Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph.D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Orange County Recovery Center “Body Broker” Arrested. Santa Clarita Employer Pleads Guilty to $1.8M SBA Covid Fraud. Pharmacist Sentenced to Only 6 Months for $200M Comp Fraud. Covid Cases Surge in Silicon Valley. South Coast Gymnastics Cited for 1.3 Million Dollar Wage Theft Violations. Experts Say Long Term Covid Health Effects Difficult to Predict. New Med-Legal Fee Schedule Effective April 1. New Law Requiring Additional Covid Sick Leave Now in Effect. California Unemployment Rate Drops to 8.5%. 2017 Insurance Start-Up Expands Rapidly in Comp Market. 
Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph.D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Retailers Face Class Actions for Unpaid Worker Screenings. Landscaper Faces Fraud Charges for Faked Symptoms. California/Washington Disclose as Oregon Hides EDD Fraud. Bay Area Pair Indicted for $300M uBiome Healthcare Fraud. San Jose Physician Indicted for Illegally Prescribing Opiates. CWCI Says COVID Comp Claims Subsiding to Lowest Level. DWC Adjusts Hospital Outpatient and ASC OMFS Fees. Amended DEU Regs Include 5% Commutation Increase. Demands for “Hero Pay” Rapidly Increasing Across Sectors. 27 States Suddenly Show Uptick in New COVID Infections.
Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph.D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Exclusive Remedy Does Not Require Actual Receipt of Benefits. Privette Rule Limits Installer’s Action Against Homeowner. Two Counties Sue Handy.com For Worker Misclassification. AG and 5 Counties Sue 10 Skilled Nursing Facilities for Fraud. Fresno Farm Worker Faces Two Felonies for Comp Fraud. OSHA Announces Higher Resource Focus on COVID Safety. CHSWC Releases 2020 Annual Report. Congress Proposes Solution for Unemployment Insurance Fraud. NCCI Tracking U.S. COVID Workers’ Compensation Legislation. DEA Schedules 20th Drug Take Back Day for April 24.
Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph.D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Exclusive Remedy Ends Suit for Employee Suicide. Court of Appeal Affirms Prison Nurse Conviction for Comp Fraud. 212 Year Sentence for Hawthorne Man’s “Diabolical” Insurance Fraud. Double Dipping Firefighter Faces Four Felonies for Comp Fraud. DA Files Felony Charges for OSHA Violations in Deadly Injury. Amazon.com Cited for $6.4M So. Cal. Delivery Driver Wage Theft. HHS Health Record Information Blocking Rules Apply April 5. CWCI Study Shows 63% Decline in Opioid Filled Prescriptions. Eli Lilly FDA Approved Drugs Cut COVID Hospitalizations and Death. Employer COVID Plans Shown in National Survey.
Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph.D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Employer Groups Lose Bid to Stop Cal/OSHA COVID Regs. Employer’s Vendor Has No Duty to Injured Worker.
Merced Claimant Faces Fraud Charges for False History. Hawthorne Physician Settles Kickback Case for $215K.
Prison Inmate and Accomplice Indicted for EDD COVID Fraud. How Medicare Rates Overpay Physicians. Cal/OSHA Cites More Employers for COVID Safety Violations. DEA Says California Leads Nation on Illegal Fentanyl Seizures. NAIC Reports Top 6 Comp Carriers Have 36% Market Share. Yale Researchers Use Stem Cells to Repair Spinal Cord Injuries.
Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph.D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Supreme Court ends Practice of Rounding Time Clock Punches. Grocers Association Seeks “Hero Pay” Ordinance Injunction. Suit by COVID Infected Wife Against Husband’s Employer Fails. Sun-Maid Growers Faces Labor Law Class Action. 5 Year Sentence for Dr. Grusd Office Administrator Affirmed. California Father/Son Team Sentenced for $27M Healthcare Fraud. Farm Labor Contractor to Serve 6 Years for $2.5M Premium Fraud. SoCal Worker Arraigned for Fraudulent COVID Comp Claim. 2019 Ethics Advisory Committee Upholds Charges for 2 WCJs. NCCI Reports 2020 “Not a Bad Year” for Comp Claims.
Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph.D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Foster Farms Fights “First in Nation” COVID Court Injunction. McKinsey & Co. Pays $600M to Resolve 49 State Opioid Claims. Federal Trucking Law Preempts More Stringent CA Break Law. Lawsuit Claims Amazon Violated COVID-19 Safety Measures. Drywall Contractor Cited for $2M Wage Theft From 472 Laborers. Another $500K EDD Fraud Perpetrator Pleads Guilty. L.A. McDonald’s Cited for Retaliation and Labor Law Violations. Feds Launch Telehealth Audits Following $6B Takedown. So Cal Corona Variant Spreads Throughout the State and Six Countries. New Problems with Reserving for Lifetime Awards.
Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph.D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: WCJ Rejects Mesa Pharmacy Challenge to L.C. 4615 Stay. Gig Workers File Second Challenge to Proposition 22.
Brentwood Pharmacist Guilty in $4.5M Kickback Scheme. Bakersfield Nurse Assistant Faces 24 WC Fraud Felonies. Biden Picks Julie Su – Head of CA Labor Agency as Labor Deputy. Cost Impact of California’s Drug Formulary – Two-Year Checkup. DWC Updates OMFS Practitioner Services Fees. DWC Extends QME Emergency Regs 36.7 and 46.2. Long Beach Supermarkets Close Over City “Hero” Pay Law. DWC Opens Registration for Educational Conference.
Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph.D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Supreme Court Denies Union Effort to Invalidate Prop 22. 132a Not Released by Civil Settlement Without WCAB Approval. EHR Vendor Resolves Kickback Case for $18M. Last Physician Sentenced in $154M Surgical Fraud Case. Claimant Faces Fraud Charges for False History of Prior Injuries. Cal/OSHA Data Significantly Undercounting COVID-19. Cal/OSHA Cites Two State Prisons and Others for COVID Issues. California Legislators Seek “Reboot” of Failing EDD. Hearing on COVID-19 MTUS Canceled Pending ACOEM Updates. Congress Investigating Meatpackers for High COVID Deaths.
Rene Thomas Folse, JD, Ph.D. is the host for this edition which reports on the following news stories: Sub-Contractor Lacks Standing to Challenge Privette Doctrine Dismissal. EDD Fraud Losses Now Estimated at $11B. Feds Pursue Pharmacist for Carelessly Filling Opioid Prescriptions. O.C. Healthcare Group Resolves $40M Respirator Fraud Claim. CA DOJ Launches Worker Rights and Fair Labor Section. DWC Adjusts OMFS – Pathology and Clinical Laboratory. Cal/OSHA Form 300A Summary of Illnesses and Injuries Due on Feb 1. NAIC Study – PC Insurance Premium Increase as Losses Flat. Study Shows Healthcare Lab Workers at Highest COVID Risk. Officials Say 33% of L.A. County Residents Were COVID Infected.