Program
Agenda

Managing Medical Care and Costs in the Recovery

 from the Great Recession

In the past economic downturns, successful public and private organizations made decisions that correctly assumed that the economic recovery would restore economic activity back to normal and growth would lead us beyond the old peak. No structural adjustments were needed for success, only doing what was necessary to "muddle through."

In the current Great Recession, there is good reason to expect that we may not return to the old peak during the next several years or longer, but will return to a "new normal" level of economic activity below the old peak. If so, successful organizations will be those that make timely and effective structural changes to position themselves for this new normal. This conference examines the reasons why a new normal is likely and its implications for workers' compensation systems.

One of the implications is that successful systems will reduce unnecessary costs — defined as costs borne by employers that do not improve outcomes for injured workers. The program for this conference focuses on the opportunities and barriers to reduce unnecessary medical costs during the recovery from the Great Recession.

Session 1: What Is the Likely Shape of the Economic Recovery and What Are the

                 Implications for Workers' Compensation Systems?

Session 2:  Identifying Unnecessary Medical Costs

Session 3:  Eliminating Unnecessarily High/Low Medical Prices

Session 4:  Tools to Reduce Unnecessary Medical Care

                  A.   Educating Medical Providers

                  B.   Educating Patients

                  C.   Empowering and Regulating Payers

Session 5:  A Special Challenge: Return to Work for the Recession-affected Longer-term

                 Unemployed Injured Workers

The WCRI conference, an annual two-day event, is a leading workers' compensation forum for policymakers, employers, labor advocates, insurance executives, health care organizations, claims managers, researchers, and others and draws attendees from across the nation. Each stakeholder group faces unique challenges. Conference participants will leave with new insights and a better understanding of key issues in today's competitive environment.

For more information, contact Sarah Solorzano at ssolorzano@wcrinet.org

Link to Conference Registration Page