WCRI Quarterly Newsletter: 4th Quarter (10/1/17 - 12/31/17)
Happy New Year! This newsletter shows you where and how WCRI's work is being actively used across the country, who we are sharing our work with, and where our work is appearing in the media. If there are ways we can make our newsletters more valuable for you and your organization, please let us know. In the meantime, thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to working with you in the new year.
Where Our Work Was Used
In states large and small, our work continues to be actively used by a diverse group of public officials and stakeholders, resulting in better, more informed decision making. Below is a sample of where our work was used over the last three months.
  • Massachusetts: In November, Gov. Baker unveiled a new legislative package (the CARE Act) to fight the opioid and heroin epidemic. One proposal is the establishment of a drug formulary for workers' compensation claims. In rolling out this initiative, Gov. Baker used findings from WCRI's opioid studies.

  • Louisiana: In December, Judge Sheral Kellar, director of the Louisiana Office of Workers’ Compensation Administration, said in an article in WorkCompCentral (subscription required) that she wants an agreement on outpatient reimbursements and cited WCRI's research that shows how Louisiana's medical costs compare with other states.

  • Florida: In November, the House Committee on Commerce passed a committee bill that addresses attorney fees. In the bill analysis, findings from multiple versions of WCRI's CompScope™ Benchmarks for Florida were cited.

  • Michigan: Michigan's workers' compensation agency, LARA (Licensing and Regulatory Affairs), cited findings from WCRI's CompScope™ Benchmarks and Medical Benchmarks for Michigan in its Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) supporting a change to the state's medical fee schedule regulations.

  • Montana: At a December meeting of the Montana Labor-Management Advisory Council, the Montana Department of Labor & Industry utilized findings from our workers' compensation laws and medical price index studies in a presentation on how Montana's workers' compensation system compares with other states. 
Latest Research Published
Educating Diverse Groups 
Below is a sample of the diverse groups with whom we shared our research over the last three months.

Conferences we presented at:
  • 2017 National Workers' Compensation & Disability Conference (NWCDC)
  • NCOIL's 2017 Annual Meeting
  • Southern Association of Workers' Compensation Administrators (SAWCA) 69th Annual Convention
  • Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) 2017 Conference
  • 2017 Annual WILG (Workers Injury Law & Advocacy Group) Convention

Briefings we gave:
  • Pennsylvania House of Representatives
  • Massachusetts Health Care Services Board
  • Arkansas Insurance Department
  • University of Sydney Australia 
  • Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents
  • Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation
Former Head of BLS to Open 2018 WCRI Conference
We are honored to have Dr. Erica Groshen, former head of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as our opening speaker at WCRI's 34th Annual Research & Issues Conference, March 22 and 23, 2018, in Boston, MA. 

“With Erica’s insights into labor force trends and the impact of technology in today’s fast-changing world, attendees are sure to leave with actionable information they can use to prepare their organizations for the future," said John Ruser, WCRI’s president and CEO.
 
Click here to learn more about what Dr. Groshen will discuss as well as the rest of our agenda.
WCRI In The News
Member Spotlight: Steve Perroots, Marriott International, Inc.
Recently, we had the pleasure to talk to one of our long-time members, Steve Perroots of Marriott International, Inc., about how he came to know the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI), why his organization chose to become a member of WCRI, and what value he derives from membership.

As vice president for global claims, Steve is in charge of all Marriott claims programs, which cover more than 225,000 employees, and 5,700 properties in over 110 countries and territories around the world.

Click here to read more.
Recorded - Webinar on WCRI’s Latest Research on Fee Schedules and Medical Prices
In October, over 200 people signed up to learn about our latest research on the various design choices of fee schedule regulations and their impact on variation in medical payments across state workers’ compensation systems. 

 The recorded version is free for members and $25 for non-members. Click here to learn more.
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