National – The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) released its October 2024 Labor Market Insights Report. This report aims to provide an overview of key labor market statistics that may impact the workers’ compensation field. According to the report, changing the workforce and economy continues to be a top priority for workers’ compensation executives.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) launched a new Center For Firefighter Safety, Health, And Well-Being. The Center acts as a hub where partners collaborate with NIOSH on various firefighter-related research and services, including fatality investigations and the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer.
Enlyte launched Apricus Physical Medicine, a network of rehabilitation services including occupational and physical therapy. Apricus Physical Medicine connects injured employees with licensed rehabilitation therapists at approximately 10,000 physical therapy facilities nationwide, ensuring local providers are within an average of 2.8 miles.
Pennsylvania – The Senate passed State Senator Camera Bartolotta’s (R) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) bill, SB 365. SB 365 aims to make it easier for first responders to receive benefits for PTSD. Specifically, the bill would require first responders claiming PTSD to prove that their condition was the result of exposure to a qualifying traumatic event. Traumatic events include investigating crime scenes, witnessing bodily injury or death, and responding to mass casualty events. To learn more, check out this Franklin County Free Press Article.
The Pennsylvania General Assembly passed State Senator Tracy Pennycuick’s direct deposit of benefits bill, SB 1232. The bill would make direct deposit the default method for paying workers’ compensation benefits. Specifically, the bill would allow insurers and self-insured employers to offer direct deposit and after a year, they would be required to use direct deposit unless the injured worker requests otherwise.
Oregon – The Oregon Department of Financial Regulation published data showing that Oregonians received less than 1% of the drug rebates collected by Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) in 2023. According to the data, 18 PBMs received $287,583,732.64 in payments and rebates from manufacturers last year. Insurance companies received the bulk of the costs, totaling $283,727,097.34, while consumers received $2,236,217.76. The managers kept the remaining funds as revenue.
Texas – The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation, approved the Fiscal Year 2025 Research Agenda for the Workers’ Compensation Research and Evaluation Group (REG). This agenda includes several key studies: one to assess the feasibility and impact of adopting a more current version of the American Medical Association Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, an update on medical costs and utilization within the Texas workers’ compensation system, and an analysis of designated doctors and scheduling companies. The analysis will evaluate the performance of these doctors and companies based on metrics such as rescheduled exams, report timeliness, and payment timeliness. The agenda appeared in the October 11 issue of the Texas Register and is also available on the TDI website.
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