2008 Agenda 

Monday, September 8, 2008
7:30 am	8:30 am	Continental Breakfast
7:30 am	8:30 am	Master Class and Conference Registration
8:30 am	9:50 am	Choose 1 of 2 Master Classes
		Master Class #1:  Workers' Comp 101: Taking a Look at the Indiana Workers' Comp System from A to Z (H8832003)
		Master Class #2:  A Medical Perspective on Treating Back Injuries: Preventing Minor Back Injuries from Becoming a Major Pain (H8832004)
10:20 am	11:30 am	Choose 1 of 2 Master Classes
		Master Class #3:  Reducing the Risks in the Employment Law and Workers' Comp Overlap: FMLA Update for Indiana Employers (H8832006)
		Master Class #4:  Impairment Ratings and the New AMA Guidelines (H8832007)
11:00 am	12:30 pm	Conference Registration and Networking Lunch in Exhibit Hall
12:30 pm	12:45 pm	Opening Remarks from the Chairs
12:45 pm	2:00 pm	KEYNOTE SESSION Update on the Indiana Workers' Compensation Board and Emerging Trends in Workers' Comp
2:00 pm	3:00 pm	You Be the Judge:  Examining the Latest Workers' Comp Case Law That Will Impact Your Organization
3:00 pm	3:30 pm	Networking Break
3:30 pm	4:45 pm	PANEL DISCUSSION Resolving Complex and Contested Workers' Compensation Claims
4:45 pm	6:00 pm	Networking Cocktail Reception in Exhibit Hall
6:00 pm		Day One Concludes
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
7:30 am	8:30 am	Continental Breakfast in Exhibit Hall
8:30 am	9:45 am	KEYNOTE SESSION Workplace Wellness: What Indiana Employers Are Doing to Cut Workers' Comp Costs
9:45 am	10:15 am	Networking Break in Exhibit Hall
10:15 am	11:15 am	Designing Accident and Injury Prevention Programs That Positively Affect Your Bottom Line
11:15 am	12:15 pm	Return to Work: Strategies to Maximize Your Modified-Duty and Return-to-Work Programs to Reduce Lost Time and Keep Your Employees at Work
12:15 pm	1:20 pm	Networking Lunch
1:20 pm	2:20 pm	Preventing Bad-Faith Claims with Due Diligence to Protect Your Organization
2:20 pm	3:20 pm	What Your Organization Can Do to Prevent Malingering and Fraudulent Claims
3:20 pm	3:30 pm	Break
3:30 pm	4:45 pm	PANEL DISCUSSION Controlling the Biggest Cost Drivers in Indiana Workers' Comp
4:45 pm		Conference Concludes
8:30 am Master Class #1 Workers' Comp 101: Taking a Look at the Indiana Workers' Comp System from A to Z (H8832003) Whether you are new to handling workers' comp or are looking for a refresher on the important aspects of managing claims, this master class will give you the information you need. Our workers' comp specialists will lead you through managing claims in Indiana, with success strategies to help you avoid the pitfalls along the way. Taking a look at compensability issues in Indiana: Who is covered and what is required? TPD, TTD, PPI, and PTD: Understanding disability ratings Working successfully with the Indiana Workers' Compensation Board when handling a contested claim Subrogation and third-party claims: What employers should know Libby V. Moss, Esq., Partner KIGHTLINGER & GRAY, LLP Back
8:30 am Master Class #2 A Medical Perspective on Treating Back Injuries: Preventing Minor Back Injuries from Becoming a Major Pain (H8832004) Light-duty and modified-duty work plans incorporated into a strong return-to-work program can save you in medical costs, contested claims, and lost time. The longer an injured employee is out of work, the less likely it is he or she will return. Research shows that workers recover three times faster when involved in a transitional return-to-work program. This can affect claim costs, improve morale, and keep your productivity high. Understanding the elements of a successful return-to-work program Defining the benefits of return to work for employers and managers Creating the financial incentive for an employee to return to work in a modified-duty capacity How to address injured employees' anxieties and fears-to make them partners in your RTW efforts Joseph Riina, MD, Orthopedic Surgeon ORTHO INDY Back
10:20 am Master Class #3 Reducing the Risks in the Employment Law and Workers' Comp Overlap: FMLA Update for Indiana Employers (H8832006) Managing workers' compensation claims can pull you into the tangled web of employment law. One of the trickiest overlaps can be handling a workplace injury that becomes a serious health condition under the FMLA. This workshop will update you on how the FMLA can impact your organization. FMLA update: Taking a look at the military expansion to the FMLA Preparing for changes to the FMLA: What the Department of Labor is saying about the FMLA Using FMLA leave for a workplace injury: What employers need to know Reducing the risks of claims of retaliation under the FMLA Tami A. Earnhart, Esq., Partner ICE MILLER LLP Back
10:20 am Master Class #4 Impairment Ratings and the New AMA Guidelines (H8832007) Impairment ratings for workplace injuries are set by the workers' compensation doctor using the American Medical Association's Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment. The AMA has released the new 6th Edition of their Impairment Guide, and the updates and changes in the guidelines can impact how impairments are decided. This session will update you on the updated impairment guidelines and what they mean for you. Impairment ratings in Indiana The 6th edition of the AMA guidelines: What has changed and what is new to this edition How to apply the updated AMA guidelines and when changes can go into effect Joseph W. Bergeron, MD OFFICES OF DR. JOSEPH BERGERON Back
12:30 pm Opening Remarks from the Chairs Kathleen K. Shortridge, Esq., Of Counsel ICE MILLER LLP Ann H. Stewart, Esq., Of Counsel ICE MILLER LLP Back
12:45 pm KEYNOTE SESSION Update on the Indiana Workers' Compensation Board and Emerging Trends in Workers' Comp Taking a look at emerging trends in workers' compensation can prepare you for changes that affect your organization. In this session, you will hear emerging best practices in workers' comp and what you can expect from the WCB and the legislature. Darren Dye, Policy Analyst/Paralegal WORKERS' COMPENSATION BOARD OF INDIANA Ryan O. Cotham, Case Coordinator WORKERS' COMPENSATION BOARD OF INDIANA Back
2:00 pm You Be the Judge:  Examining the Latest Workers' Comp Case Law That Will Impact Your Organization This session will provide you with a complete update on significant workers' comp court decisions and pending litigation, with commentary on how they are likely to impact employers and others on the front lines of workers' comp. Our leading workers' comp defense attorney will bring you the vital information you need to stay in compliance and reduce your exposure. Kathleen K. Shortridge, Esq., Of Counsel ICE MILLER LLP Back
3:30 pm PANEL DISCUSSION You Be the Jury: Resolving Complex and Contested Workers' Compensation Claims In this session, we will use mock case studies of contested claims to take a look at what to do and what not to do when trying to resolve a complex claim. Listen as our plaintiff and defense attorneys resolve case scenarios based on the most difficult claims in Indiana. Moderator: Ann H. Stewart, Esq., Of Counsel ICE MILLER LLP Panel: Michael A. Schoening, Esq., Partner NATION, SCHOENING & MOLL, P.C. Timothy O. Malloy, Esq., Partner SCHREINER MALLOY & ETZLER, P.C. Back
8:30 am KEYNOTE SESSION Workplace Wellness: What Indiana Employers Are Doing to Cut Workers' Comp Costs Wellness programs are one of the best ways to reduce costs in your organization on several fronts. From health care costs to productivity and workers' comp-the return on investment in wellness is high. Take a look at what some Indiana employers are doing to make their employees healthier, since a healthier employee is injured less often and heals more quickly from injuries. Wellness helps! The return on investment you can achieve with a workplace wellness program Resources for employers: Promoting prevention and a healthy lifestyle without blowing your budget Getting buy-in from management and staff: Educating staff on the benefits of wellness programs to improve morale and work performance and reduce workers' comp costs What Indiana employers have done to promote wellness: What works and what doesn't Jeffrey Reinke, Manager, Environmental Health & Safety DIAMOND CHAIN COMPANY Bethany Garrity, Director for Corporate Fitness Management NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR FITNESS AND SPORT Back
10:15 am Designing Accident and Injury Prevention Programs That Positively Affect Your Bottom Line Accidents, near misses, and workplace injuries are preventable. Preventing injuries is one of the best ways to cut your workers' compensation costs. Accident frequency, as well as accident severity, can drive up your claim costs. Designing a program that effectively reduces accidents and injuries can minimize lost time, improve employee morale, and seriously reduce your workers' comp costs. Strategies to build management and employee buy-in to safety and injury prevention Ensuring your program does not encourage underreporting Taking a look at what INSafe can do for your organization INSHARP and the Governor's Safety Awards Michelle L. Ellison, INSafe Marketing Manager INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR – INSAFE John Duncan, Industrial Hygienist INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR – INSAFE Back
11:15 am Return to Work: Strategies to Maximize Your Modified-Duty and Return-to-Work Programs to Reduce Lost Time and Keep Your Employees at Work The longer an injured employee is out of work, the less likely it is he or she will return. A comprehensive light-duty or modified-duty work plan incorporated into a strong return-to-work program can save you in medical costs, contested claims, and lost time. Research shows that workers recover three times faster when involved in a transitional return-to-work program. This can affect claim costs, improve morale, and keep your productivity high. Looking at who is involved in the return-to-work process Defining the benefits of return to work for employers and managers Creating the financial incentive for an employee to return to work in a modified-duty capacity How to address injured employees' anxieties and fears and make them partners in your RTW efforts Best practices in making your return-to-work program effective for your organization Sandy C. Fralich, Sr. Account Executive, JWF Specialty OLD NATIONAL INSURANCE GROUP Back
1:20 pm Preventing Bad-Faith Claims with Due Diligence to Protect Your Organization When handling a disputed claim, the Board of Workers' Compensation can determine if the employer, the insurance carrier, or the administrator has acted in bad faith or with a lack of diligence. Bad faith can include failing to promptly investigate a claim, acting unreasonably, or wrongfully denying a claim. This session will cover how you can prevent claims of bad faith by managing claims with due diligence. Implementing proactive policies: Having airtight policies and practices in place that ensure your claims process is fair and timely Educating your employees on their rights and responsibilities Blazing the paper trail: The importance of timely notification and contemporaneous recordkeeping Ensuring communication with all parties in a claim An employee is pursuing a bad-faith claim; what now? Sonia C. Das, Esq., Attorney LEWIS WAGNER, LLP Randal M. Klezmer, Esq., Principal KLEZMER & ASSOCIATES Back
2:20 pm What Your Organization Can Do to Prevent Malingering and Fraudulent Claims Suspicious Monday-morning injuries, employees that just don't seem to get better, rumors making the rounds about an injured employee working somewhere else-what can you do when you suspect the worst? Find the answers to preventing questionable claims and handling the suspicious claims you have now. Proactive strategies to prevent fraudulent claims and malingering Understanding the basic principles for combating workers' comp fraud Aggressively fighting fraud while staying in compliance with privacy laws and ethical standards Gaining valuable information from conducting thorough background and activity checks Stopping fraudulent claims and other common schemes to collect unwarranted workers' comp benefits Donald Finch, CFE, FCLE, Founder and Senior Investigator FINCH & FINCH, INC. Back
3:30 pm PANEL DISCUSSION Controlling the Biggest Cost Drivers in Indiana Workers' Comp According to a recent study by the NCCI, workers' comp medical severity is rising at 3.5 times the rate of medical inflation. While comp costs across the country continue to plague employers and insurance companies, many of them are unaware of what it is that actually drives the costs. This session will focus on best practices for taking control of the biggest cost drivers in Indiana workers' compensation. Identifying frequently overlooked cost drivers with private insurance: Managing your experience modification factors, reserve amounts, and more Employee personal health factors: Are they raising your company's workers' comp costs? Managing your risk factors: Root-cause analysis of current claims in your organization Working with TPAs to reduce long-term medical costs Getting the most out of a utilization review on your claims Avoiding the most common employer mistakes that can drive up claim costs Moderator: Ann H. Stewart, Esq., Of Counsel ICE MILLER LLP Panel: Sandy C. Fralich, Sr. Account Executive, JWF Specialty OLD NATIONAL INSURANCE GROUP Jennifer Irwin, Corporate Health & Safety Manager REDCATS USA Rick Caldwell, Director of Risk Management CITY OF COLUMBUS Back