By Bonnie Prater
WSIA Training Coordinator

February 2010

Hello Members!

I would like to focus on WSIA’s on-line training in this column.

Advanced Live Webinars:  Over the last year of so, we have offered several training programs in a webinar format which allows our members to attend from their worksite without any travel expense or significant time away from the office.  We believe on-line training is an important part of our overall training program package.  WSIA is offering four new advanced webinars this spring, priced at only $99 for WSIA members!  These training programs are open for registration on our website:

1.  IIU’s Advanced Webinar - Medicare and Workers’ Compensation – February 17th.   Michael Graham of Eims and Flynn presents information on the recent Medicare law, addressing how to comply with the law when managing and settling Workers’ Compensation cases. You will learn relevant Medicare reporting requirements, settlement requirements, and compliance issues.  1.5 statutory CECs will be awarded for WWCP designees.  The Department’s Curriculum Committee did not award Certified Claims Administrator CECs for this course.

2.  IIU’s Advanced Webinar - The ABCs of IMEs - A Defense Attorney Perspective – March 24th.  Kathryn Kunkler of Keehn Kunkler shares her expertise on IMEs and teaches you what you really need to know.  You will learn how to pick IME physicians and write cover letters in order to obtain the most legally satisfactory report possible.  You will also learn how to determine what needs to be addressed and when it needs to be addressed.  Kathryn will also discuss the proposed rule changes by the Department regarding who can perform IMEs and how the new rules may impact your cases.  1.5 statutory CECs will be awarded for WWCP designees.  1.5 Claims Processing CECs will be awarded for Department Certified Claims Administrators.

3.  IIU’s Advanced Webinar – The Vocational Improvement Project - Vocational and Legal Challenges from Assessment to the Board – April 14th.   Jan Donley of J.Donley Associates and Betsey Reeve of Reeve Shima discuss both the vocational and legal sides to the Vocational Improvement Project.  You will learn about the results of the first two years.  You will also learn about the current vocational challenges from assessment to the Board. They will answer many important questions in this webinar. 1.5 CECs will be awarded for WWCP designees, with .75 CECs being statutory.  1.5 Claims Processing CECs will be awarded for Department Certified Claims Administrators.

4.  IIU’s Advanced Webinar – Mental Health and Psychiatric Issues in Workers’ Compensation – May 26th.  Brian Grant, Medical Director of Medical Consultants Network shares his expertise as a forensic psychiatrist in this exciting webinar.

He will address the extent of and cost of emotional/psychiatric claims in the workplace, as well as the contexts and ways in which they may present. Specific mental health diagnoses and limitations to assessment will be.  You will learn about impairment and other issues specific to mental health workers’ compensation claims.  1.5 CECs will be awarded for WWCP designees.  We have applied for Certified Claims Administrator CECs with the Department.

Archived Webinars:  In addition to the live webinars, each webinar is recorded and archived and then made available for purchase on our website.  This allows those of you who can’t attend the live webinar to benefit from the training program at your convenience.  WSIA has significantly reduced the price of our live and archived webinars to meet the needs of our membership and encourage attendance.  If you missed a live webinar, go to our website and register for the archive today! 

https://mmm1425.sanjose14-verio.com/wsiass/public/training_programs.html.

Certification Review Class:  WSIA will offer our two day comprehensive certification review class again on March 15th and 16th at the Phoenix Inn in Olympia.  If you are scheduled to take the Department’s Certified Claims Administrator test on March 17th, I urge you to sign up for our review class and improve your chances of succeeding. Our class pass rate is always higher than the pass rate of those who didn’t take our class. 

Don’t take the test without taking the class!!  Here is a link to register:  http://www.wsiassn.org/public/Cert_Review_Course_promoMar2010.html

WWCP: The Medical Information section is well underway and the final exam will be March 30th.  The next section, Claims Management, will begin on April 6th.  The courses are offered in Renton and Portland.  This is an excellent class which can definitely increase your claims management skills for better claims results.  Calculations are included in this course.  Registration will be open soon so watch our website and register for this worthwhile course.

Please do let me know if you have any questions or feedback regarding our training programs by emailing me at bonnie.prater@wsiassn.org. 

Until March…

Bonnie Prater

WSIA Training Coordinator

bonnie.prater@wsiassn.org

Posted 9 February 2010

back to News