10. Advocacy model may attract millennials to workers comp

The advocacy model continued to be a topic du jour in workers compensation circles, as experts say the approach helps create a better working relationship among injured workers, claims handlers and employers.

The topic centered on improving communication with the injured worker in effective manners that are not overbearing, according to experts who weighed in on the practice.

Advocacy can not only keep claims costs from skyrocketing or claims from going sour, the approach can help reel in newcomers to the industry: millennials, who statistically want to do work that feeds the soul.

Weighing in, experts told a roomful of industry insiders that promoting a noble goal in workers compensation — getting an injured worker back on the job — could be key to attracting more millennials to the industry. This is an important goal as the sector could lose upward of 50% of its most experienced executives in the next decade, according to panelists at the Workers’ Compensation Institute’s 2018 Educational Conference in August.

This year’s catastrophic storms were also a chance for payers to better connect with injured workers, as some introduced programs aimed at reducing stress when a hurricane hits and workers experience problems with access to medication or care.