Orlando, Fla. (March 11, 2013) – The workers’ compensation industry’s fight against opioid abuse takes the stage at the 2013 National Rx Drug Abuse Summit, April 2-4. Much of the Summit’s Third-Party Payer Track focuses on identifying the potential misuse of opioids early in an injured worker’s treatment.
Sessions stress using analytics and diagnostic testing to track and reduce an injured employee’s addiction potential, improve health outcomes and contain comp claims costs. Discussions include pain management alternatives to opioids, such as cognitive behavior therapy and functional restoration, and using medical and legal strategies like utilization review and independent medical exams to ensure injured workers do not continue receiving drugs they don’t need. One session highlights successful regulatory and legislative efforts to control opioid abuse undertaken by the states of Texas and Washington.The track features prominent industry speakers, including Workers’ Compensation Research Institute’s Dr. Richard Victor, Health Strategy Associates’ Joe Paduda, Washington State’s Dr. Gary Franklin, and Amy Lee with the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation. Others are Family Dollar Stores’ Risk Manager Dave Smith, HealthCare Solution’s Jim Andrews, PRIUM’s Michael Gavin, and Ronald Mazariegos with Arrowpoint Capital.
Kentucky Employer’s Mutual Insurance General Counsel Michelle Landers and its COO Mary Colvin, CPA are on panels as are Jeremy Corbett, Chief Medical Officer, Kentucky Spirit Health Plan/Centene Corp., and Steven Moskowitz, MD, Senior Medical Director, Paradigm Outcomes. Progressive Medical’s Medical Director Dr. Robert Hall, Director of Analytic Services Joe Anderson and Chief Clinical Officer Tron Emptage present in different sessions. Others include Quest Diagnostics’ Dr. Lenox Abbot, Rising Medical Solutions’ Anne Kirby, Attorney Alix Michel, and Markel First Comp Insurance Company’s James Masingill.
The workers’ compensation presentations are part of the Summit’s broader discussion on programs and legislation aimed at preventing prescription drug abuse and diversion in America. The 2012 Inaugural National Rx Drug Abuse Summit drew more than 700 attendees from 45 states from law enforcement, government, medicine/addiction treatment and business. For more information, please see http://nationalrxdrugabusesummit.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/SummitNews-SaveDate-3-5-13.pdf. For details and registration, please see http://nationalrxdrugabusesummit.org.
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Media Contact: Helen Knight, King Knight Communications 813-837-1701, helen@kingknight.com