A drug formulary is a list of prescription drugs, generic or brand name, which is preferred by workers compensation coverage plan. The plan may only compensate for the medications on the list.
Fremont, CA: The workers compensation law, like any other body of law, does not remain unchanged. As regulations and laws keep changing and more legal priority sets in, it is crucial that the affected people understand the changing landscape.
Here are three workers compensation trends in 2020:
Drug Formularies:
A drug formulary is a list of prescription drugs, generic or brand name, which is preferred by workers compensation coverage plan. The plan may only compensate for the medications on the list. More states are creating, refining, and updating their drug formularies by mostly specifying which drugs may be prescribed, implement dosage limitations, and limit interactions with other drugs that may be dangerous.
Opioids:
Prescribing rates for opioids have decreased drastically in the past few years, and many state governments have legislation pending to curb the number of future opioid prescriptions. The Senate’s Judiciary Committee’s pending Opioid Addiction Prevention Act will determine registration needs for licensed practitioners to prescribe controlled substances. The practitioner needs to agree to restrict the number of opioids prescribed for the first treatment of acute pain as a condition of acquiring or renewing a registration through the Drug Enforcement Administration. An approved and prescribed opioid for the treatment of addiction is not subject to the limit.
Presumption Laws:
Presumption laws in most states have been enacted to benefit first responders like firefighters, paramedics/EMTs, and police officers. The law eliminates the need for proof from a person suffering from a disease and pursuing workers compensation. The trend is the expansion of presumption laws into other industries and careers like fire truck mechanics, school teachers, and correctional officers. Some states are leaning towards providing a lump sum payment instead of paying for ongoing medical costs.
