Paradigm Shift? by Julius Young, Esq. The workers' comp community is abuzz with rumors about the impending comprehensive comp reform bill. I've not yet seen the bill (which could still be revised before it is introduced in print in the next week or so). But based on the summary in Workcompcentral.com that ran yesterday, if the bill passes it would represent a paradigm shift. Read more.

There's a new sheriff in town who understands the value of a Medicare set-aside trust...

Can an Attorney Fee Be Requested on a Medicare Set-Aside Trust? As any participant in the workers' compensation system over the past ten to fifteen years can tell you, if you want to discuss a Compromise and Release, you will likely also have to consider "Medicare's interests" in evaluating whether a "Medicare Set-Aside Trust" has to be included in the settlement. Typically, a vendor will advise the parties what Medicare will likely accept in a given case and then that figure is submitted to Medicare for its approval. There are times where the set-aside figure is substantial. For example, in the case of an applicant utilizing a morphine pump for pain control, the set-aside amount could be as high as two million dollars. Read more.

Workers' Comp Fraud Blotter: Owner of TV Recycling Business Knew She Needed Workers' Compensation Insurance.  Read it.