Leaders Speak

By: Derrick Amato, Vice President, Workers’ Compensation Sales & Strategy, MultiPlan Previous Leaders Speak segments have dealt with; RFPs, medical fee schedules, opiate influence on case costs and outcomes and varied definitions of evidence based medicine. Each of these topics is timely and from my point of view creates residual influential need for re-defining best… [Read more]

By: Emil J. Bravo Executive Vice President, Gallagher Bassett Services, Inc. This week we will explore those claims-related services that are most commonly considered for “bundled” and “unbundled” options. Claims Administration System The claims administration system is the most significant component that you should consider to purchase on a bundled basis from the Third-Party Administrator… [Read more]

By: Emil J. Bravo, Executive Vice President, Gallagher Bassett Services, Inc. There are a number of things to consider when contemplating the structure of your workers’ compensation program, beginning with whether to transfer the risk (insurance) or retain the risk (self-insurance). Today’s marketplace offers a variety of competitive options, from a Guaranteed Cost (GC) program,… [Read more]

By: David A. North, President & CEO, Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc. Embrace change. It’s profound as both a personal and business philosophy. The reality is over half the states are currently debating workers’ compensation legislative reform and change is inevitable. Those organizations that recognize and prepare for change will thrive, and those who don’t… [Read more]

By: David A. North, President & CEO, Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc. A shift in current thinking is beginning to emerge when it comes to the treatment of injured workers. We have become an industry focused on delivering managed care rather than health care, and change is inevitable. Less emphasis should be placed on negotiating… [Read more]

By Dr. Steven Feinberg, CMO, American Pain Solutions (APS) and Dr. Melvin Belsky, CCO, APS & Medical Director, Corporate WC, Safeway, Inc. Remarkably, there is an evidenced-based alternative to out of control and unnecessary medical and indemnity costs where the injured worker’s functional recovery is delayed. Its implementation on a larger scale requires a paradigm… [Read more]

By Dr. Steven Feinberg, CMO, American Pain Solutions Many physicians do not fully understand the proper role of opioids in the treatment of injured workers and they do not understand the importance of a biopsychosocial, whole-person approach as promoted in the evidence-based and presumptively correct California DWC Medical Treatment Utilization Schedule (MTUS) Chronic Pain Medical… [Read more]

By Jeffrey D. Miller, Chief Operating Officer, Paladin Managed Care Services Healthcare reform as passed in President Obama’s “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” is a reality and will be with us in some form into the future. Opinions vary widely on the merits, drawbacks, and implications of this new law, and your particular assessment… [Read more]

By: Kent Spafford, Chairman of the Board, One Call Medical Since my first column, “Embracing Quality,” I have received a significant number of responses from readers who agree that price can no longer be the sole criterion by which they make their service-buying decisions, and quality has become increasingly more important to an overall cost-effective… [Read more]

By: Kent Spafford, Chairman of the Board, One Call Medical Having been engaged in workers’ compensation for many years, it’s been interesting to monitor industry trends over time. Since September 2009 and over the last 18 months, there has been considerable movement to embrace “quality” and the impact it has on overall claims costs and… [Read more]