Workers’ compensation costs throughout the U.S. have increased by 8-10% over the past few years. This may be attributed to an increase in medical costs and wages, which in turn raises the indemnity payouts. There are two ways to decrease these costs: (1) have fewer injuries and (2) improve management of the injuries when they […]

At the 2016 WCRI Annual Issues & Research Conference, WCRI representatives presented a session comparing workers’ compensation outcomes across states. Panelists included: Dr. Sharon Belton – WCRI Dr. Bogdan Savych – WCRI Dr. Vennela Thumula – WCRI The purpose of this study and other similar studies recently conducted by WCRI was to analyze the outcomes […]

At the 2015 National Workers’ Compensation & Disability Conference, a panel presented a session titled “Physical Function Pre-Work Screens and Fitness-For-Duty Evaluations. The panel included: Darin Hampton, Regional Coordinator, International Paper Gia Schneider, Esq. Shareholder, Haworth, Bradshaw, Stallknecht & Barber Tony Silva, Director, Atlas Injury Prevention Solutions It’s important to remember to match the work […]

As claims drag on, injured workers may start believing that their injuries, disabilities and chronic pain are worse than they actually are. They may perceive the workers’ compensation system is treating them unjustly and withdraw from work and social activities, fueling further catastrophic thinking and fear. This session at the 24th Annual National Workers’ Compensation […]

Opportunities to manage workplace injuries to their optimal conclusions evaporate when claim handlers ignore medical intervention’s power. Important elements may be lost, including the potential to identify risk factors that can delay recovery, the ability to uncover non-work injury causations, and the efficient coordination of claims-service providers. In this session at the 24th Annual National […]

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 […]

This session at the National Workers’ Compensation & Disability Conference in Las Vegas focused on the increasing diversity in today’s workforce and how that is impacting workers’ compensation. Jennifer De La Torre, Executive Director of Workforce Diversity at AT&T, and Elizabeth Demaret, Executive Vice President, Chief Customer Relationship Officer at Sedgwick, explained how the aging, […]

In her session at the National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Conference in Las Vegas, Patricia Hostine, U.S. Director of Disability Management, Flex-N-Gate Corp, stressed that worker communications have a direct impact on losses and, if you can tailor your message properly, your communications can make the claim go as smoothly as possible. It’s important to […]

At the 23rd Annual National Workers’ Compensation & Disability Conference in Las Vegas, Teresa Bartlett, M.D., SVP, Medical Quality at Sedgwick offered strategies for managing workplace absences through engagement and high-quality care. According to Dr. Bartlett, there are four keys to employee engagement that can be used to engage injured, absent and disconnected employees, producing […]