We’re back from the National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Conference & Expo in Chicago. Chicago was as beautiful and accommodating as ever—even the weather cooperated! If you’ve never been to the city, by all means get there—but book your trip during the summer. You’ll thank us for the advice.

We have to say that the show was missing its typical buzz. Down on the exhibit floor we saw steady traffic but there seemed to be lacking a bit of the energy we’re used to seeing at the show. So, we made every effort to infuse energy into our area on the floor. Check out some of our pics. We have to admit that the strangest booth we saw featured pet insurance. We’re not really clear what application pet insurance has for our industry—but it is fun to speculate.

Industry insider Joe Paduda posted his first impressions from the show on his blog. For a solid show overview, go to http://www.joepaduda.com.

In a follow-up post, Joe addressed a topic that is near and dear to our hearts, “The Latest on Vendor-TPA Relations.” It focuses on the “pay to play” business models that many of the TPAs are requiring of their managed care vendors.

“Word from several sources at the comp trade show is some managed care vendors have deals whereby the commissions/fees they pay the TPA for the privilege of doing business are increasing with volume.”

Joe explains the model:

“The way it works is simple, if not necessarily, or even usually, in line with clients’ best interests. The vendor agrees to pay X percent for the first Y dollars of revenue, X+ for the next Y dollars, X++ for the next Z dollars, etcetera.

But some vendors are applying the higher payment levels retroactively. Yep, if the TPA delivers Z dollars, the X++ commission rate applies to ALL revenue. That’s why employers are being told they can get these services at very low – or no – cost. Hat seems like a great deal is – for the TPA. Unfortunately the TPA’s interests are not always, and in some cases are most definitely not, aligned with the employer’s.”

Yes, this is a disturbing trend, one that does not reflect well on our industry and something that must change. A couple of months ago we blogged about this very issue. Allow us to dust off the old soapbox and step back up to the microphone:

“If the ultimate goal is to safely return the injured workers to the job at the lowest cost to the employers then results are all that matter.  When case managers do their jobs properly and manage cases with that key goal in mind versus measuring success by the number of hours billed, employers take notice.  Their filter for choosing the best resources is pretty simple—achieving the best outcome as safely and economically as possible.”

We don’t intend to play that game and know that in the log run, the pay for play behavior will be very much like the dinosaur exhibit at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History—once dominant but now, very much extinct!

As most of you probably know, the National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Conference & Expo takes place November 18^th-20^th in Chicago. If you are attending the show, be sure to stop by our booth and say hi—and enter to win a great prize. A lucky visitor is going to win a new “Nook,” Barnes & Nobles’  just released electronic book reader, one of the hottest gadgets on the market.  It wouldn’t be a real Expo without a few choice giveaways, now would it?

First, let’s be clear that we love Chicago. Great restaurants, beautiful architecture, nearly selected to host the 2016 Olympics (okay, they were expecting better than 4^th out of 4 finalists), and great weather if you happen to be there between June 25 and June 30^th…. really the only five days in which you can confidently avoid one of the following– tornados, extreme humidity, frigid cold or endless snow. Since the Expo is in November, we think we’ll be spending as much time indoors as possible.

We are looking forward to attending and will share our thoughts with you via a post when we return. But for now, we’d like to give you a quick preview of some of the hot topics.

The Recession will have a starring role: At least seven of the information sessions address the Big R. Here’s a sampling:

Overcoming Claims Challenges During Economic Turmoil

Solutions to Your Recession-related IDM Challenges

What to Do With Injured Workers When There’s No Job for Them

Strategies to Address Medical Challenges in an Ailing Economy

Of course, each session requires a description and must have its unique spin to draw in the crowds. Here’s just a few:

The current economic crisis has created many unanticipated challenges at a time when organizations are short-staffed.

The economic crisis has impacted the workers’ comp system in myriad ways — including return-to-work programs.

Economic recessions can have surprising impacts on employee absences, including incidental absence and short-term disability. Stressors, including fear of job loss, lead some people to keep working when they may need time away to address health and wellness issues.

You could have the best return-to-work program in the world, but what if there’s no longer any job for the injured worker to return to?

Mercifully, the Expo organizers are providing comic relief via Second City, Chicago’s Famous Improvisational Comedy Troupe to prevent attendees from grabbing a cab to Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower—second tallest building in the world) and……

We’re not making fun of the tough economy—it’s still rough out there, but it is not all gloom and doom. That’s why we are heartened by this session that caught our eye.

Reducing Workers’ Comp and Disability Costs Through Wellness Programs: The 10 Essential Characteristics

We know that wellness programs have had a positive impact on healthcare costs and we’re interested in learning more about how the same principles are being applied to workers’ comp.

Another session that piqued our interest is:

Staying True to Your Soul: Making Tough Business Decisions You Can Live With

Anything that recommends staying true to one’s soul is good by us!

Be sure to come back to our blog AFTER the show for our report on some of the keys “pearls” we picked up in Chi-Town—weather permitting.