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AIC Designation Changes – One Major Modification To Study Guides

April 8, 2021 By JL Risk Management Consultants Leave a Comment

AIC Designation Changes – ARM Also Affected – Important

One of the most detrimental AIC designation changes was pointed out to me over the last two weeks.  I received numerous calls and emails that the Jack Keir for Success program had dropped any insurance designations.

road sign AIC designation changes one way

Wikimedia Commons – Frye1989

The AIC (Associate in Claims) designation is specifically designed for claims adjusters and other insurance personnel to advance their careers quickly.  

I checked out the website.   The calls and emails were correct.   I was going to change all the articles that I had previously written about the AIC program.  The links in that article will pull up a blank page.   

I called the Keir Company to see if that development was true.   The representative said they no longer offered those manuals including no CPCU guides.   No insurance designation guidebooks are located on the website.   Ouch!

The guidebooks were critical in my completion of the AIC and ARM designations.  One of the more frustrating parts of completing the coursework was there were no answers to the questions in the study material provided by the Institutes.  

AIC Designation Changes – Institutes Did Not Change Anything

The Institutes provide the AIC designation.   It did not change anything with the program.  Only the Keir guidebooks changed – Keir is not associated with The Institutes.  You can find out more about the AIC here.   

The AIC has changed from when I attained the AIC.  

The AIC courses available are:

The first step towards earning your AIC designation is to complete and pass the exam for these two core courses. 

  • AIC 30: Claims Principles and Practices
  • AINS 21: Property and Liability Insurance Principles

Identify a specific track in which you want to build your expertise, and complete those required courses within that concentration.

Auto 

  • AIC 39: Auto Claims Practices
  • AIC 48: Bodily Injury Claims and Auto Coverages

Liability  

  • AIC 32: Liability Claims Practices
  • AIC 49: Bodily Injury Claims and Liability Coverages

Property  

  • AIC 31: Property Claims Practices
  • AIC 41: Property Coverages

Workers Compensation 

  • AIC 37: Managing Bodily Injury Claims
  • AIC 44: Workers Compensation Claim Practices

Complete the following course offered at no cost, to acquire the decision-making tools to maintain ethical standards and preserve the public’s trust.

  • Ethics 311: Ethical Decision Making in Risk and Insurance

I helped one caller find other Insurance Guidebooks by using this Google Search

I cannot vouch for any of the AIC or ARM guidebooks.   I have not used or reviewed them.  I will update this article or provide another article if there are any further AIC designation changes – especially to the study guides. 

Filed Under: Insurance Related Designations

My Three Favorite Articles That Hooked My Attention – Must Read

April 8, 2021 By Erica Libo Leave a Comment

All About My Three Favorite Articles

In reading articles, I may say that all of them hooked my attention. But actually, I have my three favorite articles that I can say are worth it to read. Or when time goes by, it may bring the lesson we’ve learned from those articles in our future life. I’ll be mentioning 3 out of many articles that I love to read and I love to share.

Picture of Three Favorite Articles Open Books

Wikimedia Commons – Latemplanza

The first article that I’ll be mentioning was “My COVID-19 Vaccination – Among The Everyday Heroes”.  We all know that this covid-19 pandemic brings us to what and where we are now.

Even though we are not public servants, this article shows all the love that each public servant deserves.  They deserve to be known, to be praised for their hardships and sacrifices they are doing, they deserve to be acknowledged by the people all over the world because each of them offers their life and risk it for the sake of the people, patients, and for the world.

This article also shows how does vaccination going. What are the things that a person might encounter during their vaccination day? And it’ll not be successful if we don’t have those servants who organize and manage everything for the safety and order of the people.

          The second article was all about the “Volunteer Workers Comp Benefits Can Be Elusive at Best”. When we say volunteers, the first thing that comes to our mind was they worked because they want to do the job. They are making things without expecting anything back.

Right? But, do volunteers deserve to at least receive benefits from their employers when an unexpected incident occurs? This article shows that some of the employers answer no, luckily few say yes.

Not particularly the salary for their job but the benefits or payment for the injury they may encounter. This article shows that every volunteer should receive at least the benefit for their health. Each employee or volunteer must know and read this one because it’ll help them.  And to the employers, always make sure if the volunteers you have are all payable.

Student Reading Three Favorite Articles on laptop

Wikimedia Commons – Courtcourtwest

Third and last but not the least was all about “Workers Comp Website – 10 Things to Know When Switching Providers” This article would teach us what should we know in terms of switching providers.  It gave some tips that we needed to know and needed to be aware of. 

The article will give a lot of knowledge as well as helped to understand more about switching providers that we may need at some point in doing our related job. It may be different from the first two articles I’ve been reading but I know this would help too.

 The articles mentioned above will worth reading. All of the articles are helpful not just to the employers but to the employees and even the volunteers will be benefits here as well. In connection with the three articles,

I may say that these are all accurate to what workers’ must know and for them to be aware of. It is all related to each individual worker that ever exists.  Always think that every hardship is worth it.  Don’t expect anything because if your hard work’s intention is clean even though you are not expecting it’ll all come back to you twice as you did. 

Learn from the experts, know your rights, and be the better version of employees and employers you are in every day.  Nothing is more than your skills, just believe that you are in that position because it fits your skills and because that position might help you to improve and be the better among others. 

This is only my idea about what I read in my three favorite articles that I mentioned above. You can read more articles and I’m pretty sure you will like them and it will help you a lot. 

Filed Under: Blog

Coronavirus Vaccine Journey – Second Act – Over in 30 Minutes

April 7, 2021 By JL Risk Management Consultants Leave a Comment

Act II of my Coronavirus Vaccine Journey – Quick and No Problems 

My coronavirus vaccine journey started on St. Patrick’s Day.  Check out that article here.  The booster shot occurred yesterday.  Obtaining the second vaccine was much easier.   The first vaccine took two hours to complete. This one took 25 minutes. 

Why did I devote two articles to my coronavirus vaccine journey?  Quite a few people that I know were very hesitant to obtain a new vaccine.  I cannot blame them, but nothing happened to me and I have comorbidities – two artificial heart valves.  

Yes, I did have a reaction of arm soreness, a slight headache, and a low-grade fever.   Those symptoms have all disappeared today.  (Whew!) – According to John Hopkins University, these are expected reactions:

What side effects should I expect from COVID-19 vaccines?

Side effects may vary with the type of COVID-19 vaccine. We know the most about side effects following vaccination with the Pfizer and Moderna messenger RNA—or mRNA—vaccines.

The most common side effect is soreness at the site of injection. Other side effects include fatigue, headache, muscle aches, chills, joint pain, and possibly some fever.

How long do side effects last?

Usually 24 to 48 hours, and no more than a few days.

Coronavirus Vaccine Journey Pics

I had to return to the same facility – the North Triangle Executive Airport.   The pics were not as good as the last time as there was no line.  Taking pics in a moving car can be challenging.   Each pic or group of pics will have a description below it.  

I was expecting a longer line than this short one.  Last time, I was 2/3 of a mile behind me when I pulled up.  Nice!

My ID and CDC card were checked very quickly.   See the rearview mirror for the policeman that was checking everyone in.  I was running 45 minutes early as I had expected a long line. 

The Airport was set up for a huge operation.  I lucked out on the timing.   I spent 45 minutes last time getting to this part of the line.  

The vaccination nurses are just ahead.  I did not have time to roll down my shirt sleeve and take a picture as the line was moving very rapidly.  

I had to wait at the exit for 15 minutes to see if I was going to have any type of reaction.   I was given a Pfizer 2nd dose-reaction sheet to take with me.   

I am finished and leaving.  My rehabilitation routine was to stop by El Perico Restaurant nearby (best salsa on earth) as I did the last time.   Their Speedy Gonzalez lunch in the pic above comes out in 3 minutes.   Soon,  we all can visit our favorite restaurants without worrying about another Coronavirus vaccine journey like mine today.  

Thanks to all the National Guard, Franklin County North Carolina, Franklin County Police, and the NCDHHS for providing me with my vaccine.  Kudos to all the everyday heroes.  

Update – As of April 16th, anyone can obtain a vaccine.  Check with your physician’s office before obtaining the Pfizer, Moderna, or J&J Vaccine.  None of this or the prior article is to be taken as medical advice.    

All photos are the author’s work.

Filed Under: James J Moore

How Workers Comp Weekly Rate Is Calculated – Temporary Total Disability

April 1, 2021 By Erica Libo 11 Comments

Workers Comp Weekly Rate for TTD – The Basics 

Workers Comp weekly rates for TTD in all states are calculated differently. Workers are all deserving of the benefits beyond their efforts to work on time.

They need financial help from their employers while they are suffering from injuries that they may have during their working period. TTD or Temporary Total Disability is a disability wherein a worker who is injured or got ill can’t perform or unable to do any job temporarily.

Signage of Disability Workers Comp Weekly Rate outside the house

Public Domain – MarkBuckawicki

TTD usually involves a waiting period. This has two categories: these are (1) TTD and (2) TD. Both of those explain if an employee is injured or ill for let’s say a week or longer than that they will be receiving payments.

You’ll be receiving TTD if you can’t work during your recovery stage. The amount of payment that an employee will be going to receive depends on their wage rate.

The payment that they might receive will be tax-free. For instance, if an employee earns $ 8 per hour and works 5 hours per week for an employer their Average Weekly Wage equals $40.00 per week. 

In most states, the Workers Compensation weekly benefit is 2/3 of the Average Weekly Wage.  Two-thirds of $40 equals $26.67 which is the workers’ comp benefits rate. In most states, the minimum compensation is $30, so the employee would receive $30 per week. This is just an example. Because not all the states have the same wage rate and policy about the TTD.

You’ll get your TTD according to the state where you are working. Each state has its special form. Most wage statements cover a period of 13, 26, or 52 weeks before the employee’s date of injury. North Carolina always seems to calculate a different wage than what the adjuster has deciphered as the Workers Compensation TTD rate. Employees can’t receive more than the maximum weekly amount.

While an injured employee was declared as TTD, FMLA notice should follow the same time of employee’s leave. If an injured employee is not formally notified while they are in TTD, there is what you called FMLA or Family Medical Leave Act that is not going to expire automatically.

Man is sick Worker Comp Weekly Rate laying at bed with meds on table

Wikimedia Commons – DaveDeploige

Employers are the one who is responsible for sending that. Because if not, there may be the instance that employee will be entitled to 12 more weeks on leave even though their TTD ends already and they are being offered for the return to work.

Workers’ employees will not be paid after 7 to 21 days of being injured, but if it is extended by 22 days they will surely receiving payments. There is one from the previous articles that talks about TTD and PTD being a lifetime benefit.

Because there are some chances that unexpected things that might happen. Rates are always depending on the state where you are located. As an employer, you should always prioritize health more than anything. After that, make sure that you have been expecting something from the company if any incident might come on an unexpected day.

Always remember that even though there are such things as TTD, employees should take good care of themselves to not get sick or injured.

Filed Under: Temporary Total Tagged With: Average Weekly Wage, FMLA, PTD, TTD rate

How Microcaptive 831(b) Arrangements Were Disrupted This Month

March 31, 2021 By JL Risk Management Consultants 2 Comments

One of the long-awaited captive decisions by the US Tax Court was issued this month.  The microcaptive 831(b) arrangements industry may need to look in the mirror very soon.  This makes four major US Tax Cases that could not have been worse for captives, specifically microcaptives. 

Pic ot Tax Sign microcaptive 831(b) arrangements

Public Use License – Wikimedia Commons

Ever since I attended a 2009 CICA Conference in Tucson, AZ, I had thought these arrangements were a way for smaller companies to use captives to insure their risks.  Many of the microcaptives centers were offshore entities such as the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and St. Kitts amongst many others.  

From 2011 until 2017, I had written a business plan for establishing an offshore captive for Workers’ Compensation claims handling.  The IRS placed 831(b)s on its Dirty Dozen List. 

I thought I would wait to see if the IRS removed microcaptives from its Dirty Dozen list.  The Service removed it in 2019, but not for the reasons that I was expecting.  

The Caylor Case – Captives Go Zero For Four 

The case was Caylor Land & Development Inc. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue.   Many proponents of the captive industry had been waiting on this decision for quite some time.  You can find the full decision here. 

The top of the decision’s third page shows two things:

  1. The US Tax Court will rely heavily on the cases already decided (Avrahami, Reserve Mechanical, and Syzygy).
  2. The last sentence below on not breaking new ground did not bode well for Caylor. 

[*3] In Avrahami v. Commissioner, 149 T.C. 144 (2017), we found that a microcaptive didn’t actually provide insurance because it failed to distribute risk and didn’t act as an insurer commonly would.

In Reserve Mech. Corp. v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2018-86, 115 T.C.M. (CCH) 1475 (2018), appeal filed, No. 18-9011 (10th Cir. Dec. 20, 2018), we found that a microcaptive didn’t actually provide insurance because it failed to distribute risk and didn’t act as an insurer commonly would.

Then in Syzygy Ins. Co. v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2019-34, 117 T.C.M. (CCH) 1165 (2019), we found that a microcaptive didn’t actually provide insurance because it failed to distribute risk and didn’t act as an insurer commonly would.

We will break no new ground today.

Microcaptive 831(b) Arrangements – Great Article to Read 

In Forbes Magazine, one of the most intelligent writers on captives (Jay Adkisson) brought up a very salient point.  You might want to read his whole article.  The analysis is spot-on. 

One of the chilling parts of the decision according to Mr. Adkisson was the decision on Caylor could expand outside of the microcaptive 831(b) arrangements:

…the opinion in Caylor Land may potentially extend in its application to far more types of captives than where the IRS has so-far limited its own focus, which is to risk-pooled 831(b) captives. Many captives thought to be very safe from a tax perspective may require introspection and reevaluation.. 

Yes, you may want to follow the link to Jay’s article.  It is one of the best articles on microcaptive 831(b) arrangements after the Caylor decision.  Take the time to read it if you have any interest in captives. 

Filed Under: 831(b) Tagged With: Caylor, Dirty Dozen, Forbes Magazine, microcaptives, US Tax Court

My COVID-19 Vaccination – Among The Everyday Heroes

March 25, 2021 By JL Risk Management Consultants

My COVID-19 Vaccination And The Heroes That I Met

Check out my COVID-19 Vaccination Photos Below – Click on the pics to see a larger version 

Why I Decided to Write On My COVID-19 Vaccination  

I had promised numerous friends, colleagues, and blog readers that I would post on my COVID-19 vaccination experiences.  Some of my associates are very apprehensive I received the first vaccination on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17).  

My COVID-19 Vaccination has really nothing to do with Workers’ Compensation whatsoever.   However, I must say that I met so many heroes that day and they should be acknowledged even though I did not catch their names. 

Most of them looked to be the local National Guard servicemen and women, law enforcement, along with the Franklin County nurses.  I am not sure.  I cannot begin to say how impressed I was with a massive vaccination operation.  I will let the photos tell the story.   

North Carolina allows you to go to another county to receive your vaccination.  I decided to stay with Franklin County where I reside north of Raleigh, NC.   

The pics are arranged in order from waiting in line until they let me leave – checking for any reaction for 15 minutes.  The descriptions are below the photos.  The photos are operating as a 

my covid-19 vaccination start pic

Authors own work

As you can see the line for my COVID-19 vaccination was long.  I arrived 45 minutes early.  The temperature outside was 45 degrees with mist and fog – not a good day to be outside.  

 

I am finally inside the North Triangle Executive Airport.  My ID was just checked to see if I was on the list.  The wait was 40 minutes.  I was worried that I was late.  That turned out to not be a big deal. 

I was given my CDC card, Pfizer explanation, and a P card due to a medication I was taking at the time- this put me into a different line.   

The next two above pics were where the Pfizer vaccine was being stored.  -76 degrees?  Some of the police officers were wondering why I took so many photos.   My answer was the same as to the Franklin County nurse.  Check that later in this article. 

Thanks to the North Triangle Executive Airport for hosting the vaccination event.  I think they will offer their facilities through July 2021.   Correction, Franklin County owns the airport.    I thought I was going into the airport to receive my COVID-19 vaccination.  

I am now approaching the vaccination table – no inside the airport vaccination – it will be a drive-thru experience.  

 

If you look in the nurse’s left hand, my vaccine was loaded and ready to go.  The nurse asked me why am I taking pictures?  I said that some of my friends, family, business associates, article, and blog readers may be hesitant to get their vaccine.  I have a weekly readership of 7,000+ people per week.  I wanted to let them all see that this is no big deal and to get vaccinated.    

The nurse said, “Sir, what is your name?” – I gave her my name and she thanked me.  I immediately said, “No, thank you for your service to the people of Franklin County. ” 

She instructed me to move into a reaction bay and turn on my emergency flashers and honk my horn if I have any type of reaction.  I was given a sheet of paper with 10:45 on it.   

 

I was given a QR Code.  I told the young National Guardsman that I do not have a QR code reader on my phone.  He said that you have a nice phone -you should get download one.  I now felt old and have one on my phone.   The bottom pic was my reaction bay release time of 10:45 AM.  

The final wait of my COVID-19 vaccination procedure seemed to be a long 15 minutes.  Nothing happened whatsoever except that I had a little arm sting from the vaccine.   

Another National Guardsmen waived me out to leave the parking lot at 10:45 AM.   The whole vaccination took one hour and 30 minutes.  St. Patrick’s Day was the first day that vaccinations were available for me.  I expected a longer wait than actually occurred with a hectic process. 

Thanks to all the public servants that took their time to make this an easy operation.  Everyone was very professional and friendly and standing out in the cold mist to make sure that the citizens could receive their vaccines. 

I now have a new set of heroes to admire.  I will be receiving my second Pfizer vaccine on April 6th.  I have had no reactions whatsoever except the same as a regular influenza vaccine – a little arm pain. 

OK, so how did I rehab from my shot?  See below.  

I went to an early lunch at El Perico’s – a 10-minute drive from the airport.  Their salsa is the best on earth.  I had not been there for months due to the pandemic.  My waitress -an old friend- said that everyone in the restaurant was vaccinated the week before me.   

I apologize if this was boring.  I wanted to let everyone know that my COVID-19 vaccination was really a nothing-event.  As they say in North Carolina, GET YOUR SPOT, TAKE YOUR SHOT.  

Filed Under: James J Moore Tagged With: CDC card, Franklin County, influenza vaccine, Pfizer, QR code, St. Patrick's Day

WCRI 2021 State of the States Presentation – The Past Rules

March 25, 2021 By JL Risk Management Consultants

WCRI 2021 State of the States: Selective Findings

The WCRI 2021 State of the States was extremely informative as it has been every year that I have attended the conference.  

Speakers: Bogdan Savych, Ph.D., Rebecca Yang, Ph.D.

wcri 2021 state of the states

(c) Wikimedia – Norman B. Leventhal Map Center

Dr. Savych compared much of what happened in the current pandemic with the 2008 – 2009 great recession.    A few of the stark statistics on the current pandemic were: 

  • 6,000,000 jobs lost due to pandemic – I think this number will increase as adjustments are made by such organizations as the Bureau of Labor Statistics – BLS
  • 27% concerned about job security – this number may end up much higher after the pandemic has lessened. 

Dr. Yang presented the Workers Comp data.   Workers Comp fee schedules have always been one of my recommended ways that state governments can supply great medical care along with cost reductions for their state’s employers. 

The fee schedule results on outpatient facility charges:

  • AL was 136% above the median state in the 2018 study
  • NV was 60% lower than the median state

The fixed amount fee schedule states showed decreases in medical charges.  One can usually expect a decrease in medical charges when a fixed fee schedule has been enacted in the respective states.   

An example was VA with a 32% reduction in ASC fees.   (ASC – Ambulatory Surgical Centers)

I have written on VA needing a fee schedule since the mid-2000s.   One of the main concerns with having a fixed fee schedule is that physicians will turn away Workers’ Comp patients.   This has not happened in any state at any time that I can remember.  

 

Filed Under: WCRI Annual Conference Tagged With: ASC fees, Pandemic, stark statistics

Back To Work During A Pandemic For The Employee – Another Look

March 25, 2021 By Erica Libo

Back To Work – Considerations And Qualifications

Going back to work is like a process of healing. A sick person needed medicine to be healed same as the workers that need to go back to their work. 

They needed a job to sustain and fulfill their daily needs. Workers have been through a lot this year, especially last year. They fought a battle that they can’t see if they’ll win or not. They lost a lot of opportunities. Some business has been bankrupt. Some employees lost their job. Luckily, there is still work that continued at home. But how about now? Workers deserve to go back to work.

Woman Back To Work wearing surgical mask

Wikimedia Commons – www.vperemen.com

Being an employee, they shoulder a lot of responsibilities, they take a lot of risks and doesn’t have the assurance of what will be the result, and they become the best person as like what they want. Losing a job is one of the worst nightmares that workers may have been experienced. But returning on it is like grabbing a new life and opportunities.

Returning to work is never been easy compare to the previous years. There’s a lot of things that have been changed. Going back to work today is like your half-body is in a grave. You will risk a lot more than usual. It’s never been easy because there is a lot of qualifications that must comply.

  • In returning to work, workers should know that the more they interact with other people the more they have the chance and higher risk of spreading Covid-19.
  • If you are a worker and you are going back to work you must continue the proper ways to protect yourself from the virus. You must continue wearing a mask, using tissues, always sanitize your hands using alcohol, and distance yourself to avoid close contact.
  • In considering a person who wants to go back to work they need to be sure that they have never been having close contact with the people who have positive cases or never been exposed to the Covid-19 patients.
  • Workers should practice “going straight at home after work” to help other people not spread a virus and also to help yourself out to take yourself away from anything that could put you at risk.
  • Always monitor yourself. Be alert from the symptoms you may have.
  • Practice disinfecting the things before and after you touched them. Avoid sharing things with the other workers especially your personal belongings.

In considering the Return to work of the employees, the business should do the following things:

  • Businesses should limit the number of people in the workplace for them to meet the social distancing rule that a government has been made. They should have the assurance that workers that have been returned to work should meet the qualifications for them to avoid a severe illness.
  • Businesses should also limit the customers that are entering the facility to show and obey the proper social distancing. And continue to have a vulnerable employee as like what is stated above.
  • Businesses must have the permit that is being approved before re-opening.
Magnifying glass on the page Back To Work of book

Wikimedia Common – Karbyn

Here are the guidelines that businesses and a worker must know:

  1. To have a hazard assessment
  2. Proper hygiene
  3. Social distancing
  4. Identification and isolation of ill employee
  5. Returning to work after being ill
  6. To have controls
  7. Workplace flexibility
  8. Training
  9. Anti-retaliation

In making things possible, businesses are not just into helping their company to gain but they are also helping their employees and their loved ones to feel safe and far from the risk.

Filed Under: return to work Tagged With: assurance, bankrupt, guidelines

WCRI COVID-19 Impact and Effect on Claims and Medical Treatment

March 24, 2021 By JL Risk Management Consultants

WCRI COVID-19 Session – Assessing the Impact

Impact of COVID-19 and the Shutdown on Claims and the Delivery of Medical Care

WCRI COVID-19 Session – Speakers: John Ruser, Ph.D., Olesya Fomenko, Ph.D.

Dr. Fomenko covered much ground very quickly in her presentation.  She is probably one of the best presenters on data in a webinar setting. 

WCRI COVID-19 session pic of Modena vaccine

(c) US Air Force – Public Domain

I took handwritten notes as I could not watch the video and type at the same time.  

MA, NJ, and SC – A dichotomy 

The percentage of claims that were COVID-19 was led by Massachusetts at 59% – likely due to the pay-without-prejudice payments made in the state.   New Jersey was a close second in the highest total of COVID-19 claims at 58% of reported claims. 

The pay-without-prejudice period in MA is a very long 180 days without having to accept liability or make a liability decision on a Workers Comp claim. 

South Carolina’s COVID-19 claim reporting rate came in the lowest at 5%.  

One has to watch the amplification of the percentages.  As the number of claims was reduced significantly, the percentages may be inflated when you divide out the total number of COVID-19 claims by the total of all claims.  

# of COVID-19 Claims / Total Number of Claims = COVID-19 % 

NM, IL, MI, and CT may have had an increased number of COVID-19 claims due to the presumption laws in effect during the pandemic.  

WCRI COVID-19 Shocking Statistic 

Nationwide, 60% of the claims came from high-risk industries.  Those claims mainly originated with assisted living centers, hospitals, and physician’s offices.    In CT, NJ, and MA 65% of the healthcare industry claims were COVID-19 related.  

A side statistic was that MA showed a 50% drop in non-COVID-19 claims during the pandemic. 

There were no or little delays in treatment for workers ‘ comp claims due to the COVID1-9 pandemic.  Even CT, MA, and NJ had no increases in medical treatment delays. 

Q&A WCRI COVID-19 session – The overall industry that was least affected when measuring the number of claims was the construction industries.

Filed Under: WCRI Annual Conference Tagged With: MA, prejudice, presumption laws

WCRI Session That I Attended – Shocking Topicals Numbers

March 24, 2021 By JL Risk Management Consultants

WCRI Session – Off-Label Prescribing and the Effects of Opioid-Related Policies

WCRI Session Speakers: Vennela Thumula, PhD, Bogdan Savych, PhD

The data from this WCRI (Workers Comp Research Institute) session yesterday provided indications of shocking increases in topicals.  The session also pointed out that the effects of state opioid-related policies were negligible.   

wcri session graph of diclofenac prescriptions

Wikimedia Commons – ClinCalc DrugStats

Topicals are anything that is applied to the skin such as patches, creams, and gels.   If one looks at the chart above for diclofenac, the use is also spiking for the overall market. 

South Carolina led the way with 40% of prescriptions having a dermatological component. 

Some of the numbers from this session were:

Opioid prescriptions 

  • 21% of prescriptions – 2015 – were opioids
  • 202o – the percentage of opioid prescriptions were reduced to 8% of prescriptions 

Topicals

  • 11% of prescriptions in 2015
  • 21% – that seems to be a rather large number for topicals 

I was not expecting the percentage to be that high.  

The two top topicals that were responsible for the topical prescriptions were Diclofenac and Lidocaine.    Approximately 91% of the topical prescriptions written were Diclofenac and Lidocaine. 

What is Diclofenac topical?

-next two sections not part of the presentation 

 According to Drugs.com, Diclofenac is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

Diclofenac topical (for the skin) is used to treat joint pain caused by osteoarthritis. diclofenac topical is for use on the hands, wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, or feet. Diclofenac topical may not be effective in treating arthritis pain elsewhere in the body.

What is lidocaine topical?

Lidocaine is a local anesthetic (numbing medication). It works by blocking nerve signals in your body.

Lidocaine topical (for use on the skin) is used to reduce pain or discomfort caused by skin irritations such as sunburn, insect bites, poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, and minor cuts, scratches, or burns. Lidocaine topical is also used to treat rectal discomfort caused by hemorrhoids.

Lidocaine topical may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

DE and SC have the highest use of topicals.  I would have to agree with this statement when analyzing claim payments.

The physicians in FL, GA, IL, MD, DE, SC, and VA supplied 20 – 30% of the topical medications in 2020.  

WCRI Session Best Question

What have states done to control the spike in topical prescription medications?    A few of the states have included topical prescriptions in their drug formularies. OH, NY and KY have included them recently.  

This WCRI session provided a great insight into what is now becoming a problem with Workers Comp treatment.   This was a great session with excellent presenters. 

Filed Under: WCRI Annual Conference Tagged With: dermatological, Diclofenac, lidocaine, topicals

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James J Moore
Raleigh, NC, United States

James founded a Workers’ Compensation consulting firm, J&L Risk Mgmt 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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Recent Posts

  • AIC Designation Changes – One Major Modification To Study Guides
  • My Three Favorite Articles That Hooked My Attention – Must Read
  • Coronavirus Vaccine Journey – Second Act – Over in 30 Minutes
  • How Workers Comp Weekly Rate Is Calculated – Temporary Total Disability
  • How Microcaptive 831(b) Arrangements Were Disrupted This Month
  • My COVID-19 Vaccination – Among The Everyday Heroes
  • WCRI 2021 State of the States Presentation – The Past Rules
  • Back To Work During A Pandemic For The Employee – Another Look
  • WCRI COVID-19 Impact and Effect on Claims and Medical Treatment
  • WCRI Session That I Attended – Shocking Topicals Numbers
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Raleigh, NC 27614
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