Boca Raton, FL – NCCI recently released a new research brief that takes a deeper look at critical factors that are influencing pharmacy experience in workers compensation. As states grapple with high prescription drug costs and an ongoing opioid crisis, regulation of prescription drug prices and utilization has become a focus of legislative activity in… [Read more]
Association, Rating & Research News
AM Best Withdraws Credit Ratings of Eastern Re Ltd., SPC
Oldwick, NJ – AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a” of Eastern Re Ltd., S.P.C. (Eastern Re) (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. Concurrently, AM Best has withdrawn the ratings of Eastern Re at the company’s… [Read more]
AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of AMERISAFE, Inc. and Operating Subsidiaries
Oldwick, NJ -(BusinessWire)- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “a+” of American Interstate Insurance Company (Omaha, NE), Silver Oak Casualty, Inc. (Omaha, NE) and the American Interstate Insurance Company of Texas (Austin, TX) (collectively referred to as AMERISAFE Insurance Group or… [Read more]
HHS: Pain Management Task Force Issues Final Report on Best Practices for Treatment
Washington, DC – The Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force, a federal advisory committee established by the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016, recently released its final report on acute and chronic pain management best practices, calling for a balanced, individualized, patient-centered approach. To ensure best practices for the treatment of pain, the… [Read more]
AM Best Assigns Credit Ratings to Synergy Comp Insurance Company
Oldwick, NJ -(BusinessWire)- AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” to Synergy Comp Insurance Company (Synergy) (Sharon, PA). The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. The ratings reflect Synergy’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorizes as very strong, as… [Read more]
WCRI Releases 11th Edition of Free Medical Price Index for Workers’ Comp
Cambridge, MA – As policymakers and system stakeholders in many states debate rising medical costs, the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) has released a new study that helps compare prices paid for medical professional services across 36 states and monitor price changes from 2008 to 2018. The study, WCRI Medical Price Index for Workers’ Compensation,… [Read more]
AmTrust Releases Opioid Prescription Risk Report, Details Reduction in Opioid Scripts
New York, NY – AmTrust Financial Services, Inc. recently partnered with Optum Workers’ Comp and Auto No-Fault to implement an innovative program to improve outcomes and reduce opioids prescribed to injured workers. The program, initiated in June 2018, reduced the number of prescriptions containing opioids by 13,000, compared to the prior year, and assured that… [Read more]
WCRI Study Examines Role of Workers’ Comp Prices in Outcomes of Injured Workers
Cambridge, MA – The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) recently released a new study addressing a long-standing policy debate about the role of workers’ compensation prices in outcomes of injured workers, specifically what happens to outcomes of injured workers when prices increase or decrease. “One of the concerns that is often expressed is that when… [Read more]
New NIOSH Study Examines Drug Overdoses at Work
Washington, DC – The impact of drug overdoses in the workplace can be better understood in a study recently published by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), particularly as drug overdose fatalities increase across the country. The study, published online in the journal of Injury Prevention, describes drug overdose deaths of workers… [Read more]
2019 WC Benchmarking Study Launches, Surveying Frontline Claims Pros for First Time
Chicago, IL – The Workers’ Compensation Benchmarking Study’s annual survey is underway. Now in its seventh year, the 2019 study will – for the first time ever – survey frontline claims professionals (instead of claims executives) to ascertain alignment between industry leadership and staff who directly handle workers’ compensation claims. As the industry’s largest talent… [Read more]