Which, I suppose, is why it's a two day affair...
I plan on learning something new about how fee schedules affect behavior, about why outcomes differ across state lines, about opt-out and why, or why not, it's misunderstood, about the new trend of "shared economy" and its threats or promises, among other things.
I'm encouraged by the Alliance of Women in Workers' Compensation (a part of Women Executives in Workers' Compensation) timely meeting the day before the conference, taking to task the industry's dispute-based claims model and to demonstrate how an advocacy-based administration model not only produces superior results, but lowers claims costs and represents a solid business model.
But mostly, I'm inspired by the hundreds of professionals that have in mind the health of the workers' compensation institution and what it means to the overall economy.
This is what I'm reading in the general business news media: the world economy is suffering; the United States economy is generally healthy, but perhaps not healthy enough to pull the rest of the world up; and American manufacturing is seeing a resurgence, but without the attendant labor increase as in the past because of advanced automation.
Oh, and the political parties have sunk to new, all time lows, in presidential campaigning - perhaps reflecting the angst the electorate feels with do-nothing elected officials more concerned with re-election than running a government.
Workers' compensation in the modern economy may seem less relevant because there are fewer people who stand the chance of getting hurt on the job. And that's troublesome because workers' compensation has historically had very little relevancy to anyone, either working or employing, until something bad happens at work - then there's plenty of blame to go around even though work comp is allegedly a "no fault" program.
Those that do get hurt on the job face worse prospects than ever with decreasing (relative to inflation) wage replacement, increased scrutiny of medical care, and lower expectations than ever that there is stability in the work place, let alone compassion in work comp.
How do we, as an industry, steer the ship from the focus on cost and expenses to compassion and caring?
How do we reward professionals for doing the right thing in the face of innumerable obstacles?
How do we incentivize workers' compensation vendors to look beyond the next quarter's financials and make long term rewarding plans that benefit the institution, not just Wall Street?
Mostly, how do we protect the primary stakeholders, employers and their workers, so neither is left "holding the bag" after the table cloth has been pulled from the negotiating table?
There are certainly plenty of details to attend to in the field of workers' compensation, and plenty to learn.
As a child, every day I came home from school Mom would ask what I learned. My head would be so full and ready to explode that it was overwhelming, "nothing." I simply couldn't answer!
As I grew older I developed a skill for distilling complex ideas down to basics. For instance, in law school there are rules, then there are exceptions to the rules, and then you are taught the exceptions to the exceptions.
I quickly realized that the exceptions to the exceptions were simply the basic rule restated. So I never learned those double exceptions - that was just unnecessary noise.
Work comp is no different - when we learn to go back to basics the institution of work comp makes incredible sense, and is likewise sensical in its administration; back to basics...
I think that's the overall WCRI theme: Understanding Today to Prepare for Tomorrow.
It's also the basis of AWIWC's pre-conference: Creating an Advocacy Based Claims Model.
Just go back to the basics that were established over 100 years ago and everything makes perfect sense.
Bucky Fuller says:
ReplyDelete"YOU NEVER CHANGE THINGS BY FIGHTING THE EXISTING REALITY. TO CHANGE SOMETHING, BUILD A NEW MODEL THAT MAKES THE EXISTING MODEL OBSOLETE."
David-- Could you organize a mini-summit of all the award winners of the CompLaude Awards of the past 4 years? Make it an online summit, with a monthly mastermind teleconference, and get them sharing and talking and exploring solutions. KEEP IT PUBLIC! MAKE THAT COMPLAUDE AWARD COUNT TOWARD SAVING LIVES! :D If they aren't all blogging yet, have a contest within that group for the best blogs.
I think the biggest lesson the industry may be learning is that the internet levels the playing field, and the 'secrets' are getting out. There are 'no secrets' about the harsh and horrible realities of WorkComp.
The unsuspecting public and newbies to WorkComp are the only ones shocked by the horrors. I have yet to talk with a doctor or lawyer or judge or politician that does not appear to have a clear and accurate grasp of the horrors and torture Injured Workers face in America.
The more injured workers contact me with tales, and cries that they have NO PLACE TO TURN FOR HELP, the more horrified and outraged I become.
What ProPublica/NPR started, let's hope and pray good people in the industry will take to the limits. If they won't, let's hope enough DA's and the DOJ, with FBI help will, immediately.
This alleged upcoming 'secret tribunal' being called a'national discussion' on top of the many fancy conferences that already take place sounds quite dubious, too.
There has to be a way that WorkCompsters can make a decent profit without maiming and killing innocent and disabled people.
If it cannot be found, I think assets could be frozen and receivership type activities mandated to free current prisoners of WorkComp, and assets to remain frozen until a safe program can be established, even if it means complete abolition of all existing legislations.
Well, the existing model is dangerous AND obsolete. Send in the demolition crews, excavate, rid it of vermin and let's save some lives in America, shall we? If there's no consensus in that direction, then perhaps Nuremberg type trials are the only hope for the Working Class in the 21st Century.
You might tell the people at every conference you attend this year that the failure to allow members of the public and particularly members of the injured community makes them all highly suspicious as the Public learns more of the profiteering and conferences and free-for-alls 'all because somebody got hurt at work."
East Coast is having some serious nuclear reactor events; limit your outdoor time! #DodgeTheRads
Best regards,
Linda and Friends