By Sherri Phillips, Educational Service District #112
President, WSIA

It’s been an exciting year.  On October 1, 2007 we saw the beginning of continuing education, as an alternative to having to take the Department’s Certification test.  This goal has been in our sights for many years, and, through the dedicated work of our members, we finally arrived!  Everyone needs to take advantage of this opportunity to further educate themselves.  The Washington Self-Insurers Association plans to bring forward a variety of learning experiences to assist you in obtaining your required continuing education credits.  Our new training coordinator Bonnie Ingersoll and the Department of Labor & Industries trainer Starla Treznoski are teaching the current webinars on Temporary Total Disability, Loss of Earning Power, and Permanent Partial Disability calculations.  These webinars have been a great success.  We also plan on presenting a two-day review class for members prior to the Department of Labor & Industries certification exam dates in the coming year.

The new Vocational rules took effect on January 1, 2008.  During the month of March the Department of Labor and Industries traveled throughout the state providing training on the new rules.  In May and June of this year the Department is providing Mandatory training to the community on major legislative changes from both the 2007 and 2008 sessions (including voc rehab.)  “Update 2008” will provide a total of 7 CEC’s (5 legal, 1 claims processing, and 1 ethics.)  The training will be provided in Tumwater at the Labor & Industries Self-Insurance office.  This is a required course so register early.  You can check the WSIA website under Training Programs & Conferences for more details.

We have had the opportunity to meet quarterly with the Department of Labor & Industries Director Judy Schurke and the Self-Insurance Section Program Manager Jean Vanek to discuss issues that are important to us.   Some of these issues are: Legislative Issues, Self-Insured Certified Claims Administrator Continuing Education Credits, Department of Labor and Industries Self-Insurance Webpage’s, Self-Insured Assessments, Alternative Surety Data, Pension Study, Self- Insured Ombudsman, Independent Medical Exam Rules, and the Department Culture Toward Self-Insurance, this is just to name a few.

Dave Kaplan and Kathleen Collins have done a great job lobbying for us this year.  They helped prevent a lot of bad legislation from passing.  Although we lost on the “pay during appeal” legislation we were able, through testimony and lobbying, to add an amendment.  This amendment will enable us to recover our money if we prevail on the appeal.

SIEDRS is here!  The Self-Insured Electronic Data Reporting System was a long time coming.  Please don’t’ miss the July 1, 2008 deadline.  If you have not started testing already, you need to start soon.  Sometime later this year or hopefully in early 2009 we should be able to request the reports we have been waiting for.  I want to thank all of the members that worked so hard to see this happen.

I want to thank our Washington Self-Insurers Association director Dave Kaplan and his excellent staff consisting of Bonnie Prater, Kaye Thede, Bryan Powell and Kathleen Collins.  Where would we be without their dedication and the hard work they do everyday for the Association.

I also want to thank all of the people that have helped me be a success this past year.  I feel confident President-Elect Bill Johnson will continue to lead the Washington Self-Insured Association in the right direction.

Sherri Phillips, ESD #112

President

Washington Self-Insurers Association

Updated 18 April 2008

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