The Florida Workers' Compensation Institute hosted the 66th Annual Workers' Compensation Educational Conference (WCEC) and the 23rd Annual Safety and Health Conference this week in Orlando, Fla.

The nationally acclaimed four-day annual conference remains the premier forum for the study of workers' compensation, workplace safety and health, and related topics. What keeps professionals coming back each year is the impressive assemblage of innovative thought leaders from throughout the United States. Coupled with various networking events and interactive demonstrations—including a live back surgery—this year's presentations offered virtually unsurpassed educational content encompassing the hottest trends and most perplexing issues.

Specifically, content is tailored to risk managers, regulators, safety professionals, health care providers, claims adjusters and other insurance professionals, attorneys, paralegals and legal assistants, medical case managers, rehabilitation providers, professional employer organizations (employee leasing), mediators, and medical office administrators.

Many attendees and conference organizers arrived early this time around to volunteer at a fundraiser held on Saturday, August 20 in conjunction with Give the Kids the World, a non-profit organization that has brightened the lives of more than 111,000 families with terminally ill children since its inception. Volunteers experienced the magic first-hand at the Give the Kids the World village, a 70-acre resort with villa accommodations, theme park attractions, and other fun activities, all of which are offered at no-cost to the families.

Those arriving a bit later in the week were able to visit the non-profit organization's festive booth to speak with a representative and learn more about getting involved.

Along with many conference staples, this year's event featured a breakout for health providers that focused exclusively on the functions of medical offices themselves, providing vital information for practice administrators, office managers, and billing specialists. In no small part, the final day's sessions illuminated topics that not only extend far beyond Florida's geography but also the realm of workers' compensation. For instance, the breakout on multi-state workers' compensation laws underscored the broad applicability of the information presented throughout the conference. Program Chairman Steve Rissman reported that nine states outside of Florida are now involved in the multi-state breakout, noting that as it "becomes less Florida-centric," that portion will continue to represent an important mechanism for growth.

For a glimpse of the excitement and wealth of information disseminated in Orlando, PropertyCasualty360.com has compiled session snapshots and exclusive video interviews with top industry professionals. We hope you will find this coverage valuable.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) was at Florida Workers' Compensation Institute's 2011 Workers' Compensation Educational Conference to educate attendees about their research and role in preventing workplace injuries.

Currently, mandatory reporting laws ensure that Medicare has knowledge of all claims involving a Medicare beneficiary in a workers' compensation case. Listen to what Raphael Gonzalez of the Center for Medicare Set Aside Administration in Clearwater, Fla., has to say about Medicare's role in these types of claims.

Understanding some anatomy basics and the fundamentals of a transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion procedure via live surgery can assist adjusters and other professionals assess a realistic recovery period and overall claims costs.

In this exclusive video interview with Jeff Atwater, Florida's chief financial officer, we discuss workers' compensation issues including rising rates, Citizens' depopulation and privatization, insurance fraud, and plans for PIP reforms in the Sunshine State.

This year's winners of the fifth annual "Awards for Excellence in Workers' Compensation Risk Management" represent the best of the best in risk mitigation.

A changing workforce, rapidly evolving technology and medical-cost-containment issues are the biggest challenges, and opportunities, that will face the workers' comp market as it enters its second century.

This year's program includes discussion of the health benefits of returning to work, how to prevent disability, impairment evaluation, and more.

With the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act the insurance industry is being moved, sometimes reluctantly, into making provider and payer interactions more efficient.

Health reform and the Great Recession have created unique challenges and significant uncertainty for the workers' compensation industry.

Although outcomes of workers' compensation cases across the country may vary, landmark cases discussed at the Workers' Compensation Educational Conference (WCEC) are paving the way for future results.

Learn to determine which components of an employee's injury are directly associated with his or her on-the-job accident.

NOT FOR REPRINT

© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.