The WSIA Weekly, 4.22.16
Countdown
to #WSIA16 begins: Conference program now online
We’re just
under two weeks ‘til our Annual Conference in Spokane starts on Wednesday, May
4th with a golf tournament, wine tasting, and welcome reception
before sessions get underway May 5th and 6th. There’s
still time to register – click here for
all the details. The conference program is now available online and can be viewed
here. Look forward to seeing you in Spokane!
Industrial
Insurance Medical Advisory Committee meets next Thursday
The
Industrial Insurance Medical Advisory Committee (IIMAC), the
medical-business-labor advisory body to the Department of Labor &
Industries, meets next Thursday April 28thfrom 1:00 p.m. to 5:00
p.m. at the Beijing Room at SeaTac airport. The discussion contains a series of
updates and discussions on Department initiatives, as well as a committee vote
on the Department’s treatment guideline for knee surgery as well as its bylaws.
A copy of the agenda and meeting materials is available here. IIMAC meetings
are open to the public.
Draft
language released for Preferred Worker Program rules – comments due 5/24
Part of
last year’s House Bill 1496 addressing vocational rehabilitation benefits was a
bulk-up of the state’s Preferred Worker Program, granting employers under
certain circumstances access to incentives and reimbursements for employing
preferred workers for jobs within their medical limitations. The program
applies to self-insured employers of injured workers with a state fund claim.
The Department of Labor & Industries has just released proposed rule
language for comment on this issue. You can view the proposed rules here. Any
comments on them must be made in writing by May 24th, according to
the instructions here,
or at the public hearing at L&I headquarters at 1:00 p.m. that same day.
Labor
& Industries announces rulemaking on DOSH/OSHA recordkeeping
Earlier
this week, the Department of Labor & Industries announced its intention to
issue rules to clear up a mistake regarding injury reporting left over from a
prior rulemaking. The Department stated that when it updated WAC ch. 296-27 to
conform to OSHA requirements, it left some information in that contradicts
other Department requirements. A copy of the notice is here; language
will be forthcoming later this spring.
Labor
& Industries announces intent to adopt rules for the Medical EDI
Rounding
off this busy week of rulemaking activity, the Department also filed a notice
of intent to issue rules related to its adoption of a uniform national
electronic data interchange for collection of medical bill data on claims. The
rules are necessary to spell out reporting standards and requirements that will
come on line next year for self-insurers. Self-Insurance program personnel will
be expanding on this topic more during their breakout at our Annual Conference.
A copy of the rule notice can be seen here.
Our Safety Committee’s online DOSH Talk presentation on safety regulations for work in confined spaces takes place next Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., featuring DOSH consultant Mary Yakawich. Participation is free and encouraged of WSIA members, it just requires registration at this link. Questions for Mary to address can be submitted in advance by e-mail to John Shervey or Patrick Koenig.