Depression and Absenteeism: $23 Billion in Lost Productivity for U.S Employers. Gallup recently conducted a two-year study (2011-2012) surveying 237,615 full-time employees and 66,010 part-time employees. Key findings and takeaways for the 2011-2012 study period:

1. Full-time workers diagnosed with depression missed work an estimated 8.7 days per year, which were 4.3 more days than full-time workers without depression.

2. Part-time workers diagnosed with depression missed work an estimated 13.7 days per year, which were 5.0 more days than part-time workers without depression...Read more.

Georgia: Pharmaceutical Costs in Workers' Compensation Claims, by Richard C. Kissiah, Esq. In July 2013, the Workers' Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) of Cambridge, Massachusetts completed and issued a new study as to the effects of the Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation's April 1, 2011 reform of its fee schedule as to the pricing of those medications repackaged and distributed by physicians. The WCRI study confirms that the reform has reduced the average price paid per pill for physician-dispensed medications, reduced the percentage of medications dispensed by physicians, and reduced the percentage of payments for physician-dispensed medications, even though the average price per pill paid still remains higher for physician-dispensed medication than for pharmacy-dispensed medication. Read more.

Larson's Spotlight on Recent Cases, by Thomas A. Robinson, JD