The International Association of Industrial Accident Boards (IAIABC) recently held their 112th Convention at the end of September in Spokane, Washington, which featured multiple educational and roundtable discussions, with more than 30 state jurisdictions and 10 international members represented.
Healthesystems representatives attended the Convention, and some of the key content and conversations focused on regulatory policies which are impacting access to care, and emerging medical and technology issues in the workers’ comp system.
Provider shortages were a topic of discussion, particularly in rural areas and among certain specialties. Regulators discussed their state strategies, including expanded roles for advanced practice providers, telehealth, provider education, reimbursement and reducing administrative burdens that can discourage participation in workers’ comp.
Jaymie Mai, PharmD, the Pharmacy Director of the Washington State Department of Labor & Industry, delivered an interactive educational session with insights on how GLP-1 medications are increasingly being requested by injured workers and their authorized providers during recovery. While obesity is not considered an occupational disease, Dr. Mai shared information about the Departments’ interim policy, which allows for authorization of temporary GLP-1 treatment, on a case-by-case basis, when obesity is hindering recovery or preventing an injured worker from qualifying for necessary surgery.
The Heads of Delegation session dove into how jurisdictions are addressing medical access, using claims data, and adopting AI for functions like claims summarization and legal adjudication. Other educational sessions focused on the role of topical analgesics and their cost implications and regulatory strategies to address them, and leveraging data to drive public policy.
Also notable, Healthesystems VP of Industry and State Relations, Sandy Shtab was recognized for her contributions to the IAIABC with the President’s Award, specifically for her leadership of the Associate Members Council and contributions to the IAIABC Board of Directors.
