We are set to launch the ninth episode of the Hot Seat Webinar program tomorrow, entitled “Delays in Treatment for Compensable Workers’ Comp Claims.” It will be webcast at 1:00PM eastern and is sponsored by Safety National. The program is described as taking “an in depth look at the issues of delayed treatment in workers’ comp and discuss both the problems it creates as well as ways to eliminate those issues.” But it is more than that. This episode will be taking on some of the most important issues for our industry. What causes delays in compensable claims? And how do we reduce or eliminate this litigation creating problem?
Our guests will be Robert Swisher and Rosemary Eure, and they will discuss the challenges and issues of assuring prompt and adequate treatment of injured workers within the system. Swisher is the Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Workers’ Claims and an active national participant in both SAWCA and the NAWCJ. Eure is a plaintiff’s attorney with extensive experience in the state of Florida and is a member of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers.
So, what does cause these often-troublesome delays? Is it simply a part of the normal investigative process? Is it unnecessary denials and reviews? Is it a medical system experiencing a short supply of providers, or one that simply doesn’t want to deal with the extensive reporting requirements of workers’ comp?
Is it that the “system” just doesn’t really care, and values process over expediency? Or are delays in treatment part of a bigger issue with health care overall?
This particular topic was chosen by Hot Seat co-host Judge David Langham and me because it was one of the top three “Imperative Issues” identified in our series of meetings known as the Workers’ Comp Summit back in 2016. Over a course of three extensive and exhausting meetings that year over 60 professionals and representatives from every sector of comp ultimately selected 29 such issues. Tomorrow’s topic, along with Benefit Adequacy and Regulatory Complexity, was determined to be one of the biggest issues of concern for injured workers and the industry.
It will be interesting to see what our guests think of this particular topic, and what solutions would be recommended. I certainly have a few in mind, but I wouldn’t want to spoil that here. I would encourage you to register for the free webinar here. Our Hot Seat attendees have the ability to inject their opinions and questions into the presentation, and that has historically proven to prompt some frank and interesting results.
If you aren’t available at 1:00 eastern tomorrow, register anyway. We will send you a link to the show afterwards – and you will still be able to submit your questions to the presenters.
We’ll see you tomorrow in The Hot Seat.