Workers’ compensation medical facility payments grew across all facility types and all U.S. regions during the past decade, with facilities costs constituting the largest driver of overall comp cost changes, according to a report released Wednesday by the National Council on Compensation Insurance. Nationwide, facility costs made up about 40% of all comp costs and increased by about 3% per year on average during the past 10 years, Boca Raton, Florida-based NCCI said. The report is the second in a planned four-part series examining the impact of macroeconomic factors such as inflation on overall comp medical costs. The new research shows that costs per workers’ comp claim paid to medical facilities grew 3.3% annually over the past decade. Click to read more.

Physician dispensing of medications has long been a flash point in workers’ compensation insurance, with at least 22 states regulating or restricting the practice. Florida is no exception to the controversy, and stakeholders on both sides of the issue joined renewed debate last week with testimony from injured workers, doctors, lawyers and insurance industry representatives. “The workers’ compensation system is a challenging system to negotiate, not only for patients but also for physicians. The last thing they need is to go ahead and put another barrier in between the patient and the physician,” said Dr. David Perloff, a cardiologist in Fort Lauderdale. Click to read more.

Father-and-son owners of Jacksonville construction businesses are facing federal prison time for dodging about $5.6 million in payroll taxes their companies owed, largely for wages of immigrants working illegally. U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard sentenced Raul Solis to 33 months behind bars and Raul Solis-Martinez to 21 months after the pair pled guilty to conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service and employ immigrants who weren’t allowed to hold jobs. The men owned and operated Solis Brothers Company LLC and Duval Framing LLC, both companies that other businesses subcontracted for work on building projects. Click to read more.

Jacksonville Man Sentenced To More Than Four Years In Federal Prison For Facilitating “Off The Books” Pay Scheme As Part Of Conspiracies To Defraud The IRS And Workers’ Compensation Insurance Company Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis today sentenced Oscar Molina-Avila to four years and four months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States for the purpose of impeding the lawful functions of the Internal Revenue Service. As part of his sentence, the court ordered Molina-Avila to pay more than $5.4 million in restitution to his victims, specifically, $2,111,151 to a workers’ compensation insurance company and $3,330,596.42 to the IRS. Click to read more.