Survey Reveals Widespread WC Misconceptions

A new survey shows that nearly half of U.S. workers believe that filing a workers’ comp claim could put their job at risk.
The poll, by law firm Atticus, surveyed 1,000 Americans to gauge public understanding of workers’ compensation and identify misconceptions.
The average age of respondents was 40; 50% were women, and 50% were men.
Of those surveyed, 12% said they’ve applied for workers’ compensation, and most were successful.
Among applicants, 72% were approved, 11% were denied, and 10% are still waiting on a decision.
One key point of confusion is who actually pays workers’ comp benefits. Just 29% of survey respondents correctly answered that once a claim is approved, it’s the employer’s insurance company, not the employer, that’s responsible for paying benefits, the firm said.
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The U.S. Labor Department semiannual agenda of regulatory and deregulatory actions includes an effort to improve transparency into pharmacy benefit manager fee disclosure.
The department will look at ways to improve transparency around the direct and indirect compensation PBMs receive from employer-sponsored health plans, according to a Sept. 4 announcement.
One of almost 150 proposals, the effort follows President Donald Trump’s April 15 Executive Order, “Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First.”
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Payroll processor ADP is out with advice to small and medium-sized businesses on dealing with annual audits of their workers’ compensation policies.
“Many small and medium-sized businesses may not realize that every workers’ compensation insurance policy is subject to an audit,” ADP said.
Among the five recommendations offered, ADP stressed SMBs should respond promptly to audit requests and to take the consequences of non-compliance seriously.
“If you fail to respond, you may receive a Non-Compliant Audit notification – allowing your insurance carrier to proceed without your input. This could lead to a significantly increased premium, or even non-renewal of your policy.”
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A North Carolina appeals court has revived a dismissed asbestos-related workers’ compensation claim against Continental Tires, remanding the case back to the state’s Industrial Commission.
The Sept. 3 ruling emphasized the right to present individual evidence.
The claim was filed by Karen Denise Blue Gilbert, administrator of the estate of Gilbert Billy Larson Blue, alleging that Blue’s illness resulted from asbestos exposure while working at Continental Tires’ manufacturing facility.
The named defendants are Continental Tires the Americas, General Tire, Inc./GenCorp., Inc., and Liberty Mutual Insurance Company.
This case is one of approximately 150 workers’ compensation claims brought by or on behalf of former employees against Continental Tires, all alleging illness from asbestos exposure at the same facility.
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Pinnacol Assurance said it is collaborating with tech firm Clearspeed to integrate voice-based risk assessment technology to support injured workers.
Following the success of an initial proof-of-concept, Pinnacol plans to expand Clearspeed’s use, including First Notice of Injury and verification in structured settlements.
The two firms said that their new approach differs from traditional risk assessment methods “that can be intrusive and rely on extensive documentation validation, subjective evaluations, and lengthy processing times.”
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