Meetings

Previous Meeting Topics

Examples of Educational Topics Presented by Speakers and Panels of Experts at Recent VSIA Meetings

  • Predictive Analytics – What Are They and Can They Really Reduce Claim Costs and Improve Claim Outcomes: Can Technology Help Drive Better Claims Outcomes; Where Does the Information Come From to Do This; How Can a Program Like This Be Set Up and is it Time Consuming; and Limitations/ Cautionary Comments
  • Is Your Medical Bill Review Program (MBR) Working Well For You? How Well Are Your PPO Networks Integrated into MBR? What Does a High Performing MBR Program Look Like? Do You Know the Differences Or Limitations Between MBR in a Medical Fee Schedule State v. States Without a Fee Schedule? What Limitations Are There When Outsourcing or Insourcing MBR? How Does a MBR Company Integrate PPO Networks and Maximize Medical Cost Savings? If 90% Of All Medical Bills Paid for Workers’ Compensation Within VA Are in Network, Why Are Our Medical Costs So High? What Can Be Done By MBR Companies to Help Manage These Costs? What Savings Can One Expect From Doing MBR?
  • Texas and Oklahoma Opt Out Coverage: What is it? How Does it Work? What Implications, if Any, Could This Have for Virginia Employers? Learn How These Two States’ Opt Out Systems Differ; Where Else is the Employers’ Coalition Supporting Opt Out Legislation (TN and What Other Eastern/Southern States This Coming Year)? While Conceptually Interesting, Does Opt Out Coverage Undermine Teddy Roosevelt’s Vision of Protecting the Workforce and Eliminating Conflict and Blame Between Employers and Employees? How Does Labor View Opt Out Coverage? What Impact Does it Have to Employers’ Costs For Workers’ Compensation?
  • Resolving Virginia Workers’ Compensation Claims Through Mediation: When, Why and How; the Mediator’s Expectations; Strategy; Preparation; and Evaluating The Results
  • Where Workers’ Compensation Medical Costs Currently Stand in Virginia and a Review of the Requirements of HB 1820 (2015) and the Databases of Workers’ Compensation or Healthcare Data That Could Be Used to Determine What a Virginia Employers’ Pecuniary Liability Should Be for Medical Services Rendered to a Claimant: How Workers’ Compensation Medical Costs Currently Being Paid By Virginia Employers Compare with the Costs Being Paid for the Same Services (i) Under Healthcare and (ii) By Employers in Other States; The Commission’s Responsibilities Under HB 1820 (2015); What Are the Databases Used By Other States and What is Happening in Those States; and What Are the Available Databases That Exist in Virginia and How do They Compare to the Databases Used in Other States
  • An Update on Medicare Secondary Payer Issues –What Has Changed in the Last Two Years? CMS Points of Emphasis; New Regulations; and Tips to Improve Your Outcomes
  • Recent Legal and Procedural Developments That are Tilting the Playing Field
  • What “Best in Class” Organizations do to Keep Their Employees Safe in 2014 and Looking Forward
  • Why and How Employers Should Consider Implementing Safety Programs That Address an Aging Population, Injury Prevention, Ergonomics, and Wellness for Their Workforce
  • Reducing Organizational Costs Through an Integrated or Coordinated Disability Program: Is it Worth the Effort? What the Numbers Show; Considerations; Tips; and One Employer’s Experiences Designing, Implementing and Maintaining the Program
  • WCRI’s Latest Research on Workers’ Compensation Medical Costs in Virginia / What’s Happening in Other States?
  • Dealing With HB 1083’s (2014) Prompt Pay, Statute of Limitations, and Other Provisions: What the Legislation Does and Doesn’t do; Potential Impacts on the Employer and Medical Communities and the Commission; and How to Minimize Problems That Could Result from This Legislation
  • Using Existing “Tools” Like the Panel of Physicians to Deal With the Prevailing Community Rate (PCR) Standard and Other Emerging Medical Issues Under Virginia’s Workers’ Compensation Act: What is the PCR and How is it Determined? At What Cost? What Are the Existing “Tools” That Can Be Used? How and Why is the Medical Field Changing? What Other Issues may This Create for Employers? and Are New “Tools” Needed and if so, What Are They/
  • Recent Workers’ Compensation Cases of Interest
  • How Virginia Compares: Medical Costs and Worker Outcomes
  • Fraud in the Workers’ Compensation System: a National Perspective; the Problem in Virginia; How to Recognize it; What to do When You See or Suspect it; How to Prevent it; System Issues
  • Compound Drugs: What They Are? Where They Come From? Their Impact on the Workers’ Compensation System; Potential Problems; Oversight and Regulation
  • Virginia Workers’ Compensation Medical Costs: Why These Costs Are Still Rising; the 2013 Legislation; Where Things Stand Legislatively; Current and Future Concerns; and Why Employers Need to Make Their Voices Heard Now
  • Important Legislative and Legal Developments Relating to Medicare Secondary Payer Issues That Impact Workers’ Compensation Claims Administration: the Requirements of The 2013 Smart Act and Anticipated Regulations; Other Potential Federal Legislation; Case Law Implications; and Tips on How Your Organization Can Best Prepare for and Address The Issues That Arise
  • The Commission’s Upcoming Emphasis on Mediation: an Advanced Primer on When, Why and How to Effectively Mediate Issues at the Commission
  • Getting State-Of-The-Art Claims Administration in Virginia: The Issues Involved; Where the Focus Should Be; An Analysis Of TPA Performance and Selection; the Use of Benchmarks; and Employer Expectations and Challenges.
  • Current and Potential Issues Relating to Pharmaceutical Usage in Workers’ Compensation Systems: Recent Research; Costs; Repackaging By Physicians; Opiod Addiction and Resulting Issues; the Implications for Virginia’s System; and How a 3rd Party Can Assist Employers Deal With Pharmaceutical Issues
  • WCRI’s Study of Medical Costs in Virginia’s Workers’ Compensation System
  • A Frank Discussion of Stakeholder Concerns Relating to Medical Costs in Virginia’s Workers’ Compensation System
  • Part III -- Preparing Your Organization to Address Workers’ Compensation Issues in 2012: Preparing for and Handling the Difficult Case in Virginia
  • Part II -- Preparing Your Organization to Address Workers’ Compensation Issues in 2011: Investigating, Administering and Litigating Workers’ Compensation Claims Within Today’s System
  • Part II -- Preparing Your Organization to Address Workers’ Compensation Issues in 2011: Dealing With Medical Cost Containment Challenges in Virginia
  • Part I -- How to Best Prepare Your Organization to Address Workers’ Compensation Issues That Arise in 2011: Designing/Re-Designing Your Self-Insured/Insured Workers’ Compensation Program
  • Part I (Continued) -- How to Best Prepare Your Organization to Address Workers’ Compensation Issues That Arise in 2011: Choosing Your Employees and Keeping Them Healthy
  • Part I (Continued) -- How to Best Prepare Your Organization to Address Workers’ Compensation Issues That Arise in 2011: Designing, Implementing and Maintaining an Effective Safety Program
  • Comments From the Commissioners on Various Topics: Common Mistakes Made By Adjustors in Navigating Through Commission Claims Procedures; the Current Status of Commission Programs to Expedite, Simplify, and Streamline Claims Processing; an Explanation of Commission Strategies to Identify Uninsured Employers and the Success of Those Strategies; an Explanation of Commission Strategies to Enforce Employer, TPA and Carrier Compliance With the Act’s Requirements; and an Explanation Of Commission Education and Outreach Efforts Aimed at the Employer, TPA and Carrier
  • A Presentation of Detailed Information Regarding the Medical Issues That Arose During the 2010 Session of the Virginia General Assembly
  • Important Workers’ Compensation Issues/Trends Across the Country, What Those Issues/Trends may Mean for Virginia, and WCRI’s Upcoming Study of the Virginia Workers’ Compensation System
  • An Advanced Discussion of Return-To-Work Issues in Virginia With Legal, Medical, Employer, Third Party Administrator, and Voc Rehab Provider Perspectives
  • Defending Comp Claims in Virginia in 2010 – How Recent Changes Can Impact Your Workers’ Compensation Strategies: Changes to Rules 1.1 & 1.2 - Docketing Cases Without Medicals; Time Compression / Speed Of Claims Administration; 20 Day Orders; Webfile; Technology Changes for Litigated Claims and the Pilot Project for Attorneys; and Case Law
  • Investigating Workers’ Compensation Claims in 2010: Using New Technologies, the Internet, and Social Websites; and Making Sure the Information Obtained is Admissible
  • Updates From the Commission on Handling Claims and Adjudicating Cases in an EDI/Paperless Environment: How This Will Affect Your Day-To-Day Claims Handling and Litigation of Issues Before the Commission; Issues and Problems Which Have Been Identified By the Commission; Steps the Commission is Taking to Address Identified Problems Together With Solutions, Tips and Workarounds; and Steps You Can Take to Enhance the Process and Minimize Adverse Impacts on Claims Handling and Litigation Including the Status of Commission’s Efforts in Response to the Senate Committee’s Request for Recommendations on Handling Medical Cost Issues
  • A Panel Doctor’s Views on Key Workers’ Compensation Issues: How Best to Resolve Comp Cases for Employers and Employees; What Doctors Want and Need to Hear From Employers; Working Under Tennessee’s Fee Schedule Versus Virginia’s Community Rate Standard; and Billing: Bundling and Physician Assistant Charges
  • A Brief Update on Medicare Reporting
  • Medicare: What Happens After You Report? / What Are the Potential Ramifications? / What Are Your Defenses?
  • EDI & Medicare: Back to The New Basics in Workers’ Compensation: Part I – Receiving, Reporting & Investigating the Claim; Part II – Managing & Litigating the Claim