W.R. Grace and Executives, in Asbestos Concealment Action. Charged With Fraud, Obstruction of Justice, and Endangering Libby Montana Community 

2nd Annual THIS YEAR IN WORKERS’ COMP: TOP 10 ISSUES & CASES - Tues., Mar. 8, 2005
A panel of state and national experts address TEN issues that can make or break your case, including a concise analysis of key cases that have been decided during the past year.

 Workers’ compensation benefits increased to a maximum of $666.00 per week in 2005 from the 2004 weekly benefit of $650. payable in 2003. Injured workers receive these benefits while they are out of work and under authorized medical care. Temporary workers’ compensation benefits are based upon the state average weekly wage (SAWW). The temporary workers’ compensation rate is set at 75% of the SAWW. Since 1980 benefits have risen each year. Workers’ Compensation benefits are not subject to Federal income tax.

New Report Reveals That Medicare is Covering $23 Billion in Medical Costs That Should be Paid by Workers' Compensation --$4.2 Billion Halliburton Asbestos Settlement Given Final Approval by Court -- Recent Court Decisions: Dinner Not A Deviation from Employment (NJ Supreme Court) -- Remicade linked to severe hepatic reactions, including acute liver failure, jaundice, hepatitis and cholestasis. -- 2nd Annual This Year in Workers' Compensation - The Top Issues and Cases - March 8, 2005 -- Medicare Secondary Payer Act - Waivers and Compromises CMS -- Social Security Announces 2.7 Percent Benefit Increase for 2005 Monthly Social Security and Supplemental -- FDA Statement on the Halting of a Clinical Trial of the Cox-2 Inhibitor Celebrex  

U.S. Department of Labor Assumes Responsibility For a New Energy Workers’ Compensation Program --2nd Annual Seminar: This Year in Workers' Compensation - The Top Issues and Cases-California Injured Workers File A Class Action to Keep Their Physicians --New Warning Issued for Remicade --Occupational Carcinogens Listed --CMS Assist (tm) Announced at NOSSCR Disability Law Conference  

The Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health has alerted approximately 13,000 employers throughout the country that their injury and illness rates are significantly higher than the national average and encourages them to take steps to address safety and health hazards in the workplace.

Beneficiary Automated Status and Inquiry System -The Beneficiary Automated Status and Inquiry System (BASIS) is available to participants of the Voluntary Data Sharing Agreement (VDSA) program. The BASIS allows you to make on-line Medicare entitlement queries to CMS’ Enrollment Data Base (EDB) to determine if an individual is a Medicare beneficiary and if so, obtain available entitlement information. The BASIS serves as a useful tool when you have a need to know specific information during the interval between quarterly file exchanges.

 A green line, painted around the perimeter of the World Trade Center (WTC) site, defined the recovery area. Within and around this boundary, OSHA worked for 10 months with its partners in safety and health to protect the well-being of workers on the site. Within that space, no workers lost their lives in the recovery effort that followed the tragedy of September 11, 2001.

 Recent decisions posted to our web site:  -CMS MEDICARE SECONDARY PAYER ACT: ALLEGED OVERPAYMENT COULD NOT BE WAIVED -EXCLUSIVITY BAR -S...

 GOA concluded in a recent report that Medicare's system for recovering MSP debt from EGHP's is no longer cost-effective. CMS presentl;y is recovering only 38 cents for every dollar it spent on recovering activities in fiscal-year 2003. A major finding was that contractiors were funded at a rate that exceed their workload. The report also found that CMS failed to trnsmit cases to contractors and that inhibited recovery. CMS plans to launch a new recovery system that has been undevelopment for the last 6 years to increase the efficiency of its recovery operations.

 Vioxx was voluntarily recalled on September 30, 2004, by drug giant Merck following information that people taking Vioxx are twice as likely to have heart attacks and strokes as people who take older anti-inflammatory drugs, such as naproxen. 

Vioxx Recalled Worldwide--How to Apply for a Handicapped Placard--Ford Door Latch Personal Litigation--CMS Assist(tm) - New Support Group for Professionals--Gelman to Speak at NOSSCR on Medicare

Silica Exposure and Systemic Vasculitis: Work in Department of Energy (DOE) facilities has exposed workers to multiple toxic agents leading to acute and chronic diseases. Many exposures were common to numerous work sites. Exposure to crystalline silica was primarily restricted to a few facilities. -- President Bush Recognizes $2 Billion Federal Workers' Compensation Losses: The cost of Federal workplace injuries, when measured by workers' compensation losses, is more than $2 billion and 2 million lost production days annually. In fiscal year 2003, the Federal workforce of almost 2.7 million filed more than 168,000 injury claims. -- Amicus to "twist government's arm" on corporate crime: A trade union says it intends to increase the pressure on ministers if the government fails to introduce a corporate killing law.  

 A Failed System of Health Care Delivery: The Workers’ Compensation System in New Jersey, Rutgers Law Record, Rutgers Newark School of Law, Vol. 28 Rutgers L. Rec. 3 (May 1, 2004) published Saturday, 25 September, 2004; internet site: (Report to the Labor Committee, NJ Assembly, recommendations for reform of the Workers Compensation system).

WELDER AWARDED BENEFITS FOR NEUROLOGICAL INJURIES--PA panel affirmed workers' compensation benefits for welding fume exposure and neurological injuries. The Court held that the claimant's neurology expert gave scientifically competent testimony. 

 Interest is calculated from the date of the final determination and is owed if the amount of the overpayment or underpayment is not paid within 30 days. Interest accrues daily but is assessed and calculated in 30-day periods. A period that is less than 30 days is considered to be a full 30-day period.

TWO FINANCIAL TITANS AVOID CARING FOR INJURED WORKER Injured woman spends her retirement funds, still can't get care. A claimant has been waiting and waiting for temporary disability benefits or medical treatment for over a year. 

 NASI Study Finds Slow Economy and Medical Spending Affect National Trends. In New Jersey, workers' compensation payments increased to $1,471 million in 2002, a rise of 7.9 percent from the 2001 level of $1,363 million, according to a new report released by the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI). Workers' compensation pays for medical care and cash benefits for workers who are injured on the job or become ill due to job-related causes.

 A 42 year old male from in Seattle, Washington pleaded guilty today in federal court in Seattle to wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information for economic gain. This is the first criminal conviction in the United States under the health information privacy provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) which became effective in April, 2003. Those provisions made it illegal to wrongfully disclose personally identifiable health information.

CMS ANNOUNCES IMPLEMENTATION OF BENEFICIARY ACCESS SYSTEM. The Beneficiary Automated Status and Inquiry System (BASIS) is available to participants of the Voluntary Data Sharing Agreement (VDSA) program. The BASIS allows you to make on-line Medicare entitlement queries to CMS’ Enrollment Data Base (EDB) to determine if an individual is a Medicare beneficiary and if so, obtain available entitlement information. The BASIS serves as a useful tool when you have a need to know specific information during the interval between quarterly file exchanges.