“Sitting is as bad as smoking.” 10,000 Americans a day turn 65, increasing the possibility of comorbid conditions on claims. Claims with a comorbidity diagnosis are increasing. A comorbid diagnosis can give the provider, injured worker and payer more realistic expectations for return to work and recovery. Eric Patten, Director of Clinical Management and Complex […]

Employee health took center stage during Monday’s Wellness ZENter presentations at RIMS. Dave North, President and CEO at Sedgwick, kicked off the day with a corporate wellness discussion with Shawn Leavitt, Senior Vice President of Global Benefits at Comcast. They highlighted the importance of wellness for individuals and populations, and how health and productivity impact […]

During a session at the RIMS 2017 Annual Conference, Kevin Glennon, VP of Clinical Programs, One Call Care Management, and Markie Davis, Risk Manager, State of Colorado, discuss medical marijuana. As the push for legalization continues, let’s explore the hailstorm of medical, legal and regulatory questions this brings. Federal Law The Controlled Substances Act categorizes […]

Although a great deal of attention is paid to cost control initiatives in the workers’ compensation and healthcare arenas, liability costs are escalating for many organizations. This session at the RIMS 2017 Annual Conference and Exhibition discussed the factors driving increasing claims and litigation costs. Speakers:  Alan Gier, Global Director, Corporate Risk Management & Insurance, […]

According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, from 2015 to 2016, the number of police officers shot and killed in the United States increased by 44 percent. Retaliatory violence directed at officers has also jumped. This session at the RIMS 2017 Annual Conference and Exhibition addressed how the increase of violence against law […]

Presenters took a critical look at the risk management landscape in this session at the RIMS 2017 Annual Conference and Exhibition to anticipate what issues may be on the horizon. Speakers included:  David North, President & CEO, Sedgwick, Inc. Michael Fenlon, Sr. Director, Corporate Risk Management, United Parcel Service David Stills, VP, Risk Management, Walmart […]

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 […]