During my career, I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to spend several years with Walmart. They allowed me to grow, learn and develop. Working as senior director of risk management for the largest private-sector employer in the U.S. presen…
The United States Supreme Court has ruled in a 5-4 decision that same-sex couples have the right to marry anywhere in the United States. This decision just made life easier for employers and TPAs who are responsible for administering leaves. We can…
Over the last several years, I’ve been talking about how medical marijuana will ultimately become an issue in workers’ compensation and, with several cases we’ve seen across the country, this has become a reality. In each of my pieces, there is alway…
Although fires only represent a small fraction of trucking accidents, they can be deadly and costly. In the fire investigation industry, the cause of a truck fire often relates to preventative maintenance or lack thereof. In fact, the most common ca…
We are in a time unlike any other in our industry. The pace and the reach of emerging risks make our heads spin. Each day the news brings new reports on topics that we know will impact the businesses we are all looking to protect. This year at RIMS…
Social media and risk managers are still not words often heard together. As I prepared for my Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) 2015 session entitled, “Watch this: Social media's impact on claims strategies,” I became increasingly a…
We've been actively preparing for a great RIMS 2015! I’m excited to be speaking to the conference with one of our client partners on the changing needs of the workforce. We have had a great time preparing for our session, Faces in the crowd: Meetin…
Not that long ago, the insurance industry, if not the business world, was rocked when Connecticut General and INA merged to form CIGNA. Today, mergers and acquisitions are a common everyday occurrence. Once an M&A announcement has been made publ…
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is currently considering a bill that would allow employers to direct treatment of their injured workers to coordinated care organizations (CCOs). Employers’ ability to direct injured workers to certified netw…
On February 25, 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued new rules revising the regulatory definition of “spouse” under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), which entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpa…
I spoke with Robert Wilson at WorkersCompensation.com last month about the upcoming ABA Midwinter Conference where I will deliver the keynote address. Bob asked me what I thought would be important future trends for the workers' compensation industry…
Consolidation of hospitals and health systems may have hit an all-time high as health reform and market forces continue to drive mergers and acquisitions. It is important for healthcare organizations to address the cultures that exist in different …
You have done all that you can. You have been diligent in your R&D, engineering, testing, manufacturing and quality control. Sales and Marketing are excited and ready. You have vetted instruction manuals and labels. You have even involved Legal. Yo…
Last year I highlighted the mission and objectives of the newly minted Association for Responsible Alternatives to Workers’ Compensation (ARAWC) organization that was established by a collaborative group of employers and their provider partners. With…
As shown by news reports from France last week, terrorism continues to be a real threat. Perhaps this reminder prompted the U.S. House of Representatives to vote 416-5 on Jan. 7, 2015 followed by a vote of 93-4 by the U.S. Senate on Jan. 8, 2015 for…