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Assessing experience ratings is about to change in most states. Contrary to what many employers believe, they can control their premiums by controlling their experience modifications, according to a veteran experience rating analyst.

"Twenty percent of claims cause 80 percent of pain," says Robert Aurbach. "These are people who, for no physical reason, have fallen into this morass of disability behavior and become a disabled person to themselves and deal with the world that way. It becomes a habit of mind and behavior that is incredibly hard to fix once it is established."

Kathryn Caverly curious about how economic factors impact the ways workers' comp practitioners and state regulators view workers' comp.

How well are your employees sleeping? Employers seeking to reduce their workers' comp costs may want to find out.

Early detection, communication with medical providers, and establishing an exit strategy are key to helping injured workers avoid opioid abuse. A workers' comp insurer has developed a unique program that has already generated successful results.

Christine Baker, who was appointed the director of the California Department of Industrial Relations, discusses issues within the system.

Drug costs trended lower for many workers' comp payers in 2010. Nevertheless, executives from insurance and third-party administrators have more to say about challenges in workers' comp pharmacy management than they have in the eight years that a prescription drug management survey has been conducted.

Since case management involves injured workers, it makes sense to include the employee in the process, right? That's part of the strategy behind a disability management program that's seeing the majority of injured workers return to employment.

Experts in the workers' comp system share their views on developments in the past year and their thoughts and predictions for the current year.

Gillen-Algire says concerns over future liabilities are "what keep most insurance companies and payers awake at night."

Rich has witnessed the changes brought about by legislative and cultural changes.

Eichler believes increased communication between regulators and stakeholders is sorely needed to develop effective solutions.

Venditti believes employers and insurers would do themselves a favor by gaining an understanding of psychosocial issues affecting workers' comp claims.

Conference planners are already at work developing the program for the 2012 National Workers' Compensation and Disability ConferenceŽ & Expo. As potential speakers submit requests for proposals, these are several of the new members of the Advisory Board.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders may be costing health care employees a bundle in lost productivity, a new study concludes. Interventions to prevent or help workers better manage MSDs may help save money in increased presenteeism.