This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed to cover acupuncture for Medicare patients with chronic low back pain who are enrolled participants either in clinical trials sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or in CMS-approved studies. To read the proposed decision, visit the CMS website here. Acupuncture is not currently … Continue reading Medicare Is Considering Approving Acupuncture for Low Back Problems. Does It Have a Place in Workers’ Compensation Claims?
Category: Treatment Issues
The Ohio BWC Removed Oxycodone from the List of Approved Medications. Is Marijuana a Possible Replacement?
Late last month, the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation "BWC" announced that starting on July 1, 2019 Oxycodone was being removed from its formulary list. According to BWC Chief Medical Officer Terry Welsh, Oxycodone is being replaced with “an equally effective but harder to abuse drug” named Xtampza ER. According to Welsh, “Xtampza is a … Continue reading The Ohio BWC Removed Oxycodone from the List of Approved Medications. Is Marijuana a Possible Replacement?
How to Identify and Control Chronic Opioid Use in a Workers’ Compensation Claim
A new study by the Workers' Compensation Research Institute listed several factors that can identify which injured workers will receive opioid pain medication on a chronic basis. The study looked at a number of factors, including the worker's age and gender; the type and size of the employer involved in the claim; as well as the … Continue reading How to Identify and Control Chronic Opioid Use in a Workers’ Compensation Claim
New Study Shows How Approving Physical Therapy Can Reduce Medication Costs in a Workers’ Compensation Claim
I always encourage my clients to approve requests for physical therapy as often as possible. It has been my experience that having injured workers participate in physical therapy gets them over their injuries and back into the workforce fairly quickly. That’s a win-win situation. A new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of … Continue reading New Study Shows How Approving Physical Therapy Can Reduce Medication Costs in a Workers’ Compensation Claim
New Study Links Opioids to Workers’ Compensation Claims
A study published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that workers’ compensation claimants have a high proportion of persistent opioid use. A link to the study can be found here. The report found that 30 percent of injured workers prescribed opioids are still taking them 3 months after their injuries; … Continue reading New Study Links Opioids to Workers’ Compensation Claims
Why is the Ohio BWC Paying Employers to Hire Workers with a History of Opioid Abuse?
On September 10, 2018 the Ohio BWC issued a press release announcing a new pilot program. The BWC's Opioid Workplace Safety Program will provide up to $5 million over two years to help employers in Montgomery, Ross and Scioto counties hire, manage and retrain workers in recovery. The pilot program's launch is scheduled for October 15, 2018. … Continue reading Why is the Ohio BWC Paying Employers to Hire Workers with a History of Opioid Abuse?
New Rules for Self-Insured Employers to Unilaterally Terminate Payment for Medications
A recent change to the Ohio Administrative Code (O.A.C.) clarifies the procedure by which employers may unilaterally terminate payment for ongoing prescriptions in claims. Specifically, O.A.C. Section 4123-6-21.1 provides that self-insured employers may terminate payment for prescription medications by: Notifying the worker, their representative, and the prescribing physician in writing that the employer will be obtaining a … Continue reading New Rules for Self-Insured Employers to Unilaterally Terminate Payment for Medications
Employers Workers' Compensation Law Blog 