Debbie Michel, President of Helmsman Management Services, to Keynote 2015 Workers Compensation

ORLANDO, Fla. - Feb. 17, 2015 - PRLog -- Debbie Michel, President of Helmsman Management Services, Liberty Mutual Insurance’s wholly-owned TPA, will be the industry keynote speaker at the 70th annual Workers’ Compensation Conference (WCEC) in Orlando on August 23-26.

The WCEC is a premier industry conference, providing unparalleled education and networking opportunities for workers compensation professionals. Attendance at the event at the Orlando World Center Marriott is expected to top 8,000, drawing participants from across the nation and a number of foreign countries.

In her keynote address, Michel will review the state of the workers compensation market, the top challenges facing employers, and practical solutions—from a national and regional perspective.

“Today’s workers compensation market can be scary and confusing,” notes Michel.  “Top challenges include escalating medical costs, harnessing data to improve medical outcomes for injured employees, understanding a diverse set of state regulations and dealing with an aging—and generally less healthy—employee population. While there are strong national trends, the market is far from monolithic, and so understanding the regional perspective is often critical in better managing total workers compensation claim costs.”

Michel is well suited to the task. She joined Liberty Mutual in 1995 and was named to her current position in 2012, where she is responsible for managing a portfolio of customers with more than $5 billion in losses under management.

“We are delighted to have someone of Ms. Michel’s experience and reputation as our keynote speaker,” says WCEC General Chairman James N. McConnaughhay. “Her appearance is reflective of the national scope that our convention presents, and the importance that we place on presenting programs of significance from prominent industry leaders.”

The four-day conference is the largest gathering of its kind in the nation. In addition to Michel’s keynote address, there are program tracks for employers, risk managers, brokers, adjusters, judges, lawyers, state administrators, safety professionals, nurses, doctors, representatives from the PEO and temporary employment industry, Medicare specialists, mediators, social security experts and Longshore specialists. Attendees can earn CEUs from numerous disciplines, and more than 300 exhibitors will be on hand to present information on their products and services.

ABOUT HELMSMAN MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Helmsman Management Services is the fully owned third-party administrator of Liberty Mutual with service revenue of roughly $180 million. It offers claims management, managed care, and risk control solutions that help businesses with complex risk management needs better control the total cost of workers compensation claims.

ABOUT THE WORKERS’ COMPENSATION EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE
Now in its 70th year, the Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference (WCEC) is the must-attend event for C-level executives, risk managers, claims adjusters, insurers, and medical and legal experts. Presented by the Workers’ Compensation Institute, the conference offers attendees an extraordinary opportunity to connect with their peers and learn from nationally recognized experts. The 2015 Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference will be held August 23-26 at the Orlando World Center Marriott.

ABOUT THE WORKERS’ COMPENSATION INSTITUTE
The Workers’ Compensation Institute (WCI) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization that serves all members of the workers’ compensation community—risk managers, insurers, brokers, agents, employers, employees, and claims, medical, and legal professionals. The WCI presents the annual Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference every August in Orlando. More information is available at the WCI website.