Arizona Approves Ecstasy in Some WC Coverage

Firefighters and law enforcement officers in Arizona could soon get treatment employing MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly, under their workers’ compensation coverage.
Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) last week signed a bill, SB1677, that permits treatment of PTSD with the now-Schedule I drugs when and if the Food and Drug Administration approves its use.
Another bill, SB1570, which would have permitted the use of psilocybin mushrooms for treatment of PTSD and depression, was vetoed by the governor.
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State legislators are taking aim at pharmacy benefits managers, with more than 40 states mulling action.
Legislation under consideration seeks to boost healthcare competition and oversight by reducing costs and improving the quality of patient care.
In particular, state-level action could enhance protections for the federal government’s 340B drug discount program.
“The state legislation that will most affect workers’ comp is often not about workers’ comp – rather it deals with other parts of the healthcare ecosystem,” commented Joe Padua, principal of Health Strategy Associates.
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With at least two workers compensation-related bills headed to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul for signing, both supporters and opponents are increasing their pressure.
One bill, the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act would require an annual hazard analysis and beef up enforcement of safety standards by the state Labor Department.
It would require warehouses with more than 100 workers to come up with a workplace safety plan.
Thomas Quackenbush, president of Teamsters Local 294 in Albany, said warehouses owned by large corporations prioritize profits over employees, highlighting recent reports of worker abuse at an upstate Amazon warehouse.
Meanwhile, New York’s Business Council wants Hochul to veto a bill that would require retail employers to develop a workplace violence prevention plan to reduce being the target of theft rings.
It would also mandate large employers install a panic button to instantly call 911 and emergency services.
“No one argues we should mitigate and reduce injuries in the workplace, but you can’t make something more ‘illegal-er’ than it already is,” Frank Kerbein, director of the group’s Human Resources Center, said. “It’s already unlawful to put someone in harm’s way that way.”

PCF Insurance Services said Monday it has acquired four insurance businesses.
The Lehi, Utah brokerage has added Pennsylvania-based Ignitist, North Carolina’s The Brady Agency, Mississippi-based Roseberry Insurance, and The Sinnott Agency, based in Iowa.
The multi-lines brokerage operates in 40 states.
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