AUSTIN, TX - September 1, 2009 will mark the fourth anniversary of the effective date of most of the provisions of House Bill (HB) 7 – the workers’ compensation legislation authored by Rep. Burt Solomons (R-Carrollton) that ushered in sweeping reforms to the Texas workers’ compensation system.  Many system stakeholders in the Lone Star state are asking, “What has changed?  Has the Texas system improved since the passage of HB 7?”

The Insurance Council of Texas (ICT) will explore the state of the Texas workers’ compensation system during its 2009 Workers Compensation Conference – The Workers’ Comp Express Continues Down the Track in Austin, Texas on August 26, 2009.  The full-day conference will be held at the Omni Austin Hotel at Southpark.

The conference will kick off with the keynote speech delivered by Commissioner of Workers’ Compensation Rod Bordelon. Bordelon will share his thoughts on the state of the Texas system and discuss his vision for the future of the system.

Bordelon will be followed by Texas ’ first full-time workers’ compensation commissioner, Albert Betts.  Betts, who is a partner at the law firm of Thompson Coe Cousins & Irons and is ICT’s general counsel, will provide a legislative update that will look at the politics behind the legislation that was considered by the 81^st Texas Legislature.  He will also provide an overview of the on-going Sunset Review of the Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) and Office of Injured Employee Counsel.

The morning session of the conference will also feature David DePaolo, CEO, President, and Editor-in-Chief of WorkCompCentral, who will discuss national developments impacting the Texas workers’ compensation system.  DePaolo will share his thoughts on the possible impact of the national healthcare reform efforts on workers’ compensation systems around the nation.

DePaolo will be followed by Joe Anderson, a founding partner of the Austin-based law firm of Burns, Anderson, Jury & Brenner, who will provide an update on the DWC’s new enforcement process.  Appropriately titled There is a New Sheriff in Town, the presentation will provide conference attendees with their first real look at the new enforcement process and initiatives of the state’s workers’ compensation regulatory agency.

The afternoon session will kick off after lunch with a panel discussion moderated by Stuart Colburn of the law firm of Downs Stanford. 

The panel will feature Rep. Helen Giddings (D-De Soto); Rick Levy, Legal Director for the Texas AFL-CIO; Cathy DeWitt of the Texas Association of Business; Lee Ann Alexander of Liberty Mutual Insurance Company; and Brian White, the Deputy Injured Employee Counsel.  The panel will discuss issues ranging from the Texas Supreme Court’s Entergy decision and possible legislative efforts during the 82^nd Texas Legislature to address the decision, the state of the Texas workers’ compensation system as viewed by each panelist, the DWC’s and OIEC’s Sunset Review, and unresolved issues that may be the basis of legislation during the 2011 session of the Texas Legislature.

The conference will conclude after presentations by Julie Shank, R.N., president of J Shank Consulting, who will provide an update on the delivery of medical benefits in the Texas workers’ compensation system and Austin attorney John D. Pringle who will discuss a recent trend involving the filing of a greater number of workers’ compensation bad faith lawsuits in Texas courts.

This event is expected to be approved for continuing education credit hours for adjusters and insurance agents as well as continuing legal education (CLE) hours for attorneys.  ICT has also requested approval of CLE hours from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Online registration is available on ICT’s website.

Source: Insurance Council of Texas