An October National Comp Session Identifies Best Practices for Managing Communicable Disease Claims Beyond COVID

Now that we've experienced an outbreak like COVID-19, business and organizations must be prepared to mitigate communicable disease risk moving forward.
By: | October 13, 2021

Reframing your business quickly after a catastrophe, like a global pandemic, is a critical skill. And it’s likely your business needs to adapt following COVID-19, making some significant changes to its approach to communicable disease claims. Addressing the needs of your employees has never been more critical as things settle into the new normal of working life after a crisis like the pandemic.

Employers are uniquely positioned to help their employees following catastrophes like COVID. One way to do that is by adapting workplace policies that affect how your business manages communicable disease claims and other people safety issues. Our world is changed forever following the pandemic, and the way your business approaches claims has to adapt along with it.

This thought-provoking panel discussion will focus on strategic approaches to reframing your approach to communicable disease claims.

Diverse opinions from experts with legal, claims, medical, and carrier management backgrounds, along with questions from the attendees, will contribute to a lively discussion.

The panelists will answer critical questions that have developed from the pandemic and help attendees:

  • Develop robust and thorough claim investigation strategies to assess and defend communicable disease claims
  • Analyze compensability and accurately assess exposure
  • Identify and implement best practices for communicable disease claim handling and prevention strategies

Donna Stewart is a corporate workers’ compensation claims supervisor for Caesars Entertainment Inc. and will be joining the conference as a speaker on the panel.

She expanded on the goals for the session: “The preventative strategies for future claims, with respect to COVID, have many layers as we get into issues of vaccinations and side effects contemporaneous to the already existing exposures to the virus. How will pandemic prevention measures be implemented in your business? Have you created a program that takes ownership of all things COVID? Does your benefits team understand the differences in your healthcare policies and the intent of workers’ compensation?”

Donna Stewart, corporate workers’ compensation claims supervisor, Caesars Entertainment Inc.

Risk mitigation strategies need to be developed and adopted by all businesses. Plenty of issues are emerging from the pandemic, from forcing workers to return to the office to mandatory vaccines.

Justin Nestor, a partner at Kopka Pinkus Dolin PC and another speaker on this panel, previously commented: “Prior to the pandemic, I don’t think many in our industry appreciated that communicable diseases were a significant risk in the workers’ compensation context, especially in those states where their case law specifically addressed such claims.” This panel will provide more discussion around the future of communicable disease risk in workers’ compensation.

Your business can’t afford to stay the same after COVID. Employees – and courts – will look to employers to be proactive and create sound preventative strategies for future claims. Now that we’ve experienced a pandemic like this, businesses will be expected to have safety and preventative strategies in place for the future.

Join Justin Nestor, Partner at Kopka Pinkus Dolin PC; Carolyn Siebert, VP Director of Carrier Engagement at Gallagher Basset Services; Donna Stewart, Corporate Workers Compensation Claims Supervisor for Caesars Entertainment Inc.; Dena Abdallah, Vice President Managing Consultant at Marsh; and Mohannad Kusti, Corporate Medical Director at Pivot On-site Innovations on Thursday, October 21, 2021, from 10:45 AM – 11:45 AM for the engaging and interactive session “Reframe Your Approach to Communicable Disease Claims, Pandemic and Beyond.” &


National Comp — the National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Conference — is back! We’re planning an in-person show for October, 20-22, 2021 and we’re excited to see everyone while still adhering to all safety protocols set forth by local and national health authorities at the time of the event.  Register today!

This year, we’ll feature seven tracks — from core content on medical and pharmaceutical management, claims and return-to-work, plus new and expanded avenues to explore like risk finance and injury prevention. All of our educational sessions are chosen for their ability to deliver sound takeaways and ideas that attendees can use right now.

In the meantime, National Comp will continue bringing you free virtual, educational content through our digital sessions series and our CompTalks program. Register today to make sure you don’t miss a digital session and check out our on-demand CompTalks library.  Missed a session? Watch it here on-demand.

Abi Potter Clough, MBA, CPCU, is a keynote speaker, author and business consultant focused on Insurtech, leadership and strategy. She has over 15 years of experience at a Fortune 500 company with expertise in P&C claims operational leadership, lean management consulting, digital communications and Insurtech. As the past chair of the International Insurance Interest Group of the CPCU Society, Abi remains involved in many international initiatives and projects. She has published two books about change management and relocation. Abi can be reached at [email protected].

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