June 2020 RiskPro Newsletter

June 2020

 

 

 

Our e-newsletter for Enterprise Risk Management, Claim Settlement and Healthcare Solutions.

The health and wellbeing of our associates, families, partners and clients is very important to us at Blackburn Group. During the pandemic we have employed our business continuity plan including remote job-sharing functions, integrated communication and computer technologies.  Also, we are supporting clients with outsourced risk and claim management functions as needed.  Please contact us with any questions or comments you may have during this difficult time. We thank you for trusting Blackburn Group with your business needs, and we will always strive for personalized care and excellence throughout this crisis and recovery process.

 

Robert J. Blackburn, Managing Principal

Risk Management During the COVID 19 Crisis

• Risk Managers, Claim Managers and Attorneys are seeing a slowdown in new cases since most non-essential businesses (including the Courts) have been closed during the past several weeks.  They are now starting to slowly reopen in an attempt to spur some economic activity.  How are managers and attorneys organizing their time during this pandemic?  Read more >>
  More Risk, Claim and Healthcare News …
• New Survey Investigates the Impacts of COVID-19 on the Future of Work.  More than 50% of companies believe COVID-19 will result in significant, permanent changes to their remote work strategies. Our strategic partners Zix/AppRiver and Osterman Research just released a survey on the impacts of the pandemic on the modern workplace. The survey, entitled "Was Your Company Ready for COVID-19 and Is It Prepared for Other Emergencies," is now available.    View article...

• Long-lasting Global Recession Likely Due to COVID-19.  Recently, a report by the World Economic Forum showed Risk managers expect a prolonged global recession as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.  View article…

• Updated State Data and Policy Actions to Address Coronavirus.   States are taking aggressive action to slow down the spread of the novel coronavirus and prepare their health care systems for dealing with those who become ill with COVID-19, the disease the virus causes. This tool features state-level data on COVID-19 cases and deaths, state policy actions, and data about health coverage and provider capacity within each state.  View article...

• Kaiser Publishes FAQs on Medicare Coverage and Costs Related to COVID-19 Testing and Treatment.   The Frequently Asked Questions compiled by the Kaiser Family Foundation review current policies for Medicare coverage and costs associated with testing and treatment for COVID-19, including regulatory issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) since the declaration of the public health emergency (first issued on January 31, 2020 and renewed on April 21, 2020), and legislative changes adopted in three recent bills: the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020, enacted on March 6, 2020 (Public Law 116-123); the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, enacted on March 18, 2020 (Public Law 116-127); and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, enacted on March 27, 2020 (Public Law 116-136).  View article...

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To subscribe to our newsletter, contact support@blackburngroup.com.

Our April 2020 e-newsletter for Enterprise Risk Management, Claim Settlement and Healthcare Solutions is available!  Topics include a discussion of Risk and Claims Management During a Pandemic; State Data and Policy Actions to Address Coronavirus; CMS Publishes a Proposed Rule for MSP Penalties, and more. For the full newsletter, click here >>   

Our October 2019 e-newsletter for Enterprise Risk Management, Claim Settlement and Healthcare Solutions is available!  Topics include a discussion of Robotics and Cognitive Automation; California Workers’ Compensation Temporary Total Disability (TTD) Rates; 2019 Employer Health Benefits Survey; and more. For the full newsletter, click here >>   https://www.blackburngroup.com/newsletters/october-2019

Our November 2017 e-newsletter for Enterprise Risk Management, Claim Settlement and Healthcare Solutions is available!

Topics include a discussion of Can Predictive Analytics Forestall Opioid Addiction?; New WCRC Contract Negotiations Continue; Will The Opioid Epidemic Be Preventable and Reversible?. For the full newsletter, click here >> https://www.blackburngroup.com/newsletters/november-2017

October 2017 e-newsletter for Enterprise Risk Management, Claim Settlement and Healthcare Solutions

Our October 2017 e-newsletter for Enterprise Risk Management, Claim Settlement and Healthcare Solutions is available!  Topics include a discussion of The Ostrich in the Room – Data Avoidance; CIGA Win Assists Medicare Reimbursement Negotiations; Medicare Beneficiaries With Diabetes Face Challenges. For the full newsletter, click here >>https://www.blackburngroup.com/newsletters/october-2017

Juris Educational Resource Knowledge, LLC’s, NAVIGATING YOUR LNC FUTURE Conference

All Legal Nurse Consultants (LNCs) interested in furthering their career and gaining valuable insights into the legal case management industry, should consider joining Juris Educational Resource Knowledge, LLC’s, NAVIGATING YOUR LNC FUTURE Conference on October 5-7, 2017.

The conference topics will cover:

• ·       Injury and Causation
• ·       Analyzing Nursing Home Cases
• ·       Catastrophic Trucking Accidents
• ·       Blunt Abdominal Trauma
• ·       Digital Evidence from Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Systems
• ·       Major Burns – Outcomes & Damages

For more information about the association and conference, please go to www.jerkconference.com.

Blackburn Group, Inc. supports Juris Educational Resource Knowledge, LLC’s mission to educate, train and assist Legal Nurse Consultants for excellence in the risk and claim settlement industries.  

General Damages – Pain, Suffering and Emotional Distress

The definition for general damages is generally understood to mean compensation for the non-monetary aspects of the specific harm suffered by a claimant. This is sometimes called the “pain and suffering” award for a claim.

General damages are typically awarded for claims involving a personal injury. Examples of these damages include physical or emotional pain and suffering, loss of companionship, loss of consortium, disfigurement, loss of reputation, loss or impairment of mental or physical capacity, loss of enjoyment of life, etc. 

In this article of our series https://www.whatisyourclaimworth.solutions/ , we’ll discuss the key information associated with measuring general damage associated with a claim.  The determination of general damages is one of the most complex and elusive areas of damage valuations.  There are several issues to consider before beginning to calculate a general damage assessment including: 

• The specific unique circumstances of each person related to their injury. These circumstances involve any non-economic factors which impact the current well-being of the individual.    
• The causes and conditions of the injury.
• The ability to work and maintain the activities of daily living (ADL), such as household chores and recreational activities.
• The ability to have close relationships with family, friends and support persons.

Various medical, financial, and legal experts may be needed to understand and assess your unique circumstances now and into the future.  Additionally, specialized software and similar circumstance benchmarking may be needed to substantiate the value of your claim.  Some of the key factors to determine the value of your claim are:

• “Pain and Suffering”, referring to the physical pain and related issues that someone experiences after being involved in an accident.
• Emotional distress, which can take the form of mental anguish, depression, anxiety, and/or insomnia.
• Lack of consortium and companionship, which may isolate an individual and lead to other physical and emotional maladies.
• Understanding how your current financial circumstances, expected retirement and life-rated ages will be considered for your claim.

If you or your advisors (attorney, accountant, insurance) have accurately determined your special damages, then add the total amounts to a planner like our What Is Your Claim Worth Solutions https://www.whatisyourclaimworth.solutions/ for an estimate of a possible general damage value.  This amount should only be considered a starting point to be further analyzed and negotiated with your special damages.  If you are having difficulty or need assistance with this type of analysis and planning, please contact us https://www.blackburngroup.com/contact-us  for additional help.