News

Worker misclassification in the construction business, done to avoid workers' compensation and payroll taxes, is a growing problem nationwide, and Indiana is no exception, according to a local news report. Legitimate commercial contractors told an Indiana TV station this week that fraudulent misclassification appears to be spreading in the industry. Some contractors can shave 30% off their bids by classifying…

Are employees injured at work more likely to file under workers’ compensation instead of group health insurance when their group health plan has a higher deductible? The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found evidence they do in a new study it says has great relevance since the number of workers in health insurance plans with high deductibles is growing. “In…

Injured miners and construction workers are in the occupations most likely to receive an opioid prescription, the study shows. Injured workers living in “rural” or “very rural” areas were up to 25% more likely than urban injured workers to receive opioid painkillers. Injured workers in rural areas are more likely to receive prescriptions for opioids, a new study shows. The…

The National Council of Insurance Legislators is in the early planning stages of possibly creating a model law on workers compensation drug formularies, the organization’s spokesman confirmed on Friday. Details on the proposed NCOIL Workers’ Compensation Drug Formulary Model Act are included in NCOIL’s spring meeting agenda, provided to Business Insurance. The meeting is set for March 14-17 in Nashville…

A large number of employers not regulated by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s electronic record-keeping rule are voluntarily submitting data to the agency, but they should refrain from doing so in the future because that information could be used against them in OSHA enforcement actions, according to attorneys representing employers. The electronic record-keeping regulation, formally known as the…

A bill introduced Thursday in the Illinois Senate would amend the state’s current Workers Compensation Act to begin compensation almost immediately for seriously injured volunteer, paid-on-call or part-time firefighters, emergency medical technicians or paramedics. S.B. 1219, introduced by Illinois state Sen. Neil Anderson, R-Moline, would amend the current law to allow for coverage of total temporary incapacity to commence the…