The Pennsylvania House Labor and Industry Committee on Tuesday held an informational meeting to hear testimony from industry experts on the harmful effects of worker misclassification. Christopher Hallock, deputy secretary of…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania ruled that an employer should have been allowed to set aside its stipulation of facts agreeing to the enlargement of an employee’s claim. Case: VNA of…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania ruled that a pension offset is not available when the retiree returns to work for a former employer on a part-time basis and suffers an…

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has granted review of disagreement over the proper prescription drug fee schedule for resolving workers’ compensation disputes. In January, the Commonwealth Court held that Red Book values…

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania ordered a workers’ compensation judge to reconsider an agreement providing for a 20% contingency fee from a worker’s medical and indemnity benefits. Case: Elder v. Crane…

A Missouri appellate court ruled that a worker could not proceed with a civil suit against a company that qualified as his statutory employer. Case: Montgomery v. Coreslab Structures (Missouri) Inc.,…

The California Division of Workers’ Compensation on Friday announced additional changes to the hospital outpatient department and ambulatory surgical centers section of the Official Medical Fee Schedule to align with…

The California Assembly Appropriations Committee passed bills that would create a presumption that heat injuries are compensable for agricultural workers and would expose employers to penalties for denying injured workers’…

A California appellate court ruled that some claims in a dispute between the founding partners of a factoring company should have been dismissed. In 2010, Ari Resnick and Dr. Ismael Silva Jr.

The Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board issued an en banc decision Wednesday consolidating five cases to resolve a dispute over how to split fees between an injured worker’s current and former…

The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California’s Actuarial Committee will review insurer experience reports during a meeting Tuesday. Committee members will discuss the report evaluating insurer experience as of June 30,…

California’s labor-management advisory panel is scheduled to meet Sept. 27 in Oakland. Members of the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation are slated to hear a presentation from representatives…

The Governing Committee for the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau will review pending legislative, regulatory and judicial actions during a Sept. 25 meeting. Committee members will hear reports on the annual…

A California appellate court ruled that the Privette doctrine shielded a general contractor from civil liability to a subcontractor’s injured employee. Case: Luna v. Crane Development Corp., No. D081692, 09/20/2024, unpublished. Facts:…

The California Division of Workers’ Compensation posted an order updating the fee schedule for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies for the fourth quarter. The division said it adopted Medicare’s…

The California Division of Workers’ Compensation posted an order adopting the latest quarterly update to the outpatient hospital and ambulatory surgery center section of the Official Medical Fee Schedule. The division…

The California Division of Workers’ Compensation Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee is meeting virtually on Oct. 16. The 2015 bill that directed the DWC to create a prescription drug formulary also created…

The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California announced that Andrea Coleman will succeed Bill Mudge as president and CEO next year. Andrea Coleman Coleman’s promotion will take effect Feb. 1,…

The California Division of Workers' Compensation posted an order updating the hospital outpatient department and ambulatory surgical centers section of the Official Medical Fee Schedule. The division in October posted an…

The Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission announced that state lawmakers have approved the updated 2024 Medical Fee Schedule. The state House of Representatives voted 94-1 to pass House Joint Resolution 1035 in…

A divided Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that an employee who injures a colleague must be acting within the course and scope of employment when the incident occurs to receive the…

A federal appellate court upheld a finding that a worker’s coal mine employment caused his pneumoconiosis. Case: Lance Coal Corp. v. OWCP, No. 23-3779, 05/09/2024, unpublished. Facts: Virgil Combs worked for Lance…

Amazon warehouses are particularly unsafe during Prime Day and the holiday season because the company disregards safety protocols so workers can keep up with the high volume of orders, according…

A federal appellate court ruled that the former attorney for a claimant seeking benefits under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act could not seek an award of fees after…

The U.S. Department of Labor is seeking nominations for four positions on the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health. The department said it is seeking one public representative, one…

Shipping giant Maersk Line Ltd. agreed to end a policy requiring workers to notify the company of any safety concerns before contacting the Coast Guard, the U.S. Department of Labor announced. Maersk…

The U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee passed a bill that would authorize physician assistants and nurse practitioners to treat injured federal workers. The committee on Wednesday voted 12-3…

The West Virginia Supreme Court clarified the proper method for apportioning preexisting impairments that have been definitely ascertained and impact multiple body parts. Case: Logan-Mingo Area Mental Health Inc. v. Lester,…

The West Virginia Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld a denial of authorization for nerve block treatments for an injured worker. Case: Cooper v. Lowe’s Home Centers Inc., No. 24-ICA-55, 07/30/2024, unpublished. Facts:…

West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld a 1% permanent partial disability award for a worker’s knee injury. Case: Sesco v. Brooks Run South Mining LLC, No. 24-ICA-138, 09/04/2024, unpublished. Facts: Granville…

West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld a 1% permanent partial disability award for a worker’s knee injury. Case: Davis v. Charleston Area Medical Center Inc., No. 24-ICA-131, 10/01/2024, published. Facts: Thomas…

The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry announced that maximum hourly fees for vocational rehabilitation services are increasing 2.62%, effective Oct. 1. The department said the maximum qualified rehabilitation consultant hourly…

The Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation is holding a meeting to discuss a preliminary draft of updated rules for the independent medical examination process. Draft rules that the division is considering…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation seeks public comment on changes to a trio of report forms. The division said it has updated the following forms to conform to the agency’s standards,…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation posted an online survey seeking input on legislative recommendations to include in the upcoming 2024 biennial report to the state Legislature. The division said it…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation seeks public comments on draft rules that would allow doctors to use telemedicine to perform maximum medical improvement examinations. “For example, when a treating doctor treats…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation is holding its regular quarterly stakeholder meetings for carriers and providers Sept. 5. The provider quarterly meeting will cover topics including designated doctor billing rules,…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation is accepting comments on three sections of the Texas Administrative Code as part of a periodic review of its rules and regulations. The division is…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation announced that it will hold a series of “brown bag” meetings in September and October to discuss the latest updates in dispute resolution. Agenda topics…

The Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation is accepting comments on the 2025 Medical Quality Review Annual Audit Plan through Nov. 22. The annual plan establishes priorities for the Medical Quality Review…

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed a bill increasing the cap on payments for reemployment plans by 66.5%. Alaska law allows injured workers who are not able to return to employment after…

The Alaska Workers’ Compensation Board is accepting comments on its proposed 2025 Medical Fee Schedule. The board said system users can submit written comments on the proposed changes through Oct. 9…

A federal appellate court ruled that an insurance carrier could not void a policy based on an employer’s misrepresentation, nor could it maintain a breach-of-contract claim against a marketing agent for failing to…

The Maryland Appellate Court rejected a dispute over whether an injured worker qualified as a public safety employee due to a lack of jurisdiction. Case: Clifton T. Perkins Hospital v. Frierson, No.

What has changed for physician billing for 2015, new conversion factors, updated regulations, dispute resolution trends.

Recent changes to both Inpatient and Outpatient facility billing for 2015.

Current problems being experienced by providers and payers in workers’ compensation.

Learn the fundamentals of the new 2015 Copy Service Fee Schedule. Understand how things are defined, what services are bundled, and when services are not payable. This class is important…

From intake, case management, billing, collections, negotiations to preparing the cases for hearings and trials. Training will include any and all processes and workflows that practices have to follow or…

Effective January 1, 2016 every reimbursement amount changes in the Physician's Fee Schedule. Attend Sue Honor's webinar broadcast to understand these widespread changes. Time for Q&A with Sue Honor will…