CMS Town Hall Conference - Coordination of Benefits & Recovery for Liability Insurance (including Self-Insurance), NoFault Insurance and Workers’ Compensation

Town Hall Teleconference– November 17, 2016 
Coordination of Benefits & Recovery for Liability Insurance (including Self-Insurance), NoFault Insurance and Workers’ Compensation

On November 17, 2016, CMS will host a teleconference to connect with stakeholders and provide status updates. CMS expects to discuss the following topics:

• Ongoing Responsibility for Medicals (ORM) recovery, 
• Final Conditional Payment (CP) process reminders, 
• Medicare Secondary Payer Recovery Portal (MSPRP) improvements.

Employer-reported injury and illness rate declined to 3.0 cases per 100 workers in 2015

Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses – 2015 There were approximately 2.9 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers in 2015, which occurred at a rate of 3.0 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See tables 1 and 2.) The 2015 rate continues a pattern of declines that, apart from 2012, occurred annually for the last 13 years.

US Department of Labor Urges Major Changes in the Nation's Workers' Compensation System

As The Path to Federalization of the US workers' compensation system broadens, the US Department of Labor has published a report urging expansion of the Federal role in reforming the entire patchwork of state systems. As the Presidential Election Cycle moves ahead, the ultimate outcome will impact the the nation's struggling workers' compensation scheme. Based on historical statements both "Hillarycare" or "Trump Medical," (lead by his advisor, Former Speaker Newt Gingrich,  will focus on this issue. See  my prior blog posts below.

Asbestos: Kaiser Gypsum files for Bankruptcy Protection

Former asbestos manufacturers, Kaiser Gypsum Company, Inc. and Hanson Permanente Cement, Inc., have filed for bankruptcy protection. Kaiser Gypsum Company is a former manufacturer of building products, including drywall, joint compounds and cements. US Bankruptcy Court Western District of North Carolina, Case 16-31602 Filed 09/30/16
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CMS 2016 Recovery Thresholds for Workers’ Compensation Settlements, Judgments, Awards or Other Payments

2016 Recovery Thresholds for Certain Liability Insurance, No-Fault Insurance, and Workers’ Compensation Settlements, Judgments, Awards or Other Payments 

As required by section 1862(b) of the Social Security Act, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has reviewed the costs related to collecting Medicare’s conditional payments and compared this to recovery amounts.

Hot Topics in Workers' Compensation Law Seminar 2016 - Available from NJICLE

This seminar is now available from NJICLE-Click here

Hot Topics in Workers' Compensation Law Seminar

Wed. Sept. 14, 2016  Ÿ Law Center, New Brunswick 5-8:35p

This year’s program will focus on professional and ethical responsibilities concerning disclosure and protection of client confidential information throughout the course of discovery and litigation, with specific emphasis on the pretrial conference.

The seminar +reviews the Professional Code of Responsibility and it’s integration with the Rules and procedures of The Division of Workers' Compensation, and The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). 

Workers' Compensation "Demise of the Grand Bargain" Seminar Papers Online

The 2016 workers' compensation "Grand Bargain" seminar sponsored by the Pound Civil Justice Institute has posted the draft seminar papers online in PDF format and are available for download. The 2016 Academic Symposium is entitled, "The Demise of the Grand Bargain: Compensation for Injured Workers in the 21st Century."