Vol. 7, Issue 12

Find Solutions & Strategies March 21, 2016

New Study Documents Significant Increases in Fatal Benzodiazepine Overdoses

In This Issue

- BENZODIAZEPINE

- LARSON'S: Election, Contribution, Independent Contractor, Retaliatory Discharge

- NATIONAL & STATE NEWS

- eNEWSLETTER ARCHIVES

A Note From the Editor

new study documents significant increases in fatal benzodiazepine overdoses

Fatal overdoses increased five-fold from 1996 to 2013

Thomas A. Robinson, J.D., Feature National Columnist, LexisNexis Workers' Compensation eNewsletter

According to a study recently published in the American Journal of Public Health [See Bachhuber, Marcus A., MD, MSHP, et al., "Increasing Benzodiazepine Prescriptions and Overdose Mortality in the United States, 1996-2013,"Am J Public Health, Vol. 106, No. 4, pp. 686-688, April 2016 (doi:10.2105/AJPH.2016.303061)], both the number of benzodiazepine prescriptions and the number of deaths associated with benzodiazepine overdoses increased significantly between 1996 and 2013, the years of the study. The researcher's findings are consistent with earlier studies showing that the use of benzodiazepines, particularly when joined with opioids, significantly increases workers' compensation costs...read more.

LARSON'S SPOTLIGHT ON RECENT CASES

Thomas A. Robinson, J.D., our Feature National Columnist, is the co-author of Larson's Workers' Compensation Law (LexisNexis).

Illinois: Acceptance of Comp Benefits Is Election Barring Intentional Tort Case Against Employer. Where a paramedic trainee, who sustained injuries while participating in a training program, filed suit against his employer and others alleging an intentional tort, but later sought and received workers' comp benefits...read more.

Massachusetts: Where Employer Has Two Comp Carriers, Claim Should Be Apportioned Between Them. Where an employer had two primary workers' comp insurance policies providing coverage for the same loss arising from injury to an employee and the employer notified only one of the insurers, who accordingly paid the claim, that insurer had a right of equitable...read more.

Pennsylvania: Personal Caretaker Was Independent Contractor, Not Employee. A tax filing denoting self-employment, while a relevant factor, is not dispositive on the issue of employment status, nor is the existence of an employment or independent contractor agreement...read more.

United States: Videotape of Plaintiff's Interaction With Guest Dooms Retaliatory Discharge Claim. A former employee's claim that her former employer improperly discharged her in retaliation for filing a workers' comp claim was appropriately disposed of at the summary judgment level where the employee could not show...read more.

Workers' Compensation Emerging Issues Analysis

national & state news

CDC Posts Final Opioid Guidelines for 2016.

ProPublica: Doctors Receiving Company Cash Tend to Prescribe More Brand-Name Drugs.

U.S. Prescription Drug Spending Rose 5 Percent in 2015.

CA: DWC Announces Appointments to Ethics Advisory Committee.

CA: CHSWC Posts 2015 Annual Report.

CA: WCAB Grants Reconsideration of Cornejo En Banc Decision.

CA: 4th DCA Dismisses Most Indictments in Compound Cream Prescriptions Case.

CA: WCIRB Actuarial Committee Posts Agenda for 3/22 Meeting.

CA: New WCIRB Committee Members Elected at 100th Annual Meeting.

FL: Governor Signs HB 613 Omnibus Workers' Comp Changes.

GA: Houses Passes HB 216 Firefighter Cancer Bill.

ME: Governor Seeks to Lower Number of Opioid Prescriptions.

MA: Governor Signs H4056 Limitation on Initial Opioid Prescriptions.

MA: AIA Applauds Governor's Signing of H4056 Opioid Abuse Legislation.

MI: Senate Panel Approves Funding for Firefighter Cancer Fund.

NV: WCS Notes Significant Changes to Medical Fee Schedule in 2016.

NM: Governor Signs Ride-Sharing Bill Allowing Uber, Lyft to Operate in State Legally.

NY: Workers Comp Reforms Tabled by Law Makers.

NY: Investigation Claims WCB Sends Workers to Doctors Who Don't Accept WC Cases.

OH: BWC Board OKs 8.6 Percent Average Premium Reduction for Private Employers.

OH: BWC Reveals Data Breach of Medical Records.

OR: WCD Posts Adjusted Cost-to-Charge Ratios for OR, Out-of-State Hospitals.

PA: House Begins Debate on Medical Marijuana Bill.

SC: WCC Posts Agenda for Financial Review, Forecast March 22 Meeting.

SC: WCC Posts Agenda for Commission Business March 21 Meeting.

TX: DWC Adopts Rule Change to Remove Remarriage Penalty for Death Benefits.

TX: DWC Adopts Rule Change to Increase Amount of Burial Benefits.

TX: DWC Proposes Nonsubstantive Reorganization of WC Specific Services Rules.

VA: Governor Signs HB 378 Medical, Legal Fee Schedules.

VA: Governor Signs HB 44 Presumption of Compensability in Certain Death Cases.

WI: Governor Signs 8 Bills to Combat Heroin, Opioid Abuse.

ENEWSLETTER ARCHIVES

Take a deep dive into our past eNewsletters for 2016 and prior...warning - some links to articles may not work...report any linking problems to Robin.E.Kobayashi@lexisnexis.com.

March 14, 2016: Tax-funded Healthcare Expenditures in the U.S.
March 7, 2016: Up in Smoke: Medical Marijuana.
February 29, 2016: Oklahoma Opt Out Statute Ruled Unconstitutional.
February 22, 2016: Federalization of Workers' Comp.
February 16, 2016: Impact of Age and Tenure on Length of Disability.
ACCESS ARCHIVES AND ARTICLES LIST HERE.

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