We’ve had some great feedback from folks who participated in the Making Workers’ Comp Work Conference last week in San Francisco, and I thought I’d share some of it here.
“Thank you and Phil for making the seminar one of the best I’ve ever attended! So much useful information and the plethora of amazing speakers made [...]

Greetings everyone!  First off, we would like to express our appreciation for all who participated in the first annual Making Workers’ Comp Work Conference held March 11-12 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel and Conference Center in San Francisco.  It was a great success, bringing together over 200 professionals in the workers’ comp industry: from claims [...]

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A unifying theme across every presentation and session in our conference has been the need for collaboration and dialogue. Be sure to practice what we’ve preached by staying connected to Making Workers’ Comp Work and the Phil Neal Walker Law.

Get caught up with every recap. Click here to display the full archives of every session [...]

3:45 PM: Phil closed the conference with the line, “You will always find your bliss in service to others.” He thanked attendees for taking the first steps in making the changes needed for a reform or workers’ compensation, and noted that he will be bringing this seminar to Southern California in October, [...]

In Dealing with Medicare: What Works, Ben Pugh highlighted the difficulties in working with Medicare when processing claims, and strategies for navigating this complex network to satisfy your goal of a quick, thorough MSA processing. Since the ’80s, when Medicare became a secondary payer, it has become more difficult to hold Medicare [...]

In her session What Works for Stanislaus County, Staninslaus County Disability Manager Peggy Huntsinger shared key programs her county has undertaken to reduce the frequency and severity of on-the-job injuries and illnesses. These programs include reorganizing the CEO-Risk Management Division, training on the County Safety Manual, conducting pre-placement drug screenings, and implementing the Injury Management [...]

In The Broker: We Are NOT The Enemy, insurance veteran Teresa Pacelli focused on communication, execution, and education as the three factors necessary to revising the workers’ compensation system. After a frustrating period of time as a claims examiner, Pacelli realized she could more effectively generate change as an insurance broker.
Pacelli recommended that [...]

In his presentation Returning Humanity to the California Workers’ Compensation System, clinical and medical psychologist Frank Lucchetti emphasized the importance of rehabilitating the injured worker to a life of productivity.
The relationships among all parties involved in the workers’ compensation settlement should be a primary concern, along with taking precautions to prohibit further impairment during treatment. [...]

In her session An Auditor Teaches You Great Claims Handling, Cheryl Morosini detailed the importance of organizing one’s workplace to fit a style to maximize one’s achievements. By encouraging claims professionals to approach their work product using the same techniques as an auditor would, one can tweak those methods to allow for the highest production [...]