Posted on by Carlos Luna

The Freedom Nurse

The workers’ compensation industry is filled with extraordinary individuals whose journeys are as fantastic as they are. This blog entry introduces Captain Cynthia Ortiz, U.S. Army Reserves & Workers’ Compensation Utilization Review Nurse. Captain Ortiz has dedicated a large portion of her life to serving the country that she passionately loves while advocating for injured workers on their way to recovery. This Fourth of July, let’s celebrate Captain Cynthia Ortiz and the countless other workers’ compensation professionals who serve, or have served, in the U.S. Armed Forces. Let’s remember to say thank you for their service, sacrifice, and for inspiring us all.

Posted on by Carlos Luna

ACOEM Publishes COVID-19 EBM Practice Guideline

A leading evidence-based medicine (EBM) guidelines publisher announces the publication of the very first EBM Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guideline for occupational health. The announcement comes at a critical time as state jurisdictions fight to mitigate the pandemic’s effects on their respective economies and workforces. This is an important publication as it establishes an objective starting point for occupational health providers to consider.

Posted on by Carlos Luna

The Modernization of Agriculture’s Guest Worker Program

During their 40th Annual Forum in Monterey, California, the Agricultural Personnel Management Association (APMA) took a deep dive into the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019 (H.R. 5038). This blog captures commentary from various speakers of the event and provides and high level overview of agriculture’s H-2A program.

Posted on by Carlos Luna

California Employers & Work Comp Stakeholders Sound Off

The nation’s largest workers’ compensation community came together recently in Dana Point, California to attend one of the country’s more prominent trade conferences. To kick off the event, a panel of work comp subject matter experts, representing system stakeholders and employers, was assembled to address issues ranging from California’s chief public official’s appetite to tamper with seemingly sound system reforms to automation and technology’s role in workers’ compensation.

Posted on by Carlos Luna

Turning the Clock Back on California’s Workers’ Compensation System

The California Applicants’ Attorney Association (CAAA) is promoting AB 1107 to California Legislators in hopes of materially modifying utilization review exemptions for medical treatment. CAAA has gone on the record stating that they are “dealing with a system that is broken and has failed to deliver the necessary medical care to workers who suffer job-related […]

Posted on by Carlos Luna

The California King Case: Imperceptible Implications for UROs

Many minds in the workers’ compensation community have been monopolized by California’s King v. CompPartners, Inc. case. On August 23rd, the State’s Supreme Court issued their ruling on the high-profile dispute:  Workers’ compensation law provides the exclusive remedy for an employee who alleges injuries caused by a utilization reviewer’s denial of medical treatment. This column […]

Posted on by Carlos Luna

The Narrative of Workers’ Compensation is Changing

The workers’ compensation system looks much differently today than it did a decade ago, partly due to the opioid epidemic. Tragedies of this scale have a way of spurring unexpected outcomes bringing people together from all walks of life and disciplines. Workers’ compensation stakeholders have, and continue to experience, numerous paradigm shifts among insurers, pharmaceutical […]

Posted on by Carlos Luna

Complacency or Complexity: California UROs Crawl to Accreditation

Another deadline has come and gone for the California workers’ compensation community. “A utilization review process that modifies or denies requests for authorization of medical treatment,” according to newly modified Labor Code section 4610(g)(4), “shall be accredited on or before July 1, 2018” by an independent, nonprofit organization that establishes and monitors UR performance criteria, […]