By Brian Allen, VP of Government Affairs

On October 17, 2018, the New York Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) released a revised version of their drug formulary rule. The initial draft was released for public comment last December and the WCB has been evaluating comments and making adjustments since then. The release of this rule has been highly anticipated.  

The revised rule is significantly different from the initially proposed draft and, if adopted, would make New York unique in its approach to a workers’ compensation drug formulary. The proposed formulary is much more complex than those seen in other states. There is, therefore, some concern that the complexity could lead to confusion and defeat the WCB’s original rule update purpose. Despite the complexity, there are some positive provisions in the revised draft.

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The state of Florida has issued a state of emergency in preparation for Hurricane Michael. Among the provisions, this will lift some restrictions for early refills and allow an additional 30-day refill for maintenance medications.

In accordance with Section 465.0275, F.S., pharmacists may dispense up to a 30-day supply of maintenance medication for a chronic condition.

Section 465.0275(2), F.S., states that, pursuant to an emergency order, a pharmacist may dispense up to a 30-day supply in the areas or counties affected by the order provided that:

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VeriFacts Named as an Audit & Inspection Vendor for Mitchell’s OEM Collision Repair Network Solutions

SAN DIEGO, CA—October 31, 2018—Mitchell, a leading provider of technology, connectivity and information solutions to the Property & Casualty (P&C) claims and Collision Repair industries, has announced they have signed a partnership agreement with VeriFacts Automotive for VeriFacts to provide field services in support of Mitchell’s OEM Collision Repair Network solutions. Mitchell utilizes Audit & Inspection Vendors (AIVs) to provide field services for its OEM repair solutions which are offered to auto manufacturers (OEMs), fleets, and other industry participants.

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By Brian Allen, VP of Government Affairs

The Montana Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) published draft drug formulary and treatment guideline rules and amendments in early October. A hearing on the proposed rule has been scheduled for November 9, 2018 at 10:00am in Helena, MT.  

The rule, as proposed, adopts the Official Disability Guidelines (ODG) drug formulary and amends the rules to include the ODG drug formulary as a part of the Montana treatment guidelines. The new sections of the rule detail how the ODG drug formulary will be operationalized in Montana.

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Mitchell Solution, Powered by Bosch, Is Now Fully Integrated into Mitchell’s Freedom Platform—Leveraging Integrated Diagnostics to Assist in Proper & Safe Repairs

SAN DIEGO—November 1, 2018—Mitchell International, Inc., a leading provider of technology, connectivity and information solutions to the Property & Casualty (P&C) claims and Collision Repair industries, announced a milestone for the Mitchell Diagnostics system: 300,000 repair scans have been completed using the industry-leading and patent-pending system. Mitchell also announced significant enhancements to its Freedom Platform, which helps facilitate the proper and safe repair of vehicles.

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Merger Establishes Complete Suite of Medical Compliance, Cost Containment and Clinical Solutions—Enhancing Collective Capabilities to Create Even Better Patient Outcomes

SAN DIEGO—November 1st, 2018—Mitchell International, a leading provider of technology, connectivity and information solutions to the Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance and Collision Repair industries, today announced it has finalized its merger with Genex Services, the leading provider of clinical solutions to the workers’ compensation, auto and disability markets.

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By Brian Allen, VP of Government Affairs

The legalization of marijuana marched forward on Election Day, though it stubbed its toe in North Dakota. Voters in the Peace Garden State rejected a proposal to legalize recreational marijuana.  However, voters in Michigan approved a recreational marijuana ballot initiative. In Missouri, voters approved legalizing medical marijuana with a tax that will go to support veteran health care.

In Utah, voters approved Proposition 2, which would legalize medical marijuana. However, prior to the vote, proponents of the measure and the state legislature worked out a compromise bill that will be passed during a special session in mid-November. The special session legislation will supersede the ballot initiative and contains tighter controls than those found in the initiative.  

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Customers of Both Diagnostics Solutions Will Now Benefit from Streamlined Workflow

SAN DIEGO—July 10th, 2018—Mitchell International, Inc., a leading provider of technology, connectivity and information solutions to the Property & Casualty (P&C) claims and Collision Repair industries, has announced it has signed a strategic integration and joint marketing agreement with AirPro Diagnostics, LLC. to integrate AirPro’s collision diagnostics solutions with the Mitchell Diagnostics System. The companies will work together to incorporate AirPro documents seamlessly into the workflow employed by users of Mitchell Diagnostics.

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The FDA recently approved a new opioid that is causing some concern. The new drug, Dsuvia, is reportedly 1,000 times more powerful than morphine and 10 more powerful than fentanyl. Many people are asking why, in the midst of the opioid crisis, are we approving a new, highly potent opioid?  

FDA Commissioner, Scot Gottlieb, noted the irony and talked about the FDA’s protocols for approving new opioids. He indicated that the criteria should include whether or not the new drug is sufficiently better than existing opioids in the marketplace.

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