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Let the Claims Games Begin
The who, what, where and why of the claims sessions at the upcoming Annual National Workers' Compensation and Disability Conference® & Expo Nov. 10-12, which will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Editor's note: Attendees at the 19th Annual National Workers' Comp and Disability ConferenceŽ & Expo can expect plenty of action at the conference sessions as claims remain one of the hottest topics on the agenda. Summaries of the claims sessions are listed below. CLAIMS MANAGEMENT
Who: Darrell Brown, workers' compensation practice lead, Sedgwick CMS, Long Beach, Calif., and Ron Thackery, senior vice president professional services & integration, Emergency Medical Services, Rogers, Ark. When: Wednesday, Nov. 10, 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Session Type: Interactive Why: Healthcare reform, new Medicare reporting requirements, advances in technology and steadily increasing medical costs have changed the landscape of workers' comp claims. These speakers, representing a TPA and an employer, will show you how to identify key cost drivers, better integrate claims resources and achieve faster reporting, plus field your questions throughout the session. You'll walk away with the tools you need to get the best outcomes in the face of the ever-changing workers' comp environment. MEDICARE, HEALTH REFORMS What: External Medical Issues: What You Don't Know Will Cost You Who: Joseph Paduda, principal, Health Strategy Associates, Madison, Conn. When: Wednesday, Nov. 10, 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Session Type: Lecture Why: Healthcare reform and Medicare changes are converging on the workers' comp arena with significant ramifications. Hospital/facility costs take one-third of the workers' comp medical dollar, and pharmacy costs represent 15 percent. Reform gives more Americans access to healthcare, removing an incentive for cost shifting to workers' comp. Medicare physician compensation is slated to drop by 21.5 percent, dramatically impacting fee-schedule states, and a new independent Medicare review board could make cost-containment pilot programs permanent without slogging through Congressional approval. Paduda will highlight the issues, and give you strategies to mitigate and contain costs in light of these new pressures. TEDDY AWARD WINNERS What: Best of the Best: Winners of the 2010 Theodore Roosevelt Workers' Compensation and Disability Management Awards Who: Yolanda Romero, director of workers' compensation, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Philadelphia When: Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2:45 - 4 p.m. Session Type: Interactive Why: The economy has created tough challenges in the workers' compensation and disability fields during the past year. But some companies still manage to rise to the occasion. Find out what makes some workers' comp and disability programs survive and thrive, regardless of the environment. You'll have a chance to hear from, and question, this year's winners of Risk & InsuranceŽ magazine's prestigious awards in this popular interactive session. AN AGING WORKFORCE What: Will You Still Need Me When I'm 64? Workers' Comp for an Aging Workforce Who: Eva LaBonte, risk and benefits analyst, Clean Water Services, Hillsboro, Ore. When: Thursday, Nov. 11, 10:45 a.m. - 12 p.m. Session Type: Lecture Why: The increasing age of the workforce has heightened the severity of workers' comp claims. Find out how to gain control of these claims while retaining the invaluable skills that older employees bring to the table. A claims expert for the past 17 years, LaBonte will show you how to assess the risks that cause injuries to older workers. She'll delve into the American Society of Safety Engineers' recommendations that enable older workers to maximize productivity and reduce injuries. Plus, you'll learn how to conduct a root cause analysis to clarify the compensability of an older worker's injury claim and get strategies to implement effective loss-control tools. COST-CUTTING TIPS What: 60 Cost Containment Tips in 60 Minutes Who: Cynde Bunch, chairwoman, Bunch & Associates, Lakeland, Fla.; Peggy Crook, director, global claims, Hilton Worldwide, New York City; Allison Hanson, senior account executive, The ALARIS Group Inc., Cedarburg, Wis.; Albert Mitsos, Forensic expert, Chicago; Chris Scheldrup, attorney, Sheldrup Blades, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and moderator Matthew B. Schiff, partner, Schiff & Hulbert, Chicago. When: Thursday, Nov. 11, 10:45 a.m. - 12 p.m. Session Type: Lecture Why: Imagine having 60 great ideas at your fingertips to expedite your claims closing process. That's exactly what you'll get in this fast-paced, round-robin session. Join experts in the fields of human resources, vocational rehabilitation, claims management, occupational medicine and workers' compensation law as they outline their best strategies--each within 60 seconds. You'll find it fun, insightful and useful. RETURN TO WORK What: Return to Work: A Case Management Approach to Save You Money Who: Richard Pimentel, senior partner, Milt Wright & Associates, Granada Hills, Calif. When: Thursday, Nov. 11, 1:30 - 2:45 p.m. Session Type: Lecture Why: The roles and responsibilities of claims managers can have a significant cost-saving impact on an employer's workers' comp program. By looking at the claims process and changing your relationships with case managers, medical providers and the injured worker, you can bring about an expedited, effective return to work process. What do you need to do differently and how can you work closely with a case manager to make this happen? Pimentel will provide the answers. EXPEDITE MEDICARE What: Cut Your Costs by Expediting Medical Care Who: Milt Wright, founder and president, Milt Wright & Associates, Granada Hills, Calif. When: Thursday, Nov. 11, 3:30 - 4:45 p.m. Session Type: Discussion Why: The latest thinking among some workers' comp stakeholders is that revving up medical care to injured workers is the best way to help them recover and get back on the job faster. But how do you do that in the face of economic pressures? Wright will help you find new ways to provide better, faster medical care--and actually save money. He'll outline several scenarios involving injured workers, give you time to work with your fellow attendees in small groups, then work with the entire audience to develop cost-saving solutions. THE RED FLAGS What: Red Flags: What They Are and What to Do About Them Who: Julie Sfurm, corporate risk operations manager, Elkay Manufacturing, Oak Brook, Ill. When: Thursday, Nov. 11, 3:30 - 4:45 p.m. Session Type: Interactive Why: When does a claim get to the point of warranting legal intervention? What about nurse case management--what's the deciding factor for bringing in that aspect? Understanding the red flag moments in the life of a claim can save you time, money and frustration. Sfurm, a 20-year workers' comp veteran with experience on the TPA and employer sides, will outline a variety of red flags--and the corrective actions to take before it's too late. MEDICAL LEAVE What: Leave Stacking: Managing Multiple Leave Entitlements Simultaneously Who: Linda D. Southard, president, Work & Well, Inc., Somerville, N.J. When: Friday, Nov. 12, 8:45 - 10 a.m. Session Type: Discussion Why: Workers' comp, short- and long-term disability, family medical leave, state family leave, the ADAAA, occupational, nonoccupational--managing all these types of leave can be hair-raising. Leave stacking is unavoidable. The trick is knowing how to handle multiple leaves simultaneously and avoid the pitfalls. Bringing her nearly 20 years of experience in leave management to the table, Southard will provide an overview of the latest laws and rules, then give you a chance to figure it out. Through a series of scenarios, she'll show you specific strategies to better handle common leave-stacking situations. CONTROLLING CLAIMS What: Controlling Your Workers' Comp Claims Through Acute Injury Management Who: Lisa Wulderk, medical services supervisor/medical case manager, The SRS Group LLC,Mechanicsburg, Pa. When: Friday, Nov. 12, 10:15 - 11:30 a.m. Session Type: Lecture Why: Using a system of early intervention, a patient care coordinator and an acute injury management program, our speaker says you'll be amazed at how quickly you can gain control of your claims. Wulderk will address the state-to-state issues faced in directing care in workers' comp cases and leave you with great handouts to help you start your own program. Whether you're new to workers' comp or a high-level risk manager, you'll learn strategies for immediate cost savings. October 15, 2010 Copyright 2010© LRP Publications |
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