At the 2017 WCRI Annual Issues and Research Conference, a panel debated the state of the workers’ compensation “grand bargain” in 2017. The panel was: David Dietz, MD – David Dietz & Associates Dr. David Michaels – Milken Institute School of Public Health of George Washington University Dr. Emily Spieler – Northeastern University School of […]

At the 2017 WCRI Annual Issues and Research Conference a panel presented highlights from numerous WCRI studies of individual state workers’ compensation systems. The panel was: Ramona Tanabe – WCRI Carol Telles – WCRI Will Monnin-Browder – WCRI Rebecca Yang – WCRI The CompScope study states are IN, TX, WI, AR, MI, FL, NJ, MN, […]

At the 2017 WCRI Annual Issues and Research Conference, a panel discussed alternatives to opioids in chronic pain. The panel included: Kathy Fisher – WCRI (moderator) Dean Hashimoto, MD – MA Department of Industrial Accidents Paul Sighinolfi – ME Workers’ Compensation Board Paul Tauriello – CO Division of Workers’ Compensation Dawn Ehde, MD – University […]

At the 2017 WCRI Annual Issues and Research Conference a panel discussed the latest WCRI research on the opioid epidemic and the steps states are taking to counter this epidemic. The panel was: Dr Vennela Thumula – WCRI Dwight Lovan – formerly of Kentucky Department of Workers’ Claims Judge Omar Hernandez – Massachusetts Department of Industrial […]

At the 2017 WCRI Annual Issues and Research Conference, Alex Swedlow from the California Workers’ Compensation Institute discussed the impact of California’s workers’ compensation reforms. The highlights: The SB 863 reforms in California have resulted in declines in medical costs and overall claims costs for California employers. Average medical costs per claim at 24 months […]

At the 2017 WCRI Annual Issues and Research Conference, Bogdan Savych of WCRI and Glenn Pransky of Liberty Mutual Research institute for Safety talked about the importance of worker perceptions and communications its injured workers. WCRI presented research on their worker outcome surveys. WCRI started injured worker surveys because the voice of injured workers is […]

At the 2017 WCRI Annual Issues and Research Conference, former US Representative Henry Waxman and former US Senator Tom Colburn discussed how the 2016 election is impacting a variety of issues. The discussion was moderated by WCRI CEO John Ruser. Healthcare The Affordable Care Act was complex legislation and changing it is changing it. By […]

Conference Chronicles will be blogging from sessions at the 33rd WCRI Annual Issues & Research Conference on March 2-3, 2017, in Boston, MA. The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) is an independent, not-for- profit, research organization that provides objective information about public policy issues involving workers’ compensation systems. The Institute’s work helps those interested in […]