At the 2016 Illinois Self Insurers’ Association 38th Annual Educational Seminar and Membership Meeting, Joan Vincenz, Managing Director Workers’ Compensation and Managed Care with United Airlines, talked about the process United went through to restructure their workers’ compensation program when they merged with Continental. The vision statement of United Airlines is to return their employee to good health and to work as quickly, medically and operationally soon as possible.  When United merged with Continental, their workers’ compensation departments were structured very differently, with one reporting through human resources and the other through operations. In their new structure, the Vice President of
(Read the full article…)

Top industry bloggers debated the hottest issues facing workers’ compensation and risk management at the 2016 California Workers’ Compensation and Risk Conference. Speakers included: Bob Wilson, President & CEO, WorkersCompensation.com, LLC Julius Young, Attorney, Boxer & Gerson, LLP Jennifer Jordan, Chief Legal Officer, Medval Michael Gavin, President, Prium Mark Walls, Vice President Communications & Strategic Analysis, Safety National (moderator) Yesterday the Department of Labor (DOL) released a report around state workers’ comp commissions outlining areas of inadequacy and oversight. What are your initial thoughts about this? Jordan: I thought the report was unfair, was dated and the didn’t use updated
(Read the full article…)

In this session at the 2016 California Workers’ Compensation & Risk Conference, three seasoned risk management professionals shared their experiences around changing the mindset, and ultimately the culture, of organizations to become safety focused. Speakers included: Dan Holden, Manager, Corporate Risk & Insurance, Daimler Trucks North America Heidi Bastien, Director of Risk Management, Rubio’s Restaurants, Inc. Scott Ritto, Vice President, Risk Management, Kilroy Realty Corporation When it comes to creating a culture of safety, there are a few areas where you can start. First, assess the current culture of your organization. How do people look at risk? Are people focused
(Read the full article…)

This session at the 2016 California Workers’ Compensation & Risk Conference analyzed the latest federal workers’ compensation trends and their impact on employers. Speakers included: Gregory McKenna, VP & Counsel Governmental Affairs, Gallagher Bassett Robert Cartwright, Jr., Safety and Health Regional Manager, Bridgestone Retail Operations OSHA’s Electronic Reporting Regulations OSHA recently issued a final reporting rule to “improve tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses.” OSHA says they intend to use this to gather more data about employer conduct, however employers are leery. Why is there increased federal involvement with state workers’ compensation? Many employers believe this will lead to employer
(Read the full article…)

A compromise and release (C&R) agreement is essentially a contract between an injured worker and a party that is paying workers’ compensation benefits to the injured person. By signing the agreement, the injured party settles his workers’ compensation claim in exchange for a lump-sum check. This panel at the 2016 California Workers’ Compensation & Risk Conference provided case studies that argued the effectiveness of C&R agreements with employees who return to work. Speakers included: Kristi Montoya, Risk Manager, UPS William Zachry (Retired), Albertsons/Safeway and Board Member of the Self-Insured Security Fund  Debra Russell, Director Workers’ Compensation Program, Schools Insurance Authority
(Read the full article…)

Cyber attacks expose an organization to various cyber risks like financial loss, regulatory sanctions and reputational damage. In this session at the 2016 California Workers’ Compensation & Risk Conference, Heather Wilkinson, Vice President, FINEX E&O/Cyber Manager at Willis Towers Watson, discussed current cyber threats and what companies can do to counter them. The cyber insurance marketplace is expanding. Total premiums have reached $2 billion, with expectations that they will reach $20 billion by 2025. Underwriting guidelines are becoming more in depth at a rapid pace and it is becoming more difficult for companies to prove their insurability. This typically requires
(Read the full article…)

This session at the 2016 California Workers’ Compensation & Risk Conference highlighted three major Medicare issues impacting workers’ compensation today. Speakers included: Dan Wynn, Workers’ Compensation Manager, Goodwill Southern California John Kane, Medicare Program Director, Liberty Mutual Ciara Koba, Partner, Burns White LLC Latest Developments The SMART Act amended the Social Security Act requiring that Medicare create an online portal for up to date exchange or final conditional payment information. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) enacted a workload shift in order to refine the conditional payment process and move towards more-timely notification. Workload transition involves two entities:
(Read the full article…)

At the 2016 California Workers’ Compensation & Risk Conference, Christine Baker, Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations, and David Lanier, Secretary of the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency, provided an update on the department’s progress, challenges and future outlook.  According to David Lanier, California has come a long way in the past six years. In 2010, it was being compared to the failed state of Greece. Job loss was rampant and the workers’ compensation rate increases were being implemented for the first time in a long time. Outlook was bleak.  Fast forward six years to 2016 and
(Read the full article…)

This session at the 2016 California Workers’ Compensation & Risk Conference addressed some of the latest thinking and research related to the impact of mental well being and behavioral health in the workplace.   Speakers included: Denise Zoe Algire, National Director, Managed Care & Disability, Corporate Risk Management, Albertsons/Safeway Dr. Teresa Bartlett, Senior Vice President Medical Quality, Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc. Mental health is a key component of wellness. It is a state of well-being in which an individual can cope and become a contributor. It includes how someone feels, thinks and acts and helps to determine how we
(Read the full article…)

In this session at the 2016 California Workers’ Compensation & Risk Conference, workers’ compensation medical-treatment experts explained how an integrated view of a patient’s medical history and treatment course can reveal the full spectrum of factors impacting claim costs and clinical outcomes to better guide claims management decisions.  Speakers included:  Silvia Sacalis, Vice President, Clinical Services, Healthesystems Mary Reaston, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer, Founder, Emerge Diagnostics Dr. Adam Seidner, National Medical Director Claims, Travelers Insurance There are several isolated complexities associated with claims, including comorbidities, multiple providers and stakeholders, psychosocial factors, adherence to therapy, patient medical history and complex medications
(Read the full article…)