Contentious Tort Reform Efforts Tabled in Face of Strong Opposition
By Jarvis Lakemaker, Esq.In recent years, Georgia has seen jury verdicts reach […]
The Headache of Unpaid Medical Bills: responsibility for proper documentation falls to the claimant and the medical provider, not the insurer
By Chad McDonald, Esq. Insurance adjusters constantly receive medical bills from claimants and their attorneys demanding that payment be made to clear up a balance. These bills are usually in the form of a statement sent to the claimant by the medical provider. This can be an important issue since Board Rule 203 prescribes […]
Attorney-Client Privilege in Crisis Situations
By: Tyler Jones, Esq.
When crisis hits, there is little time to consider the implications of every minor maneuver, communication, and decision that is made in what is likely a more than usually chaotic situation. While the immediate focus after a crisis situation occurs is the immediate physical reaction such as providing medical treatment, notifying emergency […]
Taking Credit: How to Reduce the Benefits You Owe
By: Jarvis B. Läkemäker, Esq.
A quick reminder that you can use WC-243 to reduce or eliminate your TTD exposure if an employee receives other post accident benefits. a. Unemployment – you get a dollar for dollar credit if a claimant is awarded unemployment. File the WC-243 showing a full 100% […]
What CMS Wants: CMS Criteria When Reviewing An MSA
By: Jarvis B. Läkemäker, Esq.
In December we discussed when you should have an MSA done and when you would need the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approval. We provided a Medicare Checklist to assist you in that evaluation. This month, we will focus on the steps CMS’ Workers’ […]
Claimant Characteristics Useful Predictor of Opioid Prescription Rates: Doctors Prescribe More Opioids for Patients That Are Older, Rural or in the Construction Industry
By: Jarvis B. Läkemäker
A recent study found that a patient’s demographics and type of employment may correlate to the amount of opioids they are prescribed. In its study, Correlates of Opioid Dispensing, the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) identified characteristics of injured workers and their employers that are associated with differences […]
Getting Less Aggravated: How to Prove an Aggravation Has Ended
By: Jarvis B.
Läkemäker and Ben Young
You have an accepted claim with no full duty release in sight. You
are unable to return the claimant to light duty work. How do you cut off
benefits? If the claimant had pre-existing medical issues, you may be able to
argue that the work injury – an aggravation – no longer […]
Medicare Checklist, Updated: When is an MSA necessary? When is CMS approval required?
By: Ken David, Esq.
Let’s
make something hard a little bit easier. We are still confronted with the
challenge of how to deal with Medicare’s interests in many of our settlements,
particularly six figure ones. Although it is certainly possible to write a book
on all the requirements and details of navigating the MSA system, here you will
find a […]
Statutory Employer Concerns: How Contractors Can Protect Themselves From Liability When Using Subcontractors
By: Emily Anderson, Esq.
Any contractor who hires subcontractors wants to know whether the subcontractors have workers’ compensation insurance. We have recently seen issues arise where a subcontractor signs a contract stating they will obtain insurance, and may even provide a certificate of insurance, but it does not fully protect the contractor. If this […]
