Federal Intrusion into Workers’ Compensation
At the 2015 National Council of Self-Insurers Conference, Robert Minor from Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease presented a session discussing the federal government’s intrusion into state workers’ compensation issues. The first federal intrusion into workers’ compensation issues started with the Mine Safety Act in 1968. Shortly thereafter, in 1970, the federal government established OSHA to develop health and safety standards for employers nationwide. In 1972, there was a federal study on the current status of state workers’ compensation systems. This pointed out several shortfalls in the state systems. At that time, some were pushing for minimum federal standards for state
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Cost Control and Management of Claims from a Defense Attorney’s Perspective
At the 2015 National Council of Self-Insurers conference, a panel of defense attorneys presented their views on cost control and management of claims. The panel included Charles Brown from Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote, Elaine Newquest from Gannon & Shapiro, Stewart Rubens from Grancel, Stander, Reubens, Thomas & Kinsey, and Kent Smith from Scheldrup, Blades, Schrock, Smith & Aranza. Initial Case Analysis / Assessment The first step is identifying all of the issues on the claim and the viability of these issues. It is important to know your client and their claims-handling strategy so that you approach the litigation accordingly. Costs
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Emerging Legal Issues in Medical & Recreational Marijuana
At the 2015 National Council of Self-Insurers conference, Gregory Cairns from Cairns & Associates discussed the emerging legal issues associated with marijuana. Greg is an attorney from Colorado where recreational marijuana became legal in 2014. Currently, 23 states and DC allow medical marijuana.Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Colorado now allow recreational use of marijuana. Since federal law still classifies marijuana as illegal, there is case law that indicates the federal government can prosecute marijuana dispensaries. In 2011, the DEA closed down some medical marijuana dispensaries that were located within 1,000 feet of schools. However, for the most part, the federal government
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Challenges in Managing Claims in a Diverse Workforce
At the 2015 National Council of Self-Insurers Annual Conference, a panel discussed the challenges of managing claims in a diverse workforce. The panels were: Michele Adams – Walt Disney World Resorts Loyd Hudson – American Electric Power Max Koonce – Walmart Disney has a diverse workforce. In fact, employees at Disney World speak three primary languages: English, Spanish and Haitian-Creole. All company meetings and communications are presented in these three languages. Approximately 45% of Disney’s new hires are minorities, and 59% are female. All 36,000 new cast members receive safety training every year and injury prevention is a high priority.
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2015 National Council of Self-Insurers Annual Conference
On May 31- June 03, 2015, Conference Chronicles will be blogging from sessions at the 2015 National Council of Self-Insurers Annual Conference at St. Pete Beach, FL. Established in 1946, the National Council of Self-Insurers is and always has been the only national organization devoted to the self-insurance of workers’ compensation. The National Council of Self-Insurers was created on June 4, 1946, when seven state associations signed the “Articles of Agreement”. The NCSI has always believed that the workers compensation system, properly administered by the states, is a vital part of the economic and social fabric of the United States
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WCRI and CWCI Studies on Medical Costs and Drivers
At the 2015 NCCI Annual Issues Symposium, Richard Victor, president and ceo of the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI), and Alex Swedlow, president of the California Workers’ Compensation Institute (CWCI), presented insights from their research on medical cost drivers. Below are the highlights: Physician Dispensing There are only 8 states that either prohibit or significantly restrict physician dispensing. Most state reforms on physician dispensing have focused on price limits versus restricting the practice itself. Even with these price-focused reforms, price-to-payers for physician dispensed medications is still over 30% higher. In unregulated states, costs of physician-dispensed medications is several times higher
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The NAIC and the State of the Industry
At the 2015 NCCI Annual Issues Symposium, NAIC chief executive officer Ben Nelson provided his insights into many of the industry’s most immediate challenges. The highlights: Insurance regulation cannot be static. It must be fluid and adapt to changes in the industry and the economy. Although the Federal government has tried to inject itself into insurance matters, 100% of the United States insurance marketplace is regulated by the 56 members of the NAIC. Cyber security will be the biggest focus of the insurance industry in the immediate future. This includes NAIC review of the data held by both regulators and
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Workplace of Tomorrow: The On-Demand Economy and Implications for Workers’ Compensation
At the 2015 NCCI Annual Issues symposium, Robert Harwig, president of the Insurance Information Institute (III), presented a session that addressing the workplace of tomorrow. His session included gender differences in workplace assignments, new definitions of what will constitute a “job” in the future and the increasing “on-demand” nature of of the workplace. Robert’s style is to cram dozens of slides into a 60-minute session, so the information comes fast and furious. Highlights included: 2015 was the second best year for the workers’ compensation industry since the great recession, but profit figures are still less than pre-recession levels. Property /
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NCCI State of the Line Report
At the 2015 NCCI Annual Issues Symposium, Kathy Antonello, Chief Actuary for NCCI presented their State of the Line review which provides an exclusive review of workers’ compensation trends, cost drivers, and the significant new developments shaping the industry. 2014 Property/Casualty (P/C) Industry Results: All P/C lines saw premium levels increase in 2014. The industry as a whole saw a 4.1% increase. The P/C combined ratio showed the ratio climbed one point to 97%. Only five of the last 30 years have seen P/C combined ratios below 100%, and those have all come in the last 10 years. P/C industry investment gain
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Workers’ Comp Outlook: Indicators, Issues and Industry Success
NCCI President and CEO, Steve Klingel, kicked off the 2015 NCCI Annual Issues Symposium with an opening session that focused on the top-line industry indicators and emerging issues that will capture the attention of workers’ compensation professionals in the months and years ahead. Top-of-the-line numbers: Net written premium for 2014 $44.2 billion, a 6% increase from prior year and fourth consecutive year of premium growth. NCCI projects 2014 industry combined ratio at 98%. The last time the combined ratio was under 100% was 2006. Claim frequency once again declined in 2014. Looking at the economy, increased employment has led to
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