The wheels are slowly turning across the nation as state workers’ compensation regulatory agencies and state legislators focus on how to best respond to the prescription drug abuse epidemic and gain more control. Implementing a closed formulary is …

The startling news headlines have somewhat slowed since last month’s tragic Germanwings airliner crash which resulted in the deaths of all aboard. By now you are familiar with the story which repeatedly focused on the pilot’s mental state and diagnos…

Not that long ago, the insurance industry, if not the business world, was rocked when Connecticut General and INA merged to form CIGNA. Today, mergers and acquisitions are a common everyday occurrence. Once an M&A announcement has been made publ…

We are just a little under a month away from RIMS 2015 in New Orleans. You, of course, are thinking of the great sessions and networking that RIMS brings each year and – yes, you can admit it – also thinking of Bourbon Street and jazz. T…

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is currently considering a bill that would allow employers to direct treatment of their injured workers to coordinated care organizations (CCOs). Employers’ ability to direct injured workers to certified netw…

On February 25, 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued new rules revising the regulatory definition of “spouse” under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), which entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpa…

I spoke with Robert Wilson at WorkersCompensation.com last month about the upcoming ABA Midwinter Conference where I will deliver the keynote address. Bob asked me what I thought would be important future trends for the workers' compensation industry…

Consolidation of hospitals and health systems may have hit an all-time high as health reform and market forces continue to drive mergers and acquisitions. It is important for healthcare organizations to address the cultures that exist in different …

You have done all that you can. You have been diligent in your R&D, engineering, testing, manufacturing and quality control. Sales and Marketing are excited and ready. You have vetted instruction manuals and labels. You have even involved Legal. Yo…

On January 30, 2015 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a reformulated version of Zohydro ER (a long-acting, single-entity hydrocodone product) that is designed to possess abuse-deterrent properties. When the FDA originally approve…

Last year I highlighted the mission and objectives of the newly minted Association for Responsible Alternatives to Workers’ Compensation (ARAWC) organization that was established by a collaborative group of employers and their provider partners. With…

The current measles outbreak has received major news coverage in the United States because this highly contagious disease – declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000 after decades of childhood vaccine efforts – has begun to spread again. In Januar…

Important things in life are not easily reduced to 10 steps. Nevertheless, this article pro­vides a list of 10 key elements to achieving long-term success in risk management from someone who has spent more than 25 years striving to carve out the most…

As employers and individuals look for alternatives to smoking tobacco, the use of e-cigarettes is on the rise. Unified Investigations & Sciences, part of Sedgwick’s family of companies, recently took a closer look at the emerging risks associated wit…

Sedgwick forecasts top risk and productivity management trends As the leading global provider of technology-enabled claims and productivity management solutions, Sedgwick helps clients prepare for difficult changes, look for new ways to control co…