Judge: BWC Did End Run on Hospital Fees

The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation erred when it acted unilaterally and changed the hospital fee schedule for the treatment of injured workers, a judge has ruled. The Ohio Hospital Association had filed a lawsuit in early October in Franklin County Court, challenging the BWC's methods. The bureau took the action this fall, saying it needed to reduce medical spending and after a labor union published a report showing that hospitals charge more to treat injured workers than to treat Medicare patients. The matter was heard Oct. 19, with the state attorney general's office representing th...