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By CYRIL TUOHY, managing editor of Risk & Insurance®

The economic sages would have you believe the Great Recession is finally over, but for most of us--those of us required to deal with an unemployment rate expected north of 10 percent--that remains to be seen.

If employers are barely eking out a profit, then they will sure want to keep a lid on expenses, and that means keeping employees trim and fit.

Two nationally recognized IDM experts, Carol A. Harnett, chairwoman of the Health and Performance Innovation Institute and co-founder of Friends at Play in Simsbury, Conn., and Edwin Quick, vice president of disability management services at JP Morgan Chase in Chicago, will examine the impact of the current economy on absence management programs on Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Later on Wednesday, from 2:45 p.m. to 4 p.m., Quick will also brief attendees on how they can maintain control over disability management when employers are in the midst of an acquisition, or when employers are going through layoffs.

Quick should know. He led a large integration for his organization as a result of the economic downturn, testing a variety of strategies to keep his disabilities program in check while maintaining the expected service level to the customer--the employees. He'll share what worked, what didn't, and what managers can do when faced with organizational change.

MEASURE THAT SUCCESS

OK, so, you've done everything you can to keep all your employees fit and trim, all of them are lean machines, ready to work 12 hours a day and work out the other 12. But still, the mean (and even leaner) chief financial officer insists on wielding the hatchet and could well swing it your way. Could it be time for you to go?

Here's where you can learn to demonstrate your worth to an employer or to a client. Here's when knowing how to measure the outcomes of your disability management program against your activities can make all the difference.

Focusing on disability management, speakers Denise Gillen-Algire, practice leader of integrated health and productivity management at Risk Navigation Group in Albuquerque, N.M., and Alan Turnipseed, senior consultant with Naperville, Ill.-based Risk Navigation Group, will show you why a performance measurement system is vital. Their session will take place on Thursday, Nov. 19, from 8:45 a.m. to 10 a.m.

During it, they will also identify the key elements of a successful performance measurement system and dissect the claim life cycle to isolate key performance impact points. Attendees will learn how to benchmark workers' comp claims and track them to improve overall performance.

In case one strategy isn't enough, attendees will have (at least) another 60 to choose from, courtesy of the panelists invited to a session titled "60 Workers' Comp Tips in 60 Minutes."

Panelists will divulge the top strategies used by the nation's leading workers' comp experts in the areas of medical, legal, claims, safety and return-to-work. It's a fast-paced, nothing-but-the-tips session moderated by workers' comp attorney and broker Mark Noonan.

Panelists for this session--held on Thursday, Nov. 19, from 1:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.--include: Dr. David Cooper, director of orthopedic surgery, The Knee Center, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.; Jill Dulich, senior director, Marriott Claims Services, Western Region, Santa Ana, Calif.; Matthew B. Schiff, partner, Schiff & Hulbert, Chicago; Daniel J. Sulzner, loss prevention consultant, Midwest Employers Casualty Company, Chesterfield, Mo.; and Linda Yoxtheimer, assistant director, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, Philadelphia

MILT'S BACK

What would a workers' comp conference be without Milt Wright, founder of Milt Wright & Associates, in Granada Hills, Calif. Back by popular demand, as he usually is, Wright will lead a roundtable discussion on the biggest challenges to integrating your workers' comp and disability programs.

Workers' comp professionals are expected to brainstorm about every obstacle they have faced or could face. This session, to be held Nov. 19 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., will give attendees the latitude to decide the issues they want to discuss and have an opportunity to interact and generate solutions.

WELLNESS ROI

And finally, on Friday, Nov. 20, from 10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Don R. Powell, president and CEO of the American Institute for Preventive Medicine in Farmington Hills, Mich., will reveal the latest research on the kinds of return on investment generated by wellness programs.

As he knows--and you will too, if you attend--return on investment on such programs can vary widely. This is where attendees can find out what options are available, based on their company's needs.

Powell will reveal the ingredients necessary to build a successful wellness program, including how to maximize employee participation, how to address low- and high-risk employees, the implications of the psychosocial and legal issues surrounding wellness programs and how to evaluate the effectiveness of worksite wellness programs for best results.

Research, after all, does show that wellness programs dramatically cut healthcare costs and absenteeism. Many companies are beginning to extend the concept to workers' comp and disability expenses.

October 15, 2009

Copyright 2009© LRP Publications