covered Under the 9-11 ...

Jun 08, 2012

The New York Times is reporting this afternoon that The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has approved for compensation payments 50 types of cancers from the $4.3 Billion Zadroga 9-11 Fund.

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Medical Outcome Based Compensation - Essentially a Workers' Compensation Concept Already

Outcome Based Medicine Being Adopted by NYC

The idea of compensation medical providers for the end result, or benefits of medical care provided, is not a new concept as it is already embraced theoretically by the workers' compensation system. Employers, who usually control the delivery of medical benenfits, not only pay for medical benenfits, but also compensate the injured worker for the outcome through permanent disability awards.

In actuality the workets' compensation system rewards the employer for the most favorable outcomes by theoretically awarding lower permanent disabillity benenfits to those with the most favorable outcomes.
Adopting this concept to the nation's entire medical care system, is a wise step and one that is being advanced in the New York City Hospital system.

"In a bold experiment in performance pay, complaints from patients at New York City’s public hospitals and other measures of their care — like how long before they are discharged and how they fare afterward — will be reflected in doctors’ paychecks under a plan being negotiated by the physicians and their hospitals."

Click here to read New York Ties Doctors’ Pay to Quality of Care (NY Times)

Our Journey Forward on Occupational Medical Care - Workers ...

Nov 09, 2012

On Tuesday, the American people expressed its support for a unified medical care program that will embrace all aspects of life, including industrial accidents and diseases. They validated, as did the Supreme Court, the ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers' Compensation: Curing the Profit Motive in Health Care

Jan 10, 2013

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

NY Worker's Compensation Board Proposes New Medical - Workers ...

Nov 16, 2012

Adopt the new carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) medical treatment guidelines (MTG) as the standard of care for the treatment of injured workers with carpal tunnel syndrome;; Modify current MTGs to include new maintenance ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers' Compensation 2013 – What Happens on the Other Side of ...

Jan 01, 2013

Medical costs continue to be shifted to other programs including employer based medical care systems and the Federal safety net of Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Administration and Tricare. While a trend continues to ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Friday, January 11, 2013

Florida's Pace is Impressive

David Langham is the Deputy Chief Judge of Compensation Claims for the Florida

Florida's statistical report for case disposition of workers’ compensation claims is very impressive.

" In 2006, the Florida OJCC averaged 485 days between the filing of a petition and the beginning of trial. In 2012, the average was 166 days. In 2006, the Florida OJCC averaged 212 days between petition filing and the first mediation. In 2012, that average was just 88 days. Along the way, the OJCC leveraged technology, brought innovation to the attorneys and other interested parties, and deployed multiple processes that enhanced transparency and therefore efficiency."

The data was reported by David Langham is the Deputy Chief Judge of Compensation Claims for the Florida Office of Judges of Compensation Claims and Division of Administrative Hearings.

To really be impressed, click here to read the Annual Report of the Office of Judges of Compensation 2012.Not only were the statistics demonstrating movement faster than a bullet train, but the transparency of information was stellar.

The Flu: A Compensable Event and Its Complications

Source: US CDC Reports widespread flu activity

For the first time in more than a decade, the seasonal flu is becoming a pandemic that is causing major business disruptions, and illness and death in the workplace. Despite urgent calls from public health officials and declarations of states of emergency, the flu continues to aversely effect businesses and employees throughout the country.

The laxity amongst employers and employees in getting flu vaccinations, a lack of paid sick days, a shortage of medicine to treat the flu and consequences occurring because of poorly designed vaccination programs, may stretch the nations workers' compensation system to new limits.

Take time to get a flu vaccine.

CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses.
While there are many different flu viruses, a flu vaccine protects against the three viruses that research suggests will be most common. (See upcoming season’s Vaccine Virus Selection for this season’s vaccine composition.)
Everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine as soon as thecurrent season's vaccines are available.
Vaccination of high risk persons is especially important to decrease their risk of severe flu illness.
People at high risk of serious flu complications include young children,pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease and people 65 years and older.
Vaccination also is important for health care workers, and other people who live with or care for high risk people to keep from spreading flu to high risk people.
Children younger than 6 months are at high risk of serious flu illness, but are too young to be vaccinated. People who care for them should be vaccinated instead.

Take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)
While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu.
See Everyday Preventive Actions [257 KB, 2 pages] andNonpharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) for more information about actions – apart from getting vaccinated and taking medicine – that people and communities can take to help slow the spread of illnesses like influenza (flu).

Take flu antiviral drugs if your doctor prescribes them.

If you get the flu, antiviral drugs can treat your illness.
Antiviral drugs are different from antibiotics. They are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaled powder) and are not available over-the-counter.
Antiviral drugs can make illness milder and shorten the time you are sick. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For people with high risk factors [702 KB, 2 pages], treatment with an antiviral drug can mean the difference between having a milder illness versus a very serious illness that could result in a hospital stay.
Studies show that flu antiviral drugs work best for treatment when they are started within 2 days of getting sick, but starting them later can still be helpful, especially if the sick person has a high-risk health or is very sick from the flu. Follow your doctor’s instructions for taking this drug.
Flu-like symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people also may have vomiting and diarrhea. People may be infected with the flu, and have respiratory symptoms without a fever.

Read more sbout the "flu" and workers' compensation:

Laboratory Workers and Contacts Warned of Accidental Flu Pandemic

Oct 23, 2012

Laboratory Workers and Contacts Warned of Accidental Flu Pandemic. Safety in the laboratory workplace is of critical concern as many research laboratory employees suffer from exotic diseases that become workers' ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers' Compensation: Compensating Adverse Flu Vaccine ...

Oct 24, 2009

As the US flu vaccination program rolls out, the numbers are also growing for those who have reported adverse consequences from the H1N1 vaccine. The victims and their families are also lining up for benefits available in ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers' Compensation: OSHA Sets H1N1 Flu Employer ...

Nov 27, 2009

The OSGA directive closely follows the prevention guidance issue by The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to prevent the spread of H1N1 flu. The purpose of the compliance directive is "to ensure uniform procedures when ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

The Urgent Need for Workers Compensation Flu Pandemic Planning

Sep 15, 2009

The 2009 influenza pandemic (flu) has created a new framework of acts and regulations to respond the World Health Organization's (WHO) phase 6 pandemic alert. Governmentally imposed employment disruptions resulting ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

NIOSH Announces the Top 10 Science Blog Posts in 2012

The list shows the vast array of topics covered by NIOSH. Of note this year, the third and eleventh most viewed blogs were written by external partners.

Help Wanted: Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation Research. We urged you to help us collect on-site air samples during SPF installation. The response was fantastic! Thank you!
Worker Exposure to Crystalline Silica During Hydraulic Fracturing highlighted a newly-identified hazard in the fracking industry, provided prevention information and asked for assistance with future efforts.
Hair Formaldehyde and Industrial Hygiene, from the Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology (CROET) at Oregon Health and Science University, summarized the campaign to inform stylists of the risks related to formaldehyde-containing hair straighteners and the need for proper protection.
Sleep and Work. In honor of National Sleep Awareness Week we summarized sleep and work issues in this blog and highlighted NIOSH research in the companion blog NIOSH Research on Work Schedules and Work-related Sleep Loss(#6).
Stress and Health in Law Enforcement highlighted research from the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) study and from related studies of morbidity and mortality among police officers.
See #4 above
Brain Injury in the NFL discussed new research finding that National Football League (NFL) players may be at a higher risk of death associated with Alzheimer’s and other impairments of the brain and nervous system than the general U.S. population.
Safer and Healthier at any Age: Strategies for an Aging Workforce presented strategies for preparing your workplace to accommodate an older workforce.
All-terrain Vehicles and Work highlighted the risks associated with ATVs and identified safe practices for use in the workplace.
Respiratory Protection for Workers Handling Engineered Nanoparticles. While this blog was technically posted in December of 2011 we included it anyway. This blog provided an update on the science and rationale behind NIOSH’s recommendations for the use and selection of respirators against engineered nanoparticles.
Sleep Pain and Hospital Workers, from colleagues at Harvard, examined the question: Does lack of sleep increase pain and limit function among hospital care workers?
Safety and Health in the Theater: Keeping Tragedy Out of the Comedies… and Musicals…and Dramas discussed the often overlooked hazards in the theater.

Downton Abbey and Workers' Compensation

Highclere Castle (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The PBS series, Downton Abbey, has many parallels to the nation's workers' compensation system and reflects how outdated the present benefit system is to meet current needs of injured workers.

The critically acclaimed fictional British TV series, that begins a 3rd broadcast season this month in the US. The first season was set in 1912, with the sinking the RMS Titanic and the outbreak of World War I.

The drama concerns itself with non-working aristocratic elite who had amassed multitudes of wealth and were land barrons. The post-Edwardian era Crawley family had a large entourage of servants, who worked

"downstairs," at low pay and no benefits, providing services to the heirs of Downton Abbey, a lavish estate in England.

It mirrors the era of the enactment of the original European, and thereafter adopted US, workers' compensation programs. The system provided an administrative remedy to provide a summary, remedial system of benefits to workers in lieu of a trial by jury in the civil justice system.

While workers' compensation is not explicitly mentioned in the TV series, the viewer can gain an understanding of the perspective of the oppressed employees who devoted their lives to the land owning family and considered it an honor and privilege to stay in their employ. Dedication to the employer resulted in lifelong career positions with little complaint of working conditions and lack of benefits.

The British aristocracy system portrayed in the Downton Abbey soon fell into economic ruin, as did the entire British workers' compensation system, yielding to a better medical delivery system and socialized benefits.

On the other side of "the pond," in the US, the program has just persisted with more money going to the richest individuals, reflected in with major compensation packages. On the other hand, working Americans have lost jobs, benefits, and income as the nation's economy continues to decline. The US needs to adjust the benefit system to approach what the European Economic Union has achieved.

The second Obama Administration is beng recomposed with a Cabinet to achieve a better funded and structured benefit system. Hopefully a better benefit system will be formulated for injured workers and their families.

Obama signs MSP Medicare bill

"The legislation changes the way Medicare collects money from people whose negligence caused a patient to incur medical bills. Murphy said the new law will streamline an outdated process, making it easier to close cases and bring money into the Medicare program."

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/medicare/276621-obama-signs-medicare-bill#ixzz2HehBHham

Questions remain on the practicalities of implementation as regulations need to be promulgated.

The NEW law will be discussed at the Hot Topics in Workers' Compensation Law 2013 Seminar (NJ ICLE Jn 29, 2013)

Thursday, January 10, 2013

OSHA posts results of sampling for contaminants at Sandy cleanup areas in New York and New Jersey

Employers reminded they must protect their workers from exposure to health hazards

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has posted results of its initial industrial hygiene sampling of locations in New York and New Jersey where recovery work in connection with Hurricane Sandy is being performed. The results are posted on OSHA's website at: http://www.osha.gov/sandy/sample_results.html.

The purpose of the sampling is to measure potential or actual employee exposure to potential health hazards during recovery operations. Sampling was conducted in a variety of locations throughout the storm affected areas. The results of this first round of sampling show that while some contaminants were present, such as carbon monoxide, asbestos and silica, they have so far not exceeded any of OSHA's Permissible Exposure Limits, which can be found at: http://www.osha.gov/dsg/topics/pel/index.html.

"These initial results should not be taken by employers as an "all clear" signal regarding potential exposure to health hazards," said Robert Kulick, OSHA's regional administrator in New York. "It is important that each employer continually ensure that workers are not overexposed. Employers can accomplish this by performing site assessments to determine potential hazards and institute effective measures to protect workers against exposure to toxic substances such as asbestos, lead and mold."

OSHA will continue to conduct industrial hygiene monitoring on a rotating basis at various locations where recovery work is being performed. The results will be posted on OSHA's website. The monitoring is one element of OSHA's ongoing efforts to protect the safety and health of workers cleaning up after Sandy.

Since the storm struck, OSHA has been conducting daily briefings, safety and health field interventions and other outreach activities to identify and remove employees from hazards and to provide Sandy cleanup workers and employers with safety and health information. To date, OSHA has conducted over 4,400 briefings and interventions, reaching nearly 61,000 workers and employers performing recovery work in Sandy-impacted areas. OSHA's work is ongoing. Guidance, fact sheets and other information can be found on OSHA's Hurricane Sandy web page, located at www.osha.gov/sandy/.

Curing the Profit Motive in Health Care

Soaring medical costs have afflicted the workers' compensation industry with economic distress and have severely impacted the efficient and effective delivery of medical care to injured workers. Both increased costs/profits and a related spike in mortality addresses the need for more governmental control in the United States.

A study "...found that patients’ mortality rates spiked when nonprofit hospitals switched to become profit-making, and their staff levels declined."

Read "Health Care and Profits, a Poor Mix" NYTimes

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Oil, Cancer and The Promised Land

John P. Smol, Professor Department of Biology, Queen’s University Canada Research Chair
in Environmental Change

Industry has a long history of not completely disclosing hazardous that they are generating and oll production maybe just another one of them. Historical conspiracies of silent were evident in the asbestos tobacco, lead and PCB industries resulting in epidemics of disease and death.

"The development of Alberta’s oil sands has increased levels of cancer-causing compounds in surrounding lakes well beyond natural levels, Canadian researchers reported in a study released on Monday. And they said the contamination covered a wider area than had previously been believed."

Read: "Oil Sands Industry in Canada Tied to Higher Carcinogen Level" NYTimes

Monday, January 7, 2013

Are You Suffering From Symptoms Of Chronic Stress? Take the Stress Test!

Today's post comes from guest author Kit Case from Causey Law Firm.

Signs of Chronic Stress:
Cognitive symptoms
•          Memory problems
•          Inability to concentrate
•          Poor judgment
•          Pessimistic approach or thoughts
•          Anxious or racing thoughts
•          Constant worrying
Emotional symptoms
•          Moodiness
•          Irritability or short temper
•          Agitation, inability to relax
•          Feeling overwhelmed
•          Sense of loneliness and isolation
•          Depression or general unhappiness
Physical symptoms
•          Aches and pains
•          Diarrhea or constipation
•          Nausea, dizziness
•          Chest pain, rapid heartbeat
•          Loss of sex drive
•          Frequent colds
Behavioral symptoms
•          Eating more or less
•          Sleeping too much or too little
•          Isolating oneself from others
•          Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities
•          Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax

Take the Stress Test for Adults:
Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe in 1967, examined the medical records of over 5,000 medical patients as a way to determine whether stressful events might cause illnesses. Patients were asked to tally a list of 43 life events based on a relative score. A positive correlation was found between their life events and their illnesses.
Their results were published as the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS), known more commonly as the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale.
To measure stress according to the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale, the number of "Life Change Units" that apply to events in the past year of an individual's life are added and the final score will give a rough estimate of how stress affects health.
Note: the table, below, is from the Wikipedia page on this subject. For a fee of $5.00, you can go directly to Dr. Rahe's website and obtain the full test materials as well as background information and details of this and other products and services available.

To measure stress according to the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale, the number of "Life Change Units" that apply to events in the past year of an individual's life are added and the final score will give a rough estimate of how stress affects health.

Life event	Life change units
Death of a spouse	100
Divorce	73
Marital separation	65
Imprisonment	63
Death of a close family member	63
Personal injury or illness	53
Marriage	50
Dismissal from work	47
Marital reconciliation	45
Retirement	45
Change in health of family member	44
Pregnancy	40
Sexual difficulties	39
Gain a new family member	39
Business readjustment	39
Change in financial state	38
Death of a close friend	37
Change to different line of work	36
Change in frequency of arguments	35
Major mortgage	32
Foreclosure of mortgage or loan	30
Change in responsibilities at work	29
Child leaving home	29
Trouble with in-laws	29
Outstanding personal achievement	28
Spouse starts or stops work	26
Begin or end school	26
Change in living conditions	25
Revision of personal habits	24
Trouble with boss	23
Change in working hours or conditions	20
Change in residence	20
Change in schools	20
Change in recreation	19
Change in church activities	19
Change in social activities	18
Minor mortgage or loan	17
Change in sleeping habits	16
Change in number of family reunions	15
Change in eating habits	15
Vacation	13
Christmas	12
Minor violation of law	11

Score of 300+: At risk of illness.
Score of 150-299+: Risk of illness is moderate (reduced by 30% from the above risk).
Score 150-: Only have a slight risk of illness.

Recommended methods for relieving chronic stress include exercise (which can be modified to accommodate physical restrictions after an injury), meditation, music therapy, breathing techniques, and such simple things as companionship - from a pet, friend or family member.

Friday, January 4, 2013

Repeated Fall Injuries Results in OSHA Fines of $58,000 to NJ Employer

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Beno Stucco Systems of Rochelle Park with six safety violations – including five repeat – involving fall and scaffolding hazards while employees were applying stucco to a commercial building in Westwood, N.J.

OSHA's June investigation was initiated as a result of an imminent danger fall hazard. Proposed penalties total $61,600.

The repeat violations, with $58,520 as the proposed penalty, were cited for exposing workers to fall and scaffolding hazards, and for failing to provide workers with protective helmets to prevent injuries from falling objects. A repeat violation is issued when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. Similar violations were cited in 2007, 2009 and 2011.

One serious violation, with a $3,080 proposed penalty, was cited for failing to have a competent person inspect scaffolds and scaffold components for visible defects before each work shift and after any occurrence that could affect a scaffold's structural integrity. Additionally, the company did not conduct an inspection of the job site, materials and scaffold components, to prevent employees from working without full planking, fall protection and scaffold access. A serious citation is issued when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

"This company repeatedly neglected to implement basic, common-sense and legally-required safeguards to ensure that scaffolds were erected properly and fall protection was provided for employees working at heights of 10 feet or more," said Lisa Levy, director of OSHA's area office in Hasbrouck Heights, N.J. "OSHA will not tolerate employers jeopardizing the safety and health of workers."

OSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health are working with trade associations, labor unions, employers, universities, community and faith-based organizations and consulates to provide employers and workers–especially vulnerable, low-literacy workers–with education and training on common-sense fall prevention equipment and strategies that save lives. OSHA has also created a new fall prevention Web page at http://www.osha.gov/stopfalls that includes detailed information in English and Spanish on fall protection standards.

Beno Stucco Systems has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, meet with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Workers’ Compensation 2013 – What Happens on the Other Side of The Fiscal Cliff?

The fiscal reality is that workers’ compensation is in greater jeopardy than ever before as the debate in Washington is not about the deficit at all. The debate is about government spending which includes health care.

Overall health care devours 18 percent of the US economy and amounts to 25% of the Federal budget.

Medical treatment for injured workers continues to be delayed, denied and limited under current workers’ compensation programs. Medical costs continue to be shifted to other programs including employer based medical care systems and the Federal safety net of Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Administration and Tricare.

While a trend continues to emerge to offer “Opt Out” and “Carve Out Programs,” they are not global enough to solve the critical budget deficit issues. The latest emerging trend is for employers to utilize ERISA based medical care plans to efficiently delivery medical care. In NJ a limited alternate dispute-resolution procedure between unions and employers has been introduced. See “NJ Care Outs –Another Evolutionary Step” authored by David DePaolo.

The US economy continues to be very weak. This in an ominous signal for the nation’s workers’ compensation program which is starved for premium dollars. Premiums are based upon salaries and real median incomes continued their dramatic decline over the last decade from $54,841 in 2000 to $50,054 in 2011. There just may not be enough dollars available in the workers’ compensation programs to pay for present and lifetime medical care.

Even the present Federal system leaves much to be desired. Whether Federal rationing medical care becomes a reality is unknown. Physicians are under economic scrutiny as the “Doc Fix” to limit provider fees continues as a cloud over all medical programs. The agreement reached by Congress still does not resolve the 26.5% percent cut reimbursement cut to physicians who treat Medicare patients. The law merely "freezes" payment to physicians.

Workers’ compensation programs presently structured provide no real economic incentive to monitor and compensate for more favorable medical outcomes. On the other hand, the Federal government, with broad and sweeping regulatory ability, is able to continue to make strides in many areas including present incentives to hospitals and proposed incentives to physicians to provide medical treatment with fewer complications and ultimate better outcomes

Steven Ratner in the NY Times points out the dramatic increase in the nation’s health care costs. He wrote, “…no budget-busting factor looms larger than the soaring cost of government-financed health care, particularly Medicare and Medicaid.”

Solving the economic gridlock of the country will require an approach to re-invent a medical program for injured workers. A global single-payer program under Federal control will eliminate duplicative administrative State and private efforts. The Federal government has the clout to provide efficient enforcement and co-ordination.

Now that we are on the other side of the fiscal cliff, the opportunity to be creative is possible. The US needs to transition to a single-payer health care system subsuming a medical care program for injured and ill workers who suffer both traumatic and occupational conditions.

Read more about the "single-Payer System" and workers' compensation

Workers' Compensation: A Single Payer System Will Solve the ...
Nov 29, 2012
The question is whether the nation will recognize that the US needs tol take the bold step previously taken by the European Community, finally adopt a single payer medical care program. The perpetual cost generator that ...
http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

NJ Urged to Adopt Single Payer System for Workmens Comp
Jun 06, 2011
NJ Urged to Adopt Single Payer System for Workmens Comp. A coalition that has been formed in NJ is urging that the Garden State follow the lead of Vermont and establish a single-payer system. Single-payer movements ...
http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Vermont Single Payer System Called the Dawn of A New Era
Apr 03, 2011
The proposed state based Vermont Single-Payer health care system, that would embrace workers' compensation medical care, is gaining momentum. A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine, citing increased ...
http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

RICO Issues Can Be Cured With A Single Payer Medical System
Mar 22, 2011
Vermont's proposed single payer system would seperate medical care from indemnity. Vermont's single proposed single-payer system would likely also provide a primary care doctor to every resident of Vermont. This would ...
http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

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Saturday, January 12, 2013

9/11 VCF Claims: Motley Rice Attorney to Speak About Claims Process

Medical Outcome Based Compensation - Essentially a Workers' Compensation Concept Already

Friday, January 11, 2013

Florida's Pace is Impressive

The Flu: A Compensable Event and Its Complications

Take time to get a flu vaccine.

Take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs.

Take flu antiviral drugs if your doctor prescribes them.

NIOSH Announces the Top 10 Science Blog Posts in 2012

Downton Abbey and Workers' Compensation

Obama signs MSP Medicare bill

Thursday, January 10, 2013

OSHA posts results of sampling for contaminants at Sandy cleanup areas in New York and New Jersey

Curing the Profit Motive in Health Care

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Oil, Cancer and The Promised Land

John P. Smol, Professor Department of Biology, Queen’s University Canada Research Chair
in Environmental Change

Monday, January 7, 2013

Are You Suffering From Symptoms Of Chronic Stress? Take the Stress Test!

Friday, January 4, 2013

Repeated Fall Injuries Results in OSHA Fines of $58,000 to NJ Employer

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Workers’ Compensation 2013 – What Happens on the Other Side of The Fiscal Cliff?

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John P. Smol, Professor Department of Biology, Queen’s University Canada Research Chair
in Environmental Change