It’s August, which means only one thing in the workers’ comp world – WCI’s Annual Workers Compensation Educational Conference is right around the corner.
This marks the thirteenth conference in which we will be at the at the conference exhibition center to showcase our exclusive return to work program, Transition2Work®, and vocational services to employers and workers’ compensation industry professionals.
“We love the Florida conference, we can’t wait to connect with longtime friends and colleagues,” Co-owner Frances Ford said. “And this is an exciting year for vocational and return to work services given the significance of the recent Florida Supreme Court decisions.”
There have been big changes shaking up the industry, due to two Florida Supreme Court rulings. In April, during the case of Castellanos v. Next Door, the court ruled that the state’s attorney-fee caps in the workers’ compensation law’s legal fee schedule was unconstitutional, saying it was a violation of due process. In June, there was a second significant case, in which during the Westphal v. City of St. Petersburg case, the court ruled that the 104 week limitation on all forms of temporary indemnity is unconstitutional and increased the statutory cap for indemnity to 260 weeks, or five years.
Every day Florida is in the news warning, debating, and arguing over the effects of the Supreme Court case rulings. These two decisions have led to the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) to propose a 19.6 percent rate increase for new and renewal workers’ compensation policies.
Businesses and insurance companies are now worrying about rising claim costs. The need to cut workers’ comp costs and return the injured worker back into the workforce is now critical. Companies can no longer be complacent during the process; they need to become more proactive. Now, more than ever, is a great time for conference attendees to learn about our vocational services.
We started our business specializing in vocational services, and for over a decade we have become Florida’s leading provider of vocational services.
“We are the ones that everyone turns to,” Frances said. “Everyone knows that we are the tried and true resource and they have confidence in our service that we will get injured workers back to work as quickly and cost efficiently as possible.”
Attending the WCI conference is more than exhibiting our services, for Co-owners Frances and Debra Livingston, it is a way to reconnect with those who have been in the industry with them for the past 25 years.
“It’s almost like homecoming week,” Debra said. “We get to see those who we have worked with very closely and who have grown in the industry with us over the years. It’s really nice to see people who you haven’t seen in a very long time and to reminisce with them about the good old days.”
If you are attending the 71st Annual Workers Compensation Educational Conference, you don’t want to miss all of the great activities at the ReEmployAbility booth! Stop by booth #309 in the main exhibit hall for some exciting opportunities:
- Picture yourself playing your favorite game or sport – An experienced caricature artist from Cartoon You Caricatures will be available to quickly sketch live digital drawings of booth visitors!
- Register to win a new Fitbit Charge HR – Get your heartrate going, as all visitors can register in our drawing for a chance to win a brand new Fitbit Charge HR.
- Learn about our specialty Return-to-Work program – For employees with occupational or non-occupational disabilities, offsite transitional duty with nonprofit agencies can be a viable option when your company is unable to accommodate employees’ disabilities onsite.
- Explore the many benefits of our Vocational Services – For the past 13 years, we have led the way in the claims industry with innovative and proven solutions for workers’ compensation cases. We use direct vocational strategies for each claim – finding jobs for injured employees and getting them back to work faster. This allows us to find employment opportunities that help to resolve all claims.
Visit with our team to find out how our services can benefit your Return-to-Work program.
Interested in scheduling a meeting with our team to discuss your Return-to-Work program needs? Contact our Client Services team: 1(866) 663-9880.
We can’t wait to see you at WCI ’16, August 22 – 24!
