SAWCA ACC 2015

2015 SAWCA All Committee Conference

Nov 17-20, 2015           The Greenbrier             White Sulphur Springs, WV

Tuesday, November 17

Executive Committee Meeting 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.                                                 Hayes Room

Executive Committee Reception & Dinner 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.             Crystal Room

(By Invitation Only)        Sponsored By NCCI

Wednesday, November 18

7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast                                                           Eisenhower Foyer     Sponsored By: ISO

8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Registration                                                                               Eisenhower Foyer                                                      

9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. General Session                                                                       Eisenhower AB

            How Long Does the Honeymoon Last?

A panel discussion of challenges that administrators face when new to leadership in state agencies regulating workers’ compensation.   

            Moderator: Abbie Hudgens, Tennessee

Panelists:

Beth Aldridge, Mississippi

Robert Gilliland, Oklahoma

Tom Hebson, Safety National           

Frank McKay, Georgia

10:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.          Morning Refreshment Break                                   Eisenhower Foyer

                                                Sponsored By: Concentra

10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. General Session - Special Committee Report From MIS     Eisenhower AB

The Technological “Re-Tooling” Of State Workers’ Compensation Systems

An in-depth discussion of real world issues that arise as state workers’ compensation systems initiate whole-system upgrades to meet the increasing demands of a growing system while striving to maintain acceptable levels of service for all stakeholders.

Moderator:      Larry White, Louisiana

Panelists:

Delece Brooks, Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation

Fran Davis, Kentucky Department of Workers’ Claims

Roger Williams, Virginia WCC

Matt Bryant, WorkCompStrategies

Christine Dicken, Business Process Lead, SLI Global Solutions

12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.                       Lunch on Your Own

1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.               Committee Breakouts  

                                    (All Attendees Invited / Encouraged To Participate In The Committee Meetings)

Self Insurance & Insurance Committee                                                      Eisenhower B Public Entity Market Issues – Special Guest Scott Richbourg, Build America Mutual

A discussion highlighting the evaluation process for Public Entity financials along with guidelines on approaching incremental suggestions and solutions to current regulations. 

Securing Adequate Security Once The SI Employer Begins Experiencing Difficulties

The best time is during the “honeymoon”…when the employer first becomes self-insured…but often that is not possible…so by the time the need for full security arises the opportunity has disappeared…What is a regulator to do?

Adjudication Committee Combined With                                                  Eisenhower C

Administration & Procedure Committee

An interactive discussion of the interplay between stakeholders and the workers’ compensation system

To address that broad topic we will focus on the relationship between the agencies and the stakeholders from the prospective of the state agencies as well as from all of the stakeholders.            

Moderator:      C. Wade McGuffey, Jr., Esq.

                        Goodman McGuffey Lindsey & Johnson, LLP

Panelists:

Connie Chandler, UPS

Brandi Garrity, Summit Holdings

Roger Williams, Virginia

Elizabeth Gobeil, Georgia

2:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.             Afternoon Refreshment Break                                Eisenhower Foyer

                                                Sponsored By: Trean Corp.

5:00 p.m.        “Bunker” Tours, With The Greenbrier’s Historian Available For Questions

Departing From The Trellis Lobby / Ending at the Culinary Arts Center

6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.     President’s Reception, in the “Bunker”              Culinary Arts Center

                Sponsored By:  HealthSmart Casualty Claims Solutions, American Mining Insurance Group

                WCI – Workers’ Compensation Institute, NeuroInternational, Equian, U.S. HealthWorks & CapTech

Thursday, November 19

7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast                                                           Eisenhower Foyer

                                    Sponsored By: ISO

8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Registration                                                             Eisenhower Foyer

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. General Session                                                                    Eisenhower AB

                                    Hosted by the Claims Administration Committee

This will be a discussion of apportionment (and contribution), an issue that is arising in various states. The statutory parameters are defining what payments must be made to or for recovering workers. This leads to disagreements between multiple employer/carriers, and may impact the worker.

10:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.                      Morning Refreshment Break                       Eisenhower Foyer

                                                            Sponsored By: Concentra

               

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.                       Convention Lunch                                        Cameo Room

Keynote Luncheon Speaker:           Mitch Barnhart, Athletics Director, University of Kentucky

                                                            Sponsored By: Helios

1:15 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.                         General Session Panel Discussion:               Eisenhower AB        

            Paul Sighinolfi moderates a panel discussion focused on the recent Supreme Court decision from Pennsylvania… Protz v. Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board (Derry Area School District) regarding the constitutionality of the most recent AMA Guides with potential national implications for workers’ compensation.

            Panelists:

                        William Taylor, PA Compensation Rating Bureau

                        Vince Quatrini, Managing Partner, Quatrini Rafferty, P.C.

                        Ken Eichler, ODG WorkLossData Institute

                        Karl Aumann, Chair, Maryland WCC

2:15 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.             Afternoon Refreshment Break                                Eisenhower Foyer

                                                Sponsored By: Trean Corp.

2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.                         Keynote Presentation                                    Eisenhower AB

                                    Guest Speaker:  Albert J. Osbahr, III, MD

                        Albert J. Osbahr, III, MD, is a Member of the Board of Trustees with the American Medical Association and the current medical director of occupational health services at Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory, N.C., a position he has held since 2004. Previously he served as occupational health director for 14 years at Haywood Regional Medical Center in Clyde, N.C. He is a past president of the North Carolina Medical Society (2008–2009) and a past member of its Industrial Commission Liaison Committee and Hospital Medical Staff Committee.

(Presented by the Medical Rehabilitation Committee…Lucretia Johnson, Chair / Betty Reid, Vice-Chair)

3:45 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.             Medical Rehabilitation Committee              Eisenhower C       

A Continuation of the Medical Discussion From the Preceding General Session, including an open dialogue with experts Pat Merrill, Health Management Resources and Rosalie Faris, OMCA regarding the lack of qualified specialty physicians available and willing to evaluate injured workers and suggestions on how to recruit them.

8:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.           Coffee Cordials & Confections        Victorian Writing Room &                                      Sponsored By: UBS Financial Services                              Lobby Bar

                                                           

Friday, November 20

8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.              Friday’s “Farewell” Grits Breakfast           Eisenhower AB

                                                            Sponsored By: ISO

9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. General Session                                                         Eisenhower AB

Judicial Update… Robert L. Swisher, Chief Administrative Law Judge for Commonwealth of Kentucky will discuss a recent KY Supreme Court decision that has implications for a significant change / extension of the statute of limitations on both injuries and occupational diseases.

9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.            General Session                                             Eisenhower AB

Things that make me go Hmmm? With Bob Wilson, WorkersCompensation.com

Workers’ compensation corporate humorist Bob Wilson conducts his version of a “show cause hearing” when our panel of distinguished regulators and an industry professional takes the stand and responds to those subjects that have caused Bob to go “Hmmm.” This will be a free-flowing discussion with audience participation welcomed and expected.

            Panelists:

                        Frank McKay, Chairman, Georgia

            Dwight Lovan, Commissioner, Kentucky

            Rachel Bayless, General Counsel, New Mexico

            Tom Glasson, State Relations Officer, AIG

10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.          Final Wrap Up and Adjournment              Eisenhower AB