Work Comp 'On the Strip:' NWCDC Comes to Las Vegas Next Week

Las Vegas, NV (WorkersCompensation.com) – Las Vegas will be about more than gambling and taking a vacation next week, as the National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Conference will take place Wednesday, Dec. 5 and continue through Friday, Dec. 7 at the Mandalay Bay Resort.

There are so many things to look forward to this year, according to Denise Algire; Risk Initiatives and National Medical Director for Albertsons Companies. She also co-chairs the conference with William Wainscott; Manager of Workers’ Compensation and Occupational Health for International Paper.

“We are bringing in a keynote who is an outstanding leader, three-time Olympic gold medal winner gymnast Shannon Miller,” Algire told WorkersCompensation.com. “Her message of strength and perseverance, along with her support in women’s health and health in general, is going to kick us off this year,” she said, also noting the importance of replacing the term “injured worker” with “employee” or “worker.” 

Her personal focus, along with a growing number of people joining her, is to be keenly aware of the words we use — focusing on employees and workers, not labeling them as "injured or disabled" which is applicable with the conference coming up. “Let’s focus on abilities — the fact the worker can lift up to ten pounds, NOT the terminology of ‘can’t lift,’ etc.,” she said. “Words matter to workers.”

Miller will speak on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. in South Pacific C.

Algire spoke of an almost-welcome challenge while discussing the selection process for speakers. With more than 200 RFP’s (Requests for Proposals), the selection team has to narrow it down to what will be the most relevant to industry stakeholders: physicians, other healthcare professionals, risk managers, claims professionals, TPA’s (Third-Party Administrators), insurance carriers, employers, attorneys, etc.

She also talked about the highly-anticipated pre-conference session with Paul Braun, Managing Director of Aon, and Monica Manske, Senior Manager of Work Comp (Safety and Ergonomics) at Rochester Regional Health as a newer element she is looking forward to. It will commence on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., in Islander B-C. “Some people have inherited work comp-related responsibilities (ie CFO’s, etc.), and this session will help newer attendees learn about different tracks and perspectives on what they should attend,” Algire said. 

She also mentioned a session that will take a different look at workplace violence. The active threat session on Wednesday at 11 a.m. in South Pacific D, will help cover a topic that hasn’t been addressed to this level of specificity. Retailers, employers, carriers, and the employees themselves face this sort of thing more frequently than we know, and there is a training deficit on how to de-escalate in a similar situation, she said. 

“…This year’s conference has a strong dose of employers who have adopted injured-worker engagement and advocacy strategies,” said Roberto Ceniceros, Conference Chair and Senior Editor at Risk and Insurance. “The industry has discussed these topics more in the last few years and we have had employers explain how they were moving forward with advocacy practices. But this year we have several who now have positive outcomes they will be sharing.”

Ceniceros is looking forward to the “Steal These Ideas! Teddy Award-Winning Employers Showcase Their Successful Strategies” session scheduled to take place Thursday at 8:30 a.m. in Islander F-H.

“Glean tangible practices and proven strategies from risk managers and safety professionals operating some of the nation’s most successful programs in this roundtable discussion featuring winners of the 2018 Risk & Insurance Teddy Award,” according to NWCDC’s website.

Starbucks and Main Line Health will be represented, two employers that have utilized different advocacy strategies and reduced litigation with more improved outcomes, Ceniceros said.

On the Horizon: Policymaker Perspectives

• Wednesday (11 a.m.), Islander D-E
• Abbie Hudgens; Administrator, TN Bureau of Workers’ Compensation
• Frank McKay; Chairman, GA State Board of Workers’ Compensation
• Jennifer Wolf Horejsh; Executive Director, International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC)

On the Legal/Regulatory Issues track, these speakers plan to talk about trends and policies that not only have hit work comp industry stakeholders across the US, but also elements that could potentially make their mark in 2019-forward.

Wolf Horejsh said the session will focus on admin and regulatory changes that have/will have an influence in our work comp processes across the U.S.

Hudgens, who will be a first time NWCDC attendee, said the panelists have a lot to talk about, including the Gig Economy, bills related to presumptions, telemedicine (and the appropriate use of it), air ambulances, AI/robotic influences, federal government involvement, AMA guidelines, impairment ratings, and more. The 75 minutes will be chock-full of panelist discussions, but also audience questions.

“A big part of the session will be hearing what people are curious about and what affects them in all these different jurisdictions,” she said.

The term “Fragile Balance,” referenced by NCCI president and CEO Bill Donnell at a recent AIS conference, is important to Hudgens while considering the Grand Bargain. “It is important to work to strike that balance,” she said, and covering what is important to attendees will help in trying to improve the work comp system. 

Wolf Horejsh, who said “NWCDC is the most significant industry conference” because of its attendees, told WorkersCompensation.com this session and the perspectives it brings “…is important for the industry because it helps explain decisions. Inviting regulators also creates valuable opportunities for dialogue to identify issues that can and should be addressed.” 

Marijuana, Workers’ Compensation and Disability: What’s the Science and the Law?

• Wednesday (2:30 p.m.), Islander F-H
• Stuart Colburn; Shareholder, Downs Stanford
• Marcos Iglesias; SVP, Chief Medical Officer, Broadspire

With marijuana becoming an increasingly popular topic of conversation in the recreational, medical, and now work comp worlds, it’s time to talk about the science behind it and some of its legal ramifications.

As marijuana use becomes more and more prevalent in the U.S., Iglesias said we still don’t know enough about it. “…A recent article summarized one of my concerns succinctly: Americans’ view of marijuana is rosy…and unscientific. We would like to discuss what we know — and don’t know — about marijuana so that we are better poised to make intelligent decisions about its possible use in work injuries as well as its potential effects in the workplace.”

Iglesias said he looks forward to attending NWCDC every year, as building connections and networking with industry members is a big highlight for him. Of his session, he said, “…I would like to present a primer that serves as a springboard for our industry’s professionals to educate themselves about this important topic.”

Avoiding Unintended Consequences, Obtaining Desired Litigation and Legislation Results

• Thursday (10:45 a.m.), Islander D-E 
• Jonathan Barrish; Capital Partner, Litchfield Cavo, LLP
• Mark Walls; Vice President Communications and Strategic Analysis, Safety National
• Kym Knoll; Director of Safety, Risk and Disability Management, Apria Healthcare

Barrish, Walls and Knoll will take a look at changes in law/legislation, and what can of come it… sometimes intended, and sometimes unintended.

Walls said a lot of the time, claims handling takes place within “a bubble,” and with not enough focus on the bigger picture.

“…We will talk about claims where the litigation result had a big negative impact that was unforeseen by those making the decisions on the claim. We will also talk about legislation designed to fix one problem that ended up creating another one,” Walls told WorkersCompensation.com via email. “Our goal with this session is to make people stop and think when litigating or working on legislation so that unintended consequences can be avoided.”

The Opioid Epidemic — Who’s at Fault and How to Mitigate Liability

• Thursday (1:45 p.m.), South Pacific F
• Denise Algire; Risk Initiatives and National Medical Director, Albertsons Companies
• Joseph Paduda; President, CompPharma LLC

This session, playing a part on the Program Management track, is designed to engage attendees about opioid reduction practices, discussing opioid-related liability exposures in work comp payers/industry exposures, and preparing policies for injured workers involved with opioid use.

“There have been a lot of sessions on opioids, but this will focus more on the finger-pointing and how to mitigate liabilities involved with opioid use and misuse,” Algire said. “How did this start? Who is culpable, and who isn’t? Let’s talk actionable terms in what employers can do to mitigate cases they currently have, and the perspectives of different work comp stakeholders.”

Paduda said the pair will speak on a subject they are both passionate about. “We are well into the depths of the opioid crisis, and the cost to payers and patients is becoming more frightening by the day. We need to stop things from getting worse, and figure out how we are going to pay for the damage caused by the opioid industry and it’s accomplices.”

Controlling the Tail: New Tricks for Managing and Closing Old-Dog Claims

• Thursday (1:45 p.m.), Islander F-H
• Kevin Confetti; Deputy Chief Risk Officer, University of California
• Mark Walls; Vice President Communications and Strategic Analysis, Safety National
• Jennifer Saddy; Managing Director, Absence Management, American Airlines 

Ever heard the saying, “Can’t teach an old dog new tricks?” Closing old-dog claims with those “long tails” takes a specific set of strategies and skills. But the end results can decrease costs and “collateral needs.”

All three speakers are very well-versed in these sorts of claims, Walls said. “…Attendees will walk away with strategies they can use to get those stubborn claims closed, or at least under control.”

Turning the Churn: A Vision for Workers’ Recovery

• Thursday (4:15 p.m.), Islander B-C
• Robert Wilson; President and CEO, WorkersCompensation.com

Sometimes words are stronger than actions, especially when it pertains to an injured worker’s recovery after an accident on the job. Wilson said this session will focus on improving communications and outcomes for injured workers in the work comp claims process.

“…Changing the language we use and understanding the viewpoint of the injured worker will help us reduce the needless ‘churn; that often results in additional activity that produces no meaningful effect. Instead of 'workers' compensation,' let's call it 'workers' recovery' and focus on not only getting the employee back to work, but also surrounding them with a sense of community involving providers and stakeholders alike (insurance/claims professionals), etc.” he said.

60 Tips in 60 Minutes — Cost-Conscious Program Improvements (aka How to Get Better Without Spending a Lot)

• Friday (8:30 a.m.), Islander F-H
• Barry D. Bloom; Principal, The bdb Group
• Jill Dulich; Claims and Operations Manager, California Self-Insurers' Security Fund
• Bill Wainscott; Manager, Occ. Health and Occupational Care and Recovery, International Paper
• Stuart Colburn; Shareholder, Downs Stanford
• Suzy Braden; Workers' Compensation Claims Manager, Encompass Health
• Barbara Schultz; Former Director of Employee Health and Wellness, Valley Health System
• Robert Wilson; President and CEO, WorkersCompensation.com

Start your last conference day with input from seven industry experts, all within an hour. The panelists will talk shop about quality vs. quantity in the work comp claims process.

These panelists “…will share lessons they learned over the years about driving program-performance improvements with low-cost practices. They will share their ideas in a lively, fast-paced format that is always a hit with NWCDC attendees,” according to NWCDC’s website.

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