Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph.D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: WCAB Defines “High Velocity Eye Injury” Required for Extended TTD. DOI has Jurisdiction to Invalidate Carrier “Unfiled” Side Agreements. Walmart Sues 45 National Carriers For Opioid Settlement Costs. Santa Rosa Neurosurgeon Convicted for Opioid Prescriptions. NCCI Publishes Update to 2021 State of the WC Line Report. WCIRB Releases- 2022 Geo Study with Interactive Map. Orange County Cities Consider Protections for Hospitality Workers. Walgreens VillageMD to buy Summit Health for $9B. 
Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph.D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Carrier Cannot Disqualify Multiple WCJ’s in Dec’d Defense Attorney Case. Growers SIG Sues Grower for $3M Cost of Post-Termination Claims. L.C. 432.6 Nullifies Employer’s Post litigation Proposed Arbitration Agreement. Opposing Party Prejudice Not Required for Arbitration Waiver. Epic Failure of $370M Fraud Detection Tech System in California & 7 States. Merced County Doctor Indicted for $53M Insurance Fraud Scheme. DWC Publishes 2021 Audit Report of Audit of 40 Entities. CDC Updates Opioid Clinical Treatment Guidelines. Nine California Hospitals Given Specialty Excellence Awards. Database of Hospitals Penalized By Medicare for Re-admissions.
Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph.D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: WCAB Rules on Procedure for County to Recover L.C 4850.4 Advances. FLSA Mandates Call Center Employees be Paid for Booting Up Computer. Applicant Attorney Jon Woods to Serve 4 Years for Comp Fraud. San Jose Father and Son Arrested for $12M Premium Fraud. 3 Bay Area Restaurants Settle Wage Theft Case for $6M. U.S. DOL Recovers $202K From SoCal Car Wash for Wage Theft. EEOC Releases Updated “Know Your Rights” Mandated Poster. Few California DAs File Charges for Wage Theft – But That May Change. Science May Support Apportionment of Musculoskeletal Disability to Smoking. AM Best Reports WC Profitability “Unmatched” by Other P/C Lines.
Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph.D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Lawyers Union Sues California Over How it Hires Lawyers and Judges. Business Name Issues Are Problems for Enforcing Employee Arbitration. Cross Examination Required in Hearing on Workplace Violence Orders. Highest Paid UCLA Doctor Convicted of Patient Sexual Assaults. Staffing Problems Plague Labor Commissioner’s Wage Theft Efforts. PBMs Battle With Several States over State Rights to Govern Them. California to End COVID State of Emergency in February.
New Definition of “Close Contact” and “Infectious Period” for COVID. Sutter Health Pays $13M for Billing for Lab Tests it Did not Perform. NCCI Reports WC Medical Costs Increasing Less Than Inflation.
Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph.D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Fresno Trucking Business Owners Face $2.5M Payroll Fraud Charges. Tustin Doctor Pleads Guilty to Illegally Selling 120K Opiod Pills. Cal/OSHA Investigates Tree Trimmer Death After Fall into Wood Chipper. WCIRB Publishes COVID-19 Workers’ Compensation 2022 Update. DWC Announces Deactivation of Inactive E-Filer Accounts. U.S. DOL Announces Proposed Rule on Worker Classification. Feds Publish Blueprint to Guide Employer Use of AI Technology. NY Times Says Insurers Exploited Medicare for Billions.
Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph.D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: WCAB Panel Rejects Provisions of Unapproved 3rd Party Settlement. Attorneys Awarded $280K Fees for $15K Settlement of Rest Break Case. New Law Facilitates Recovery of $282K Wage Theft From Car Wash Owners. SoCal Attorney to Serve 37 Months for Forged Court Judgments. Highlights of New Worker’s Compensation and Employment Law. DWC Proposes Remote Health and QME Scheduling Regulations. WCIRB Reports Lower Premium and Higher Combined Loss Ratio. Lawsuit Filed Against New California “Medical Censorship” Law. New Rules Give Patients Unfettered Access to Digital Health Records. Initiative Process to Allow Voters Decide Health Care Workers Wage.
Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph.D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Judicial and Regulatory Health Care Disruptions Expected Soon. DA Drops Charges in Premium Fraud Case – in 4th Week of Jury Trial. Home Health Care Agencies Cited for $2M in Worker Misclassification. SoCal VR School Executives Arrested for $1.7M Voucher Fraud. DWC Suspends 178 Medical Providers for Fraud Crimes in 2022. LA/OC Physician Pleads Guilty to $20M Pharmaceutical Scam. Pressure Building for Another Decennial Workers’ Comp Reform. State Bar Investigating LA Attorneys Disbursement of Class Action Funds. Proposed Regulations to Allow Unsupervised Care by Nurse Practitioners. Simply Business Partners with biBERK to Offer Comp Coverage.
Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph.D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Weedwacker Injury Not a “Violent Act” for Psyche PD Add-On. PAGA Case Proceeds Despite Arbitrator Finding Against Employee. Long Beach Dockworkers Fraudulently Bill Health Plan $2.1M. New Law Prohibits Employer Discrimination for Off the Job Marijuana Use. Newsom Signs Law Inspired by Comp Carrier’s $2M CDI Lobby Scandal. Mandatory Weekly Testing for Unvaccinated Workers Roll Back. WCIRB Publishes 2022 Interactive Industry Stats Report. WCIRB Publishes Aggregate Medical Payment Trends 2021 Update. California Uses the AMA Guides 5th Edition – Which is Two Decades Old. NEXT Partners with Intuit For Comp Insurance in Quckbooks Ecosystem.
Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph.D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Prevailing in WCAB 132a Claim is Not Res Judicata in FEHA Case. Employers Must Set “Date Certain” for Emergency Leave Ending. S.F. Contractor Faces Multiple Felony Charges for Premium Fraud. NICB Partnerships Intensifies its Focus on California Insurance Fraud. Newsom Signs SB 1242 Adding Premium Fraud Reporting Provisions. Newsom Signs Law Extending Time to Study UR. Cal/OSHA Posts Guidance on Protecting Workers from Monkeypox. 61% of 6.2 Million Disabled People are Episodic and Not Permanent. Telehealth Utilization Fell 4% Nationally in June 2022. Hartford and Yale Team Up to Treat Injured Worker Addictions.
Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph.D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Class Action Claims Amazon 8′ Warehouse Pods Violate FEHA. Johnny Depp’s Attorney Hired to Defend High Profile Comp Fraud Case. Jury Convicts Silicon Valley Man for $77M COVID Test Kickbacks. Newsom Signs Fast Food Standards and Accountability Recovery Act. CDC Reports Alarming Surge in Construction Worker Suicides. State Fund Reports 82% Reduction in Opioid Use since 2014. Scripps Performs First ACL Reconstruction-Alternative Repair. Boeing, Concentra, Shutterfly Join NSC Pledge to Reduce Work Injuries.