San Francisco, CA – The Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) and its Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) recently posted a progress report on the Department’s Independent Medical Review (IMR) program. IMR is the medical dispute resolution process for the state’s workers’ compensation system that uses medical expertise to obtain consistent, evidence-based decisions. The report describes… [Read more]
Industry News
AF Group Partners with MSU to Offer Master’s Certificate in Quantitative Risk Analytics
Lansing, MI – AF Group and Michigan State University (MSU) Department of Statistics and Probability are partnering to offer a Master’s-level certificate in Quantitative Risk Analytics exclusively to AF Group teammates. The partnership was formed through the collaborative efforts of Jacob Geyer, vice president of AF Specialty and Business Analytics & Underwriting Operations at Accident… [Read more]
TX Orthopedic Surgeon to Pay $300,000 to Settle False Claims Act Allegations
Tulsa, OK – Dr. Ian Reynolds recently agreed to pay the United States $300,000 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that he accepted illegal kickback payments from OK Compounding, LLC, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. This is the twelfth kickback settlement involving OK Compounding, LLC, since November 2018. “Thanks to the work of the U.S.… [Read more]
NCCI Releases New Insights: Insuring the Uninsurable – Workers’ Comp Residual Market
Boca Raton, FL – NCCI recently released a new Insights article on the Workers’ Compensation Residual Market that examines the structure of the residual market, including NCCI’s role as a Plan and Pool Administrator, and presents countrywide residual market summary statistics. Having workers compensation (WC) coverage is generally required for all employers by statute. But… [Read more]
Chesapeake Employers Insurance Declares Additional $20 Million Corporate Dividend
Towson, MD – The Board of Directors of the Chesapeake Employers’ Insurance Company is pleased to declare $20 million in corporate dividends for 2020 and 2021 to qualifying policyholders based on their safety performance. This is in addition to the $20 million dividend the company declared in October 2017. In all, the company will issue… [Read more]
NY State Mechanic Convicted of Fraud, Ran Side Business While Collecting Workers’ Comp
Newburgh, NY – New York State Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro recently announced the guilty plea of a New York State Thruway Authority mechanic who claimed he was injured on the job, resulting in him receiving more than $33,000 in workers’ compensation benefits over the course of two years to which he was not entitled while… [Read more]
Friedlander Group Announces a 22.5% Dividend for Wholesale Group of NY WC Safety Group
Purchase, NY -(BusinessWire)- Friedlander Group recently announced a 22.5% dividend paid to members of the Wholesale Group of New York Workers’ Compensation Safety Group #551*. The 22.5% paid dividend is in addition to the 25% group discount clients already received on their policies effective April 1, 2018 – April 1, 2019. The combination of the… [Read more]
WCRI: Workers’ Comp Medical Payments in Illinois Higher Compared to Other Study States
Cambridge, MA – The average medical payment per claim with more than seven days of lost time in Illinois was more than 15 percent higher than the median of 18 states studied, according to a recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). For 2017 claims (at 12 months), the average medical payment per… [Read more]
WA L&I: Workers’ Comp Prices Decreasing for Third Consecutive Year
Tumwater, WA – For the third year in a row, the price of workers’ compensation insurance is dropping in Washington, with the Department of Labor & Industries’ (L&I) announcement of a 0.8% decrease in the average amount employers will pay for the coverage in 2020. L&I cut rates by 5% in 2019 and 2.5% in… [Read more]
MEMIC Hires LaCrosse as Safety Management Consultant and Romano as VP, Corporate Risk Officer
Portland, ME – Jason LaCrosse has been appointed a Safety Management Consultant by workers’ compensation specialist The MEMIC Group. LaCrosse began his career in the military starting off as a flight medic before becoming a Blackhawk Instructor Pilot and Aviation Safety Officer. He retired from the US Army with 21 years of active duty service… [Read more]