Maryland Counties Group Pushes Prescription Cost Gap
- The Maryland Association of Counties on Wednesday called for support of a state Senate bill that addresses a long-standing gap in regulation that has allowed excessive and inconsistent prescription drug pricing, driving up costs for local governments.
- The state’s Workers’ Compensation Commission currently regulates fees for medical services but lacks a similar structure for prescription drugs.
- SB 306 establishes a pharmaceutical fee guide that regulates prescription drug reimbursements in workers’ compensation claims.
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Ohio BWC Funding Updates Claim-Related Prosthetics Coverage
- The Ohio House of Representatives on Wednesday approved the biennial budgets for the Industrial Commission (IC) and the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
- One approved funding bill includes an update that will allow the BWC to purchase, repair and replace prosthetic devices if those devices were required as a result of workplace injury or disease, even after the life of the claim has expired.
- The bill also includes changes to the process for incarcerated individuals who are injured through prison employment.
- As well, the BWC’s ombudsperson system has been renamed to the Workers’ Compensation Customer Advocacy Office.
- The BWC’s budget is not funded through the state’s General Revenue Fund but through premium payments made by employers, with a small portion supported by federal grants.
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Sedgwick Raises Awareness of Weight-Loss Drugs on WC Claims
- Claims management firm Sedgwick says that employers and workers comp professional need to be aware of the effect on claims of the growing use of weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic.
- The firm’s Senior Medical Officer, Dr. Teresa Bartlett, wrote in the company’s blog this week that “obesity is a prime example of a comorbidity that can negatively impact an injured employee’s recovery, return to work and performance,” adding that the drugs will likely be positioned as part of strategies for a healthier workforce.
- As a comorbidity, the “risks and potential delays in recovery could lead companies to consider weight loss medications as viable options to reduce injuries,” she wrote.
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