At the 2016 IAIABC Annual Convention, Scott Brennan from SFM and Vickie Kennedy from Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) talked about strategies to attract and retain new employees. According to a 2014 IAIABC survey, 45-50% of their members’ state agency workforce is eligible for retirement in the next five years. This mass exodus […]

At the 2016 IAIABC Annual Conference, a panel discussed Medicare’s move to a value-based payment system and how this will impact state fee schedules.  The panel was: Dr. David Dietz – Principle, David Dietz and Associates, LLC Dr. Dan Hunt – Corporate Medical Director, AF Group Dr. Kathryn Mueller – Medical Director, Colorado Division of […]

At the 2016 IAIABC Annual Convention, Becky Curtis, founder of Take Courage Counseling, talked about how the workers’ compensation system can enhance the experience of injured workers. Years ago, Becky suffered a horrible automobile accident that resulted in a fractured spine and left her as an incomplete quadriplegic. After the accident, she spent most of […]

This week Conference Chronicles is attending the IAIABC Annual Convention in Portland, ME. IAIABC is an association of workers’ compensation regulators from around the United States.  The theme this years convention is “reimagine” and the program tried to highlight innovations and disruptionis that will shape the system in the future. You can learn more about […]

At the 2015 IAIABC Annual Convention, jurisdictional representatives provided highlights of administrative initiatives and policy issues impacting their states. The highlights included: Kansas – Legislation was proposed to role back from using the AMA 6th edition guidelines for impairment to the 4th edition which was the prior standard. The State Attorney General proposed this bill […]

At the 2015 IAIABC Annual Convention, Bill Minick from PartnerSource and Blake Stock from Combined Insurance Services, Inc presented a discussion on the options to traditional workers’ compensation that is being proposed in some states.  ARAWC, the Association for Responsible Alternatives to Workers’ Compensation , is a national organization formed to advocate for a system […]

At the 2015 IAIABC Convention an panel discussed what issues impacting workers’ compensation are not being adequately discussed and reported on by the industry.  The panel consisted of: Lisa Ann Forsythe – Coventry (moderator) Mona Carter – NCCI Roberto Ceniceros – Risk & Insurance Jennifer Flood – Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services Bob […]

At the 2015 IAIABC Annual Convention, Mona Carter and Jeff Eddinger from NCCI discussed the current state of the industry and issues it faces in the future. NCCI has decribed the state of the industry as calm with turbulence ahead.  Among the issues they feel will cause turbulance in the future are: Exclusive remedy Courts […]

These short presentations at the IAIABC 101st Annual Convention focused on the positive and highlighted success stories in the workers’ compensation industry. What Went Right: Regulatory and Legislative Highlights of 2014 and 2015 Speaker: Brian Allen – Helios DEA informants reap millions in workers comp benefits. FDA was asked to evaluate the rescheduling of marijuana. […]

Workers’ compensation is described as a “grand bargain” between labor and management. The 101st IAIABC Convention kicked off with a panel discussion about how workers’ compensation has evolved and must continue to evolve. The panel consisted of: Dave DePaolo – WorkCompCentral (moderator) Sandy Blunt – Vice President of Insurance Services, Medata (moderator) Frank Fennerty, Jr. […]