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How to Make Sure Your Business Gets Paid The elements of prompt and accurate invoices.
By Entrepreneur Staff •
The cornerstone of collecting accounts receivable on time is making sure invoices go out promptly and accurately.
If you sell a product, get the invoice out to the customer at the same time the shipment goes out. If you're in a service industry, track your billable hours daily or weekly, and bill as often as your contract or agreement with the client permits.
The sooner the invoice is in the mail, the sooner you get paid.
To eliminate any possibility of confusion, your invoice should contain several key pieces of information. First, make sure you date it accurately and clearly state when payment is due, as well as any penalties for late payment. Also specify any discounts, such as discounts for payment in 15 days or for payment in cash.
Each invoice should give a clear and accurate description of the goods or services the customer received. Inventory code numbers may make sense to your computer system, but they don't mean much to the customer unless they are accompanies by an item description.
It's also important to use sequentially numbered invoices. This helps make things easier when you need to discuss a particular invoice with a customer and also makes it easier for your employees to keep track of invoices.
Before sending out an invoice, call the customer to ensure the price is correct, and check to make sure prices on invoices match those on purchase orders and/or contracts.
Know the industry norms when setting your payment schedules. While 30 days is the norm in most industries, in others, 45- or 60-day payment cycles are typical.
Learn your customers' payment practices, too. If they pay only once a month, for instance, make sure your invoice gets to them in plenty of time to hit that payment cycle. Also keep on top of industry trends and economic ups and downs that could affect customers' ability to pay.
Promptness is key not only in sending out invoices, but also in following up. If payment is due in 30 days, don't wait until the 60th day to call a customer. By the same token, however, don't be overeager and call on the 31st day.
Being too demanding can annoy customers, and this could result in you losing a valuable client. Knowledge of industry norms plus your customers' payment cycles will guide you in striking a middle ground.
Constant communication trains customers to pay bills promptly and leads to an efficient, professional relationship between you and them.
Usually, a polite telephone call to ask about a late payment will get the ball rolling, or at least tell you when you can expect a payment. If any problems exist that need to be resolved before payment can be issued, your phone call will let you know what they are so you can start clearing them up. It could be as something as simple as a missing packing slip or as major as a damaged shipment.
The first 15 to 20 seconds of the call are critical. Make sure to project good body language over the phone. Be professional and firm, not wimpy. Use a pleasant voice that conveys authority, and respect the other person's dignity.
What if payment still is not made after an initial phone call? Don't let things slide. Statistics show that the longer a debt goes unpaid, the more difficult it will be to collect and the greater chance that it will remain unpaid forever. Most experts recommend making additional phone calls rather than sending a series of past-due notices or collection letters.
If several phone calls fail to generate any response, a personal visit may be in order.
If the customer refuses to meet with you to discuss the issue or won't commit to a payment plan, you may be facing a bad debt situation and need to take further action.
There are two options: using the services or an attorney or employing a debt collection agency. Your lawyer can advise you on what is best to do.


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Getting Started
The Java Development Kit, version 1.6.0 or newer.
Eclipse, including the JDT. Either the "Classic" or "Eclipse for Java Developers" is sufficient. Scala IDE v3.0 can be installed on both Eclipse 3.7 (Indigo) and Eclipse 4.2 (Juno), through different update sites.
- If you are using Eclipse 3.7 (Indigo), we recommend the latest 1.6.x version, because there have been issues reported when used with Java 7 (e.g., [1], or [2] if you are on MacOSX - a workaround for the latter issue is described here).
- Eclipse 4.2 (Juno) has full support for Java 7. We recommend to use the latest Eclipse 4.2 SR2 release which contains several performance improvements.
The getting started screencast provides a more visual explanation on the installation and the first steps with Scala IDE.
Scala IDE for Eclipse is best installed (and updated) directly from within Eclipse.
This is done by using Help → Install New Software..., add the Add... button in the dialog.
Choose a name for the update site (Scala IDE is an obvious choice). Then read the next section to select which version you will install.
Choosing what version to install
The list of URLs of the different update sites are available in the download area. The release ones are in the current section. Scala IDE is linked to specific version of Scala, so you have to decide which one you are going to use:
- For Scala 2.10: provides support for projects using Scala 2.10 (any minor version). This is the current version of Scala. Pick this one if you are unsure.
- For Scala 2.9: provides support for projects using Scala 2.9 (any minor version).
If you want to live on the bleeding edge (i.e., using the development stream for Scala and Scala IDE), check the nightlies section to find the one that fits your needs.
The version of Scala used inside Scala IDE cannot be chosen per project. So, if you want to work with a project using different version of Scala (like 2.9.3 and 2.10.1), you need different installation of Scala IDE.
Finishing installation
Copy the URL as location and hit OK to validate.
Select Scala IDE for Eclipse from the list of available features.
If you want to install any additional plug-ins (this step is optional), expand the Scala IDE plugins category and select the plug-ins that fits you best.
Go through the next screens to validate the list of plug-ins to install, the License and start the installation.
After having restarted Eclipse, Scala IDE is installed.
For a more fine-tuned setup, check the Advanced Setup page.
Using Scala IDE with an existing project
You have successfully installed the Scala plug-in, and you can now import your favorite project.
Before you begin, make sure your Scala sources follow the Java convention for packages. Each package should appear in its own directory with the same name. Eclipse expects this convention to be followed when it looks for classes.
Import an SBT project
sbt is the standard build tool for Scala projects. There are two versions in wide use today: 0.7.x and 0.10+. Both have plug-ins that can generate Eclipse project files out of the sbt project definition.
- If you are using sbt 0.7.x, use eclipsify. Follow this instructions to install the plug-in. You may want to check out the update-sources plug-in, which can download attached sources for your dependencies. This allows you to navigate through the libraries source in the IDE.
- If you are using sbt 0.12.x, use sbteclipse. Follow the instructions on the project page to install and use the plug-in to generate the project definition. sbteclipse can download attached sources natively, so you do not need the update-sources plug-in.
Once you have installed and generated the Eclipse project files using one of the above plug-ins, start Eclipse. Use File → Import → General/Existing Project into Workspace. Select the directory containing your project as root directory, select the project and hit Finish. And Voila.
sbt manages the dependency to scala-library.jar. Make sure the version of Scala you use in your sbt project matches the version of Scala installed in Eclipse.
Import a Maven project
maven support on the Eclipse platform is provided by the m2eclipse plug-in. Because of some specificities of Scala, m2eclipse-scala has been created as an extension to m2eclipse to provide better Scala support.
To install the latest version of m2eclipse-scala, use the update site at this location: http://alchim31.free.fr/m2e-scala/update-site/.
After installation, maven projects can be imported using File → Import → Maven → Existing Maven Projects.
Check the Known Issues section.

subset: commoncrawl


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China's groundwater irrigation system is responsible for polluting the atmosphere with more than 30 million tonnes of CO2 per year – according to research from the University of East Anglia.
Groundwater used for crop irrigation in China has grown from 10 billion cubic metres in 1950 to more than 100 billion today. A research paper, published today in Environmental Research Letters, estimates that the pumping systems which support this immense irrigation network annually produce 33.1 MtCO2e (33.1 mega tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent). China is the largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world, with around 17 percent of emissions coming from agriculture. Irrigated agriculture in China produces 70 percent of the country's grain. But it takes some 500 litres of water to grow the wheat for one small loaf of bread. Pollution is caused by the huge amount of energy needed to pump water from underground – in some areas from an average depth of 70 meters. This research is the first to calculate how much pollution is being created. It is the result of a collaboration between the university's School of International Development, the UEA Water Security Research Centre and the UEA-based Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, with the Centre for Chinese Agricultural Policy, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Cranfield University. The research team used extensive survey data collected from 366 villages in 11 provinces. They up-scaled these results to calculate the emissions created by groundwater pumping across China's remaining 20 provinces. The results account for more than 0.5 percent of China's total CO2 emissions. For comparison, this is similar to the total amount of CO2 that the whole of New Zealand emits in one year. "Generally, there is a surprising gap in research knowledge about the energy required for water use. Irrigation is fundamental to food security in China as it is the world's second largest irrigator," said Professor Declan Conway, from UEA's School of International Development and the Tyndall Centre. "It is vital that we understand the sources of greenhouse gas emissions in agricultural water use to design and implement sustainable policies for the future." "Improved access to pumping technology, cheap energy and the ability to directly control water availability has led to a massive expansion of groundwater pumping across large parts of Asia, particularly in China and India," said Professor Jinxia Wang of the Centre for Chinese Agricultural Policy. "The small scale of pump operations makes regulation and control of use extremely difficult." "Water scarcity in China is already driving policies to improve water conservation so it is crucial to identify water-energy trade-offs and potential co-benefits," said Sabrina Rothausen from UEA. "Our results suggest that an integrated policy approach could promote considerable water and energy savings." With a growing population, climate change and socio-economic transition, the report predicts the problem will worsen unless action is taken to improve China's water management policies.
This free educational webinar will provide a detailed process for climate-driven "pre-response" in a variety of key areas including: Supply Chain Disruptions, Employee Safety and Productivity, Regulatory and Compliance Risks …and many more areas.


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BillboardIn its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. |
Common terms and phrases
agency ANGELES APRS artists ASCAP Assn audio Austria band bar coding Billboard broadcast cable cassettes catalog CBS Records charts Chris de Burgh Chrysalis clip Compact Disc concert Continued Country Music dealers disk entertainment Ertegun film German video Gold home video IFPI industry Jeff Beck JENNIFER RUSH Jones Kabrich KIM WILDE KRMD KTPK label lacquer manager market share marketplace master ment million months Music Box Music Publishers music videos Nielsen NIK KERSHAW NMPA outlets Peter Phil Collins Philharmoniker platinum PolyGram Pop Singles prerecorded promotion radio recent record companies releases rental retail rock Roger Whittaker royalties says songs Spandau Ballet stations Steven Studios success Swain Swiss Switzerland tape Tears For Fears Teldec television there's tion titles tour tracks turnover video software videocassettes VSDA Warner Bros West Germany York


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Maurice L. Bower (1889-1980) depicted horses doing everything from urgently pulling the fire engine to a blaze (January 12, 1935) or performing at a circus complete with pretty lady on top (April 6, 1935) to pulling the getaway stagecoach for fellows clearly up to no good (February 6, 1937). Quite striking is the cover of thoroughbred racing from August 8, 1934; the muscles of the powerful animals straining for one more ounce of speed.
The energy Bower brought to his art began at an early age when he attended the School of Industrial Art in Philadelphia. Magazine work quickly followed, and his art was published while he was still a student there. Later he became a medical illustrator in the U.S. Army during World War I.
Jane Garrabrant kindly sent us some biographical information on her substitute grandfather, "Morry," as she called him. Bower, she noted, moved to Paris around 1926, although he still worked for The Saturday Evening Post. And he periodically returned to the States to fulfill illustration obligations for the Post while living a "glorious life" on the Left Bank of Paris with many artistic types, from choreographers to writers to artists like himself. Sadly, this charmed lifestyle ended with the stock market crash of 1929.
It became difficult for Bowers to find work at a time when photography was outpacing the demand for illustrators, and jobs turned to the not-as-lucrative world of portrait painting and illustrations for minor publications.
Garrabrant's notes also detail the caring relationship he and his sister shared. Bower moved back to Collingswood, New Jersey in the early 1960s, and at age 87 he decided to buy a new lawn mower because he didn't care for the way the neighborhood boys were cutting the grass. But he wasn't strong enough to pull the cord. His sister, Trudi, "a youngster" at 75, would start the mower, and Morry would cut a little bit of grass each day, stretching it out so he would have something to do the next day. Maurice Lincoln Bower died at the age of 91 on October 4, 1980, one month to the day after the death of his beloved sister, Trudi.


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Was Mr. Darcy real? Is time travel really possible? For pragmatic Manhattan artist Eliza Knight the answer to both questions is absolutely, Yes! And Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley Farms, Virginia is the reason why!
His tale of love and romance in Regency England leaves Eliza in no doubt that Fitz Darcy is the embodiment of Jane Austen's legendary hero. And she's falling in love with him. But can the man who loved the inimitable Jane Austen ever love average, ordinary Eliza Knight?
Eliza's doubts grow, perhaps out of proportion, when things start to happen in the quiet hamlet of Chawton, England; events that could change everything. Will the beloved author become the wedge that divides Fitz and Eliza or the tie that binds them?
Praise for Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen
O'Rourke creates a world that defies cynicism and demands suspension of disbelief – even in this age of doubt and hyper-realism. Sheer escapism at its best. Clever, charming and affectionate.
~Jocelyn Bury
…the reader must tenaciously read on rather than put the book down to satisfy their hunger for the story to resolve, which it does in characteristically Jane Austen fashion.
~Erin Murdock
In Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen, author Sally Smith O'Rourke creates a compelling story that investigates what and who might have inspired Jane Austen. While the story line is certainly far-fetched, it is a truly unique idea, one that captivated this reader until the very last page.
~Meg Massey
Book Blast Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 6/6/13 a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Cooking is always more fun with a cocktail in hand! ;)
Central Iowa tapped out at a toasty 78 degrees again today, which inspired me to whip up a refreshing, ice-cold Grapefruit Mojito to sip on while making dinner this evening.
Now, you might think you don't like grapefruit. Trust me, I get it. I used to feel the exact same way.
My 93 year old Grandma has had half a grapefruit sprinkled with sugar for breakfast every single morning for as long as I've known her, and whenever my family visited my grandparents in Ohio growing up, I'd ask for the other half so I could be just like her, even though I secretly loathed the bitter, acidic taste of grapefruit.
This is it! I'd coach myself before diving in. Your taste buds have completely altered themselves since the last time you were here 6 months ago, and you are a now a mature woman of 8. Let's do this!
Despite the cute little spoon with serrated edges she'd give me to loosen the segments nestled inside the fruit, and the heaps of sugar I'd pour on top, I could never get past the pucker-inducing flavor, and usually aborted the mission after a few scoops.
Fast forward several decades later, I made an impulse purchase of a few Ruby-Red Grapefruits after spying the loveliest display of them I ever did see at the grocery store last week (I am such a sucker!)
After unloading my groceries I cut one in half, just like my Grandma did for me all those years ago, scooped out a segment, and hoped for the best. The verdict?
Sour, yes, but also much sweeter than I remembered – and SO juicy!
I think the secret lies within my matured taste buds and the type of grapefruit I bought, which was a Ruby-Red. Grapefruits come in white, pink and red, each sweeter than the next, and are at their sweetest in the late winter and early spring, aka right now. Look for grapefruit that are heavy for their size (which indicates an extra juicy fruit) and have a slight "blush spot" on the outside of the peel.
I've been craving mojitos like crazy recently, and thought a Grapefruit Mojito sounded like the epitome of refreshing, and a fun way to use the grapefruit I've now been been buying on the regular. I started the cocktail by segmenting one Ruby-Red Grapefruit.
I used the same technique as segmenting oranges!
Next, I muddled a few of the segments with fresh mint and agave nectar in a cocktail shaker.
After adding rum, some of the reserved grapefruit juice, and fresh lime juice to the shaker, I filled it 3/4 of the way full with ice and shook what my Mama gave me.
I poured the mixture into two glasses filled with ice, then topped 'em off with sparkling water. If you think you don't like grapefruit, I bet this sweet-tart cocktail will change your mind!
I'm sorry, but mojitos just scream SUMMER! to me. It's that fresh mint. I just love it!
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Dinner Made EASY
5 days of simple yet flavorful recipes that take the stress out of dinnertime!
Grapefruit Mojitos
Grapefruit Mojitos are a refreshing, flavorful way to enjoy grapefruit!
- 1 grapefruit, segmented & juice reserved
- 20 mint leaves
- 4 teaspoons agave nectar
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons grapefruit juice
- 3oz rum (2 shots)
- ice
- club soda
- Muddle 4 grapefruit segments, mint, agave nectar and lime juice in the bottom of a martini shaker with the end of a wooden spoon. Add grapefruit juice and rum, then fill the shaker 3/4 full with ice. Shake until very cold then evenly divide between two glasses filled with ice. Top with club soda then garnish with remaining grapefruit segments.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
After a few satisfying sips, I got to work on dinner – Grapefruit Chicken Satay. Oh yeah, we're going all out on the grapefruit theme here, people!
Indian spiced chicken is sauteed then tossed with fresh grapefruit slices and drizzled with a quick peanut-based satay sauce. Sounds wacky, tastes nice!
Start by segmenting 2 grapefruits, then sprucing up sliced chicken breasts with an exotic array of spices including garlic powder, cinnamon, garam masala, ginger, ground mustard, salt & pepper.
Mix to coat the chicken evenly, then saute in a hot skillet until the chicken is no longer pink.
Meanwhile, make an easy satay sauce with peanut butter, soy sauce or gluten-free tamari (dish will not be GF if using soy sauce,) a tiny bit of sugar, chili garlic sauce, and reserved grapefruit juice.
Mix until silky smooth.
Place the cooked, spiced chicken over a bed of brown basmati rice, then top with the segmented grapefruit, and a drizzle of that satay sauce. Holy. Yum.
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Dinner Made EASY
5 days of simple yet flavorful recipes that take the stress out of dinnertime!
Grapefruit Chicken Satay
Grapefruit Chicken Satay is a savory, flavorful way to enjoy grapefruit!
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 2 1/4 cups chicken broth
- 2 large or 3 medium-sized chicken breasts, cut into strips
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- couple cracks/dashes of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- 2 large ruby-red grapefruits, segmented & juice reserved
- 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
- 5-7 Tablespoons reserved grapefruit juice
- Bring chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan, then stir in rice. Place a lid on top, reduce the heat to medium low, then cook until rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes.
- Season chicken strips with dry mustard, garlic powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, garam masala, salt and pepper in a large bowl, then mix to coat the chicken evenly. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add in the chicken and cook until no longer pink in the center.
- Segment the grapefruits over a bowl by cutting the tops and bottoms off the grapefruits, slicing the peel and pith off by following the curve of the fruit, then slicing in between the membranes to pop the segments out. Squeeze the remaining membranes to get all the juice out, then strain the juice into a separate bowl and set aside.
- Combine peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar and chili garlic sauce in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 15 seconds. Stir until smooth. Add 5 Tablespoons reserved grapefruit juice and stir to combine. Continue adding grapefruit juice 1 Tablespoon at a time until desired taste and consistency is reached.
- Divide cooked rice evenly among plates, then top with cooked chicken, grapefruit segments, and peanut satay sauce.
Slightly adapted from Eating Well
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
The grapefruit slices get nice and warm as they mingle with the spiced chicken and basmati rice, and totally mellow out from the heat. The salty peanut satay sauce is the perfect flavor compliment too. This is a great, easy dish to spice up a week night!


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No, that isn't a misprint. I made guacamole on the grill.
The idea came from The Minimalist's 101 Grilling ideas column in the New York Times Dining section, and since we're huge fans of Guacamole in this house, it wasn't long before the desire to create it, and the assembled ingredients were ready for my initial attempt.
I'm no stranger to grilling onions or tomatoes. In previous summers, I've made a topping for bruschetta with grilled tomato and sweet onions that I've devoured shamelessly, and this summer for some reason, the desire for grilled onions on any number of dishes has been almost an obsession. I'm finding more and more to like about onions, whether they're roasted, caramelized in a pan or like this, charred and slightly smoky from the grill.
There's no technique to making this Guacamole at all. The key is mostly in preparing the items for the grill. Tomato and avocado should be ripe, but not too ripe due to the fact that they soften intensely on the grill. My avocados were more firm than I would have chosen for a standard preparation, but they worked beautifully in the intense heat of the grill. Carve them in half and remove the pit, then brush a little oil over them. Halve your tomatoes, and slice the onions into thick rounds so they are easy to handle. Give those a smear of oil too. And be sure not to forget the limes! They become a sweeter version of their usual tart self from the heat of the flames.
Place all the items face down on the grill. And here's where your personal preference will come in. Do you like a lightly toasted taste? Or do you prefer a nice grill-marked char? Do be careful about the tomato; if you overdo it, it will collapse into the fire. I prefer to put the tomato on the hottest part of the grill and watch it carefully until I notice the edges beginning to soften just a little, becoming dark where it touches the grill. I flip it over and let it cook for a few more minutes, then remove it to a pan to rest. The skin usually comes off.
For the rest of the items, leave them in place until they are nicely marked and beginning to soften. Turn the avocado over so the peel side is down on the grate and cook them until they become soft and compliant. Flip over the lime halves too so the rind is down, and watch for the pulp to almost collapse. At this point, you're not going to get juice from the limes, but you will get a deliciously smoky lime pulp for your Guacamole that gives it that familiar and tangy 'Zing!' that only a good lime can offer. And those onions can be cooked to any degree you wish.
Once you've got all the grilling done, allow everything to cool off. Chop the tomato and onion, scoop out the avocado and squeeze the limes into a bowl. Do be cautious of the amount of lime you put in; remember that the pulp will become more intense from being heated, and you may not need as much as you think. Add in whatever seasonings you prefer.
There was no photo of the finished version of this Guacamole because, well…. Guacamole all mixed up isn't exactly photogenic. It didn't look any different than what you would make normally, but the flavor was stunning. Smoky and rich, it had depth that I wouldn't have imagined Guacamole could have. Everything became sweeter, and deeply flavorful from the heat and flames of the grill. Our love for Guacamole was definitely enhanced by this version. It didn't last long at all and I can't wait to make it again.


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Friday nights - the best nights for a date with a horror/mystery movie/book. I have some interesting movies/books lined up and can't wait to devour them. Now to the next prompt:
Talk about the opening of your favorite book.
I had three answers pop in my head as soon as I read the prompt. Yeah, you guessed it right, I don't have one, but three most favorite books and a lot of close seconds! So, I did some pattern searching and found that most of my favorite books had lush natural scene descriptions as the opening for the books. Some of them were Ponniyin Selvan (all five books) , Anne of Green Gables (and other books in the series). Or they described something very ordinary in life in the first couple of pages (read Agatha Christie novels, Anuthama novels and more). Of these, I love the nature descriptions best because they encourage me to imagine right from the start and make me get into the book pretty quickly. Its harder with ordinary life descriptions since I start comparing it with the experiences I've had in life.
Talking about the opening of one book, my best choice would be Ponniyin Selvan - Kalki has done an amazing job of it and I literally experienced what the hero Vandhiya Thevan sitting atop his horse across the Veera Narayana Eri experienced. I read it 15 years back but the experience is still so fresh. I guess that is the mark of a great author!
Also, Anne of Green Gables' opening is worth a mention! I was able to imagine Green Gables and the White way of Delight and the Lake of Shining Waters without any issues at all - though not as impactful as Kalki's, this one was sweet in its own subtle way. Sadly, I haven't read any other author (including my favorite JK Rowling or Arthur Conan Doyle or Michael Crichton) that has had such a powerful impact. Even other books by the same authors haven't had this impact - Sivagamiyin Sabatham and Parthiban Kanavu were way more disappointing to me since I had a very threshold for Kalki and other Anne books never touched me as much as the first one did. Even though I like Naindha Ullam, I'd have loved it more if Anuthama had spoken about Sri Lanka and the beauty of those places before jumping into the dynamics around Mythreyi. But I'll take Anuthama any day even if it doesn't explain about the natural scenes as much I want. :)
What is your favorite book's opening? And any recommendations for books to read?


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The Illinois Workers' Compensation Act provides employers with the right to obtain an injured worker's medical records in order to assess the injury, the need for treatment, and determine the worker's right to payment of workers compensation benefits.[1] Within a few days after a work related injury, the employer's insurance company will normally ask the worker to sign an Authorization allowing the employer to obtain the medical records. However, these Authorizations are frequently overbroad in that they also allow the employer to have ex parte communications (oral communications outside of the worker's presence) with the treating doctors. The law does not allow them to do so unless the worker expressly consents. See Petrillo v. Syntex Laboratories, Inc. 148 Ill.App.3d 581, 499 N.E.2d 952, 102 Ill.Dec. 172 (1st Dist. 1986); Hydraulics, Inc. v. Indus. Comm'n, 329 Ill. App. 3d 166, 768 N.E.2d 760, 263 Ill. Dec. 679 (2nd Dist. 2002). Workers are not required to consent to ex parte communications and should refuse to do so.
A treating doctor is entrusted with the duty to make appropriate decisions concerning the proper course of care and treatment for their patients. To make these decisions the doctor utilizes their education, training, skill, and experience as well as the information they have concerning the patient's situation. For the most part, these decisions are supposed to be made without unnecessary intrusion by the employer, insurance carrier, or nurse case "managers." By consenting to ex parte communications with their treating physician, workers open up their medical treatment, as well as their right to compensation benefits, to the confusion, frustration, and substantial harm that can be caused by an unscrupulous employer abusing the consent or providing false or misleading information to the doctor behind their back.
While the list of problems caused by improper ex parte communications are numerous, the more frequent abuses we see include:
1. An employer providing false or exaggerated information to the doctor's about the worker's personal life and activities in an effort to warp the doctor's opinion about the need for medical care or deceive the doctor about worker's motivation or credibility;
2. An employer providing bogus information about a "light duty" job that is available in an effort to have the worker released to return to work to a job that simply does not exist. Thereafter, the employer requires the worker to perform job duties that exceed the doctor's restrictions or inflicts psychological stresses on the worker in an effort to force the worker to quit their job;
3. An employer providing a false job description to a doctor in order to encourage the doctor to give a release to return to work without restrictions. This frequently ends up in the employee immediately being fired or laid off, denied the right to additional temporary total disability benefits, and being denied the proper permanent disability compensation benefits. (For additional insight into the problems that can arise from faulty work releases, see https://www.hmcomplaw.com/blog/injured-workers-be-careful-with-your-release-to-return-to-work/2012/04/ .)
Given the potential for abuse, consenting to allow an employer to have ex parte communications with a treating doctor is a horrible decision.
Keep in mind that the purpose of refusing to allow ex parte communications is not to obstruct the insurance carrier or employer or prevent them from assessing your need for treatment or right to benefits. [2] It is only for the purpose of making sure that a treating doctor makes decisions based on the true facts concerning your situation and that you are aware of the information being used to make those decisions.
Suggestions on Authorizations:
• Do not sign them in blank. They should list the name of the medical provider(s) who the employer will be requesting records from.
• Make sure they are time specific, such as from the date of your accident and into the future for 120 days or so. If the employer has a need to obtain records before your accident for some reason, they can ask you to sign a specific release for specific records.
• Make sure they do not include authorization for oral or ex parte communications with the doctor or their staff. If it contains language allowing ex parte communications, cross it out before signing it.
• If you have already signed an Authorization, keep in mind that you have the right to restrict them at any time. To do so, simply give a note to your doctor restricting the Authorizations you have previously given by stating something along the order of: "I may have previously given Authorization for my employer or their insurance company to communicate with you or your staff without me being present. I hereby revoke that portion of the Authorization and request that any future communication between your office and my employer or insurance carrier concerning my care, treatment, and disability be conducted in my presence or with my knowledge and consent." Make sure it is signed and dated.
An injured worker is just as entitled to a level playing field as the insurance company, and much more in need of it. It is their right to participate in the medical decisions being made concerning them, and to protect themselves against a devious employer trying to pull the rug out from under them behind their back. Be careful about what the Authorizations allow the employer to do and make sure they do not allow for ex parte communications.
[1] Section 8(a) of the Illinois Workers' Compensation Act (820 ILCS 305) provides:
Access to Medical Reports
Every hospital, physician, surgeon or other person rendering treatment or services in accordance with the provisions of this Section shall upon written request furnish full and complete reports thereof to, and permit their records to be copied by, the employer, the employee or his dependents, as the case may be, or any other party to any proceeding for compensation before the Commission, or their attorneys.
[2] As was noted in the Petrillo case, modern public policy dictates that a confidential and trusting relationship exist between a patient and their physician. Ex parte communications with a legal adversary endanger the trust, faith, and loyalties a patient is entitled to rely upon with their physician, and are prohibited absent consent of the patient. Parties that are in need of information have various legal means by which they can obtain that information which also provide appropriate protection from abuse.


text:
[Alan Yates] is building a persistence of vision display and needs a way to transfer power from the stationary base to the spinning circuitry. He's decided to go with wireless energy transfer and he's sharing all of his research and experiment data from the development process. It comes in two forms, the written version we just linked to, and a 37 minute video which is embedded after the break. If you liked some of the inductive energy transmission devices we've featured in the past, [Alan's] video will fill you in on the why's and how's by using a combination of illustrative schematic examples and measurements on test coils that he built.
[via Hacked Gadgets and EEVblog]