At the 2020 WCRI Annual Issues and Research Conference, a session discussed key findings from various WCRI studies. The presenters were: Carol Telles – WCRI Dr Randall Lea – WCRI Dr Rebecca Yang – WCRI Trends in Hospital Inpatient Metrics Hospital inpatient payments accounted for 17% of total medical payments in the typical study state. […]

At the 2020 WCRI Annual Issues & Research Conference, Vennela Thumula with WCRI talked about their studies on opioid dispensing trends and alternatives for pain management. Between 2014 and 2018, they saw decreases in opioid prescribing in all study states. The biggest decreases were seen in California and New York which implemented new drug formularies […]

At the 2020 WCRI Annual Research & Issues Conference, Dr Bogdan Savych with WCRI discussed their study reviewing how injuries, claims and outcomes vary by age. The US population is aging. In 2000, around 13% of the population was over age 65. It is projected that by 2030 over 20% of the population will be […]

At the 2020 WCRI Annual Research & Issues Conference, a session discussed perceptions vs reality with regard to generational differences in the workplace. The presenter was Dr Jennifer Deal, Senior Research Scientist with Center for Creative Leadership. Her study surveyed 6000 millennials along with 7000 older professional, managerial and executive staff. The different generations highlighted […]

There can be numerous challenges faced during the emergency phase and into the recovery phase of a disaster. At the PARMA 46th Conference and Expo, a panel of County Risk Managers discussed what worked and what failed in their disaster planning, and how a community can survive and bounce back from the unthinkable. Speakers included: […]

Workers’ compensation claims are too often adversarial, leading to unnecessary litigation and increased costs. The advocacy approach to workers’ compensation claims handling focuses on enhancing the injured worker’s experience, which in turn can have a tremendous impact on the success of employers’ program results. At the PARMA 46th Conference and Expo, this live “Out Front […]

At the 2019 SAWCA All- Committee Conference, Clarissa Preston and David Benedict from NCCI provided an update on legislative issues around the nation. Federal level TRIA reauthorization is one of the most important issues facing the insurance industry right now. A House Committee has passed a bill to reauthorize TRIA for another 7 years. Hearings […]

At the 2019 SAWCA All-Committee Conference, a panel of representatives from the insurance industry discussed a variety of issues. The speakers were: Steve Nowak – Trean Corp Mark Walls – Safety National Jeff Eggleston – AKERA Jeremy Terry – KEMI Melissa Blatt – Encova Billy Roberts – AMFed Barbara Cullum – Eastern Alliance Andrew Pauley […]

The Southern Association of Workers’ Compensation Administrators (SAWCA) is an organization that provides educational and networking opportunities to both state workers’ compensation regulators and members of the community that they regulate. At the 2019 SAWCA All-Committee Conference, a panel of regulators discussed a variety of issues. The panel was: Frank McKay – Chairman, Georgia State […]

At the 2019 IAIABC Annual Convention, a session discussed the challenges and controversy around the use of the AMA Guidelines to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment. This was a live “Out Front Ideas with Kimberly and Mark” session moderated by Kimberly George from Sedgwick and Mark Walls from Safety National. Their guests were: Abbie Hudgens […]