Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation News

Work Comp Fraudster Must Repay $246K, Spend Seven Months in Prison

A Cleveland-area man was sentenced to seven months in prison Wednesday and ordered to repay nearly $246,000 in disability benefits he fraudulently received from the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and the Social Security Administration, the BWC said Friday. Louis …

Pharmacy Management Aids in Reducing Opioid Use by Ohio Workers

The amount of opioids prescribed to injured Ohio workers has fallen significantly since the state’s insurance fund for injured workers created a pharmacy management program amid concerns about painkiller usage. Fewer than 4,800 workers have been deemed opiate-dependent after exceeding …

Ohio Mails $255M in Workers’ Comp Overcharges, Drops Appeal

The Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation has paid hundreds of millions to state employers overcharged for insurance premiums and has dropped its appeal of a decision that led to the payments. The Ohio Supreme Court on Thursday granted bureau administrator …

Ohio to Implement to New Workers’ Comp Premium Billing System

A new billing system will change how private businesses pay their workers’ compensation premiums in Ohio. The Columbus Dispatch reports employers will be able to pay estimated premiums for the following coverage year in two, four, six or 12 installments …

Ohio Employers Wait for $420M Workers’ Comp Settlement

Thousands of employers in the state who were overcharged for workers compensation insurance premiums will have to wait at least a few more weeks before collecting a share of the $420 million court settlement, according to one of the attorneys …

Ohio State Lands $578,000 in Grants to Study Workplace Safety

Ohio State University will study how to improve workplace safety under three grants totaling $578,000 that it’s been awarded by the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and Board of Regents. Administrator Steve Buehrer says the grants allow the bureau to …

Ohio BWC Proposes Private Employer Workers’ Comp Rate Reduction

Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) is proposing to reduce overall premium rate levels for private employers beginning July 1, 2015. The 10.8 percent reduction would result in a decrease in projected annual premium of $153 million, the BWC. If …

Ohio Home Healthcare Firm Owner Ordered to Pay $124K for Failing to Report Employees

An Ohio woman was sentenced Oct. 16 in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas to 30 days in jail and ordered to pay $124,573.07 in restitution to the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) after operating a home healthcare agency …

Ohio Workers’ Comp Agency Investigator Goals Called Into Question

Ohio’s injured worker insurance fund sets goals for the number of fraud cases its investigators should refer for prosecution annually – an arrangement some former employees say encourages the pursuit of innocent people, an Ohio TV news investigation has found. …

Millions Unclaimed in $420M Ohio Workers’ Comp Case

The law firm handling a $420 million state settlement over Ohio employers being overcharged for workers’ compensation premiums says millions of dollars weren’t claimed by the deadline. The Bricker & Eckler law firm tells The Columbus Dispatch that 35,000 claims …