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Florida Has Workers Comp Improvements Vetoed

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Improvements Vetoed  – Workers Comp In Florida

Workers Comp improvements vetoed in the Sunshine State. There has been quite a large amount of buzz in the Workers Compensation world in reference to Governor Crist’s veto of what looked to be a great piece of legislation for businesses in Florida. The bill was a conglomeration of numerous non-invasive cost-cutting measures for Workers Comp.

Picture Of Governor Charlie Crist Improvements Vetoed USA Flag At The Back
Wikimedia Commons – United States House of Representatives

The main topic was the prepackaged drugs provided by physicians would have been banned. Sadly, there were many more aspects of the legislation that would have saved Florida millions in Workers Comp payouts over the next few years.

One of the better studies performed on prepackaged drugs was released n January 2005. The California Workers’ Compensation Institute (CWCI) released an interesting cost analysis compiled of repackaged drugs. The analysis evaluated a total 246,906 prescriptions with 30.5 percent represented by repackaged drugs and 69.5 percent comprised of pharmacy-based medications. Although repackaged drugs consisted of only 30 percent of the sample size they represented over 51 percent of the total paid amount.

The same study also included a price comparison of three common repackaged drugs with pharmacy fee schedule and on-line pharmacy costs. In each of the three examples the repackaged drug contained significantly higher costs.

Without further cost analysis of prepackaged drugs, comparing reimbursement rates with multi-state fee schedules, it is difficult to determine if these findings represent a unique observation. If nothing more, the study heightens concerns that prepackaged drugs may lead to increased pharmacy costs.

I will cover some of the other Workers Comp savings that were in the bill next time.

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James J Moore - Workers Comp Expert

Raleigh, NC, United States

About The Author...

James founded a Workers’ Compensation consulting firm, J&L Risk Management Consultants, Inc. in 1996. J&L’s mission is to reduce our clients’ Workers Compensation premiums by using time-tested techniques. J&L’s claims, premium, reserve and Experience Mod reviews have saved employers over $9.8 million in earned premiums over the last three years. J&L has saved numerous companies from bankruptcy proceedings as a result of insurance overpayments.

James has over 27 years of experience in insurance claims, audit, and underwriting, specializing in Workers’ Compensation. He has supervised, and managed the administration of Workers’ Compensation claims, and underwriting in over 45 states. His professional experience includes being the Director of Risk Management for the North Carolina School Boards Association. He created a very successful Workers’ Compensation Injury Rehabilitation Unit for school personnel.

James’s educational background, which centered on computer technology, culminated in earning a Masters of Business Administration (MBA); an Associate in Claims designation (AIC); and an Associate in Risk Management designation (ARM). He is a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and a licensed financial advisor. The NC Department of Insurance has certified him as an insurance instructor. He also possesses a Bachelors’ Degree in Actuarial Science.

LexisNexis has twice recognized his blog as one of the Top 25 Blogs on Workers’ Compensation. J&L has been listed in AM Best’s Preferred Providers Directory for Insurance Experts – Workers Compensation for over eight years. He recently won the prestigious Baucom Shine Lifetime Achievement Award for his volunteer contributions to the area of risk management and safety. James was recently named as an instructor for the prestigious Insurance Academy.

James is on the Board of Directors and Treasurer of the North Carolina Mid-State Safety Council. He has published two manuals on Workers’ Compensation and three different claims processing manuals. He has also written and has been quoted in numerous articles on reducing Workers’ Compensation costs for public and private employers. James publishes a weekly newsletter with 7,000 readers.

He currently possess press credentials and am invited to various national Workers Compensation conferences as a reporter.

James’s articles or interviews on Workers’ Compensation have appeared in the following publications or websites:

  • Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS)
  • Entrepreneur Magazine
  • Bloomberg Business News
  • WorkCompCentral.com
  • Claims Magazine
  • Risk & Insurance Magazine
  • Insurance Journal
  • Workers Compensation.com
  • LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites
  • Various trade publications

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