EK HEALTH

Upcoming Events!

Visit with EK Health Services at these upcoming events:

FWCI
August 21st - 24th, 2011
Orlando, FL
Booth # TBD

CSIA
September 30th, 2011
Oakland, CA
Booth #10

CAWC
October 5th - 7th
Huntington Beach, CA
Booth #86

More Conferences

Client Testimonial

“I give very high compliments to the EK office staff. They are very helpful, offer alternatives if I can't reach the nurse assigned to my case, professional and pleasant.  They really shine compared to your competitors!"
-Account Executive, a National Insurance Company

Check the Status of California Treatment Guidelines, ACOEM and DWC (MTUS)

For California Legislation 2011, click here.

For Enacted Legislation 2011, click here.

For Active Legislation 2011, click here.

For All Legislation 2011, click here.

For the 2010 calendar of U.S. State Legislative Sessions, click here.

About EK Health...

Headquartered in San Jose, CA, EK Health Services, Inc. is a specialty workers' compensation managed care company providing Utilization Review, Case Management, Early Claims Intervention, Return to Work Programs, Bill Review, Ergonomic Assessments/Training, Outcomes Management, Interpretation/Translation Services, Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement services. As a URAC accredited company, EK Health is committed to a higher level of quality service than is mandated by the state of California. EK Health provides services in all 50 states.

Learn more about EK Health Services...

Our Clients...

Clients include the State of California, several municipalities, a Fortune 500 company, the largest insurance carrier in Wisconsin, a leading insurance company in New Jersey, more than 30 customers of various industries and size.

Questions? Comments?

Please contact Sharon Sun, E-News Editor

EK Health Services Inc.
992 S. De Anza Blvd #101
San Jose, CA 95129
Ph: 877.861.1595
Fax: 408.973.2508

The California Intractable Pain Treatment Act and Workers' Compensation

Acute and chronic pain is extremely common in injured workers, and makes pain medications a huge cost factor in the California Workers’ Compensation system. As cost, morbidity and mortality rates from prescription drugs, particularly controlled substances, spiral out of control, it is important to understand the medical and legal burden placed on physicians.

More than half of EK Utilization Review is centered on medication requests. Pain medications are reviewed based on California’s Medical Treatment Utilization Schedule (MTUS), which are based on the Official Disability Guidelines (ODG) Chronic Pain Chapter guidelines. However, I believe that the California Intractable Pain Treatment Act is a secondary consideration because of the specific requirements it places on the treating physician.

The California Intractable Pain Treatment Act was revised in 2007 in an attempt to balance the overtreatment and undertreatment of pain and to also permit the prescribing of controlled substances to known addicts. In general, the Act favors physicians prescribing controlled substances to patients complaining of pain and does not strongly require documentation of functional improvement and objective measurements of pain and improvement.

To read full article, please click here.

Did You Know?

EK Health would like to announce that we have hired new field nurse case managers specializing in Workers' Compensation in Stockton and San Jose, California. For a list of our nationwide coverage areas for medical nurse case management services, please click here.

If you would like to make a referral, please click here.

LEGAL-EASE: Major Support for Medical Provider Networks

by Steve Kline, Esq.
EK Health Services' Legal Counsel

Decided in late May 2011, State Compensation Insurance Fund v. WCAB (Romero) demonstrated the power of stipulations and the possibility of challenging them with newly discovered facts.  

Mr. Romero was a bus driver who suffered a stroke and sustained injuries to his internal system.  The principal area of dispute centered on the cause of the stroke.  The treating doctor indicated that it was caused by an infection of the tissue inside Mr. Romero's heart and valves.  However, the doctor was unable to medically confirm the source of the infection. He indicated that the most common cause of that type of infection was through dental procedures.  However Mr. Romero indicated that he had not had any dental procedures prior to the stroke.  Evidence was presented that Mr. Romero had used a hammer on the job and punctured his finger that then became infected.  The doctor declined to render any determinative opinion as to how the infection was caused.

To read full article, please click here.

Ergonomic Tip of the Month

Short, Split, or Standard Keyboard

-by Kim Granata-Clark, MS in Human Factors and Ergonomics, Ergonomic Specialist

The standard keyboard has the number pad on the right side of the keyboard such as the HP or Compaq keyboards.  This keyboard can be ergonomic for some people especially if you use the mouse on the left side of the keyboard.  If you have wide shoulders, this keyboard is OK as long as you are not reaching for the mouse and the mouse stays in line with your shoulder.

To read full article, please click here.

To make a request, you may refer online by clicking here or contact Alice at 877-861-1595, or email amelendez@ekhealth.com
Submit Your Ergonomics Question Now...

Refer A Friend...

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