Choose a date below to see the panels offered.
Continuing Education Credits awarded when attending the entire convention:
Minimum Continuing Legal Education: 15.25 MCLE (including 1.25 Bias)
Legal Specialization in Workers’ Compensation: 15.25 MCLE
Division of Workers’ Compensation: 4.5 QME
Click on the links below to see an extended description, panelists and continuing education credits for each session.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- Practical strategies to navigate MPNs
- The fluidity of the MPN roster
- Challenges and struggles of being an MPN doctor
- MPN doctors and substantial medical reporting
Credit: 1.0 MCLE, 1.0 Legal Specialization, 1.0 QME
2:20 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.
- Invalid Utilization Review: Dubon, Bodam, and Patterson
- Analyzing RFAs
- Options for treatment after UR denial
- How to appeal UR Decisions and IMR Determinations
- Rebuttable presumption of MTUS and other guidelines
- Stevens, McFarland and McAtee
Credit: 1.0 MCLE, 1.0 Legal Specialization, 1.0 QME
3:40 p.m. – 4:40 p.m.
- Questions and comments about obtaining treatment for the injured worker
- Panelists will present case studies of alternative means of obtaining treatment for injured workers based on the present law
- Microphones will be available around the convention hall for public commentary and questions
Credit: 1.0 MCLE, 1.0 Legal Specialization, 0.5 QME
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- What have we learned from the Dahl case?
- What are the next steps in obtaining a disability rating for DFEC?
- rebutting age and occupation factors of the schedule
Credit: 1.0 MCLE, 1.0 Legal Specialization
6:15 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016
8:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
- How to submit an application for the 120 Million Dollar Fund
- How to file for a QME panel: (and the litigation continues)
- How to file a lien and lien fees
Credit: 1.25 MCLE, 1.25 Legal Specialization
Panel: Chairperson, Ronnie Caplane, (Moderator) (invited); Commissioner Deidra Lowe (invited); Commissioner Marguerite Sweeney (invited); Commissioner Katherine Zalewski (invited); Commissioner Jose Razo (invited); Commissioner Frank Brass (invited)
Credit: 1.25 MCLE, 1.25 Legal Specialization
- The "demolition" of workers' compensation
- The research behind the investigative reports
- Inequities in the system
Credit: 1.0 MCLE, 1.0 Legal Specialization
- The esteemed panel provides a critical review of the significant cases from the last 6 months
Credit: 1.25 MCLE, 1.25 Legal Specialization
- Factors to consider when classifying employees
- Consequences of misclassifying employees
- Uber/Lyft controversy
Credit: 1.0 MCLE, 1.0 Legal Specialization
SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2016
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
- Conducting ethical discovery
- Protecting applicants’ individual rights based on native language, race, religion, gender and sexual orientation
- Preventing the abuse of the privacy rights of the injured worker and the rights of the undocumented worker
Credit: 1.25 MCLE (Bias), 1.25 Legal Specialization
- Escobedo and recent cases following the principles in Escobedo
- Causation of disability
- Impermissible factors; degenerative changes
- Medical apportionment versus vocational apportionment
Credit: 1.25 MCLE, 1.25 Legal Specialization, 1.0 QME
SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2016
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
- Keeping track of SAWW rates and how they work
- Working with Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs)
- Methods of Attorney Fee Reductions
Credit: 1.25 MCLE, 1.25 Legal Specialization
- Tables of the AMA Guides that internists use to describe impairment
- Bases for potential apportionment of internal conditions
- How do risk factors and preexisting conditions impact industrial findings?
- Internal conditions as compensable consequences of physical injuries
- METS testing and deconditioning
- Almaraz/Guzman and internal conditions
Credit: 1.25 MCLE, 1.25 Legal Specialization, 1.0 QME