A bill signed by Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday will make it easier for essential workers in New Jersey who contract the coronavirus to qualify for workers’ compensation.

Self-insured employers facing the threat of COVID-19 workplace safety litigation could opt to accept infection workers compensation claims, as exclusive remedy clauses could provide better protection from expensive lawsuits later on, according to legal experts.

The Kansas Court of Appeals is holding class on why it is important to have subrogation counsel in workers’ compensation subrogation third-party cases – even in states which are favorable to carriers.

New data suggests that slightly over 40% of the workers’ compensation claims filed in the state of Florida were refused by insurers, even though a good portion of the claims were made by first responders and healthcare professionals working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of slowing, with infection resurgences apparent in southern and midwestern states and economic losses affecting virtually every part of the global economy.

The industry has speculated for years whether and when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) would seek to enforce civil monetary penalties (CMPs) that were provided for the in Medicare Secondary Payer Act (MSP). Now, we are almost there.

Legal peer reviews — a service where you pay attorneys to analyze your organization’s legal work. Seems redundant, right? Well, that’s probably why a lot of workers’ comp programs don’t have them.

As it stands today, only eight states remain where marijuana is fully illegal. All others have either active medical or recreational marijuana programs.

While coronavirus news is often bleak and sometimes downright depressing, there may be a silver lining for claims management.

Last week we debunked unwarranted fears that workers’ comp is in a profit-crushing “COVID crisis” — mostly because COVID-19 claim costs and claim counts are relatively low. Reality is COVID-19 costs will be more than offset by the massive decrease in new claims seen so far, a decrease that may deepen as jobs continue to disappear.

It’s a common story: A worker falls off a ladder while performing his job and gets hurt. A bone is broken, a disc is ruptured — the worker is in pain and can’t go to work. He files a workers’ comp claim but needs a doctor right away and chooses one at random.

A case in New York that is challenging the cessation of Permanent Disability benefits upon the death of a worker may change the landscape of workers’ comp in the state.

Ergonomics and the associated employer requirements to maintain safe workplaces, especially in industries where repetitive motion injuries are common, are at the forefront of modern claim prevention. However, the legal cannabis industry could be especially vulnerable.

As the global workforce trends towards remote work environments, employers need to learn how to navigate a new normal. Supervisors are now responsible for remote workforce management, which comes with its own set of unique challenges and opportunities.

Case management has been a vital component of workers’ compensation for years. Returning injured workers to the job in a meaningful capacity means that case managers often must perform a dual role as advocate for both the injured employee and the employer.