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Montana Self Insurers' Association

APRIL 2026 update

  • DOLI Webinars – Worker-Centricity: A New Approach to Return to Work
  • CMS Webinar Rescheduled to April 15 – Noon MDT
  • National Council of Self Insurers Conference – Rancho Mirage CA  5/31 – 6/3
  • MSIA Annual Meeting & Exclusive Event at the Governor’s Conference – West Yellowstone 10/6 - 9
  • MSIA is Moving April 10
  • Mark Your Calendars! - MSIA Webinar – May 20 @ 10a MDT | Dr. Claire Muselman Presents a follow up To the 2025 MSIA Annual Meeting:  Beyond the Punch in the Face: A Human Centered Roadmap for Making Workers’ Compensation Work!


DOLI Webinars – Worker-Centricity: A New Approach to Return to Work

The Montana Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) has announced a new webinar, Rethinking Return-to-Work: Introducing a Worker-Centric Framework  hosted by Jason Parker, President & Senior Work Disability Consultant of Centrix Disability Management Services. This event and program is focused on the importance of return to work (or my preferred approach - return to life).

There will be five opportunities to participate in the 90-minute session and each session is limited to 25 registrants to preserve the interactive nature of the trainings.

Advance registration is required - use this link: Rethinking Return-to-Work: Introducing a Worker-Centric Framework. Medical CE credits are available through DOLI – details are included when you register. There is no charge for participating.

The sessions will be held on (please sign up for just one):

  • Mon   May 18 - 8:30a
  • Wed   May 27 - 1:00p
  • Fri       June 5 - 11:30a
  • Thu     June 11 - 8:30a
  • Tues   June 16 - 2:30p

While this event is aimed at Montana medical professionals, it is available and valuable to anyone in the Montana Workers’ Compensation system. We will discuss an innovative approach to returning to work (and life) after an injury. Traditional impairment and compliance-based models too often fall short of the goal of the system – to return to work.

The program introduces Worker-Centricity: an evidence-based framework that prioritizes conditions needed to achieve better RTW outcomes. Parker will identify and discuss the principles and priorities of a worker-centric framework, and the necessary shift to achieve timely, safe and reliable RTW outcomes. He will also go through a collective RTW process that leverages the unique roles and contributions of workers, employers and other stakeholders.

This is an important step for the Montana workers’ compensation system in recognizing that injured workers are not just claimants, are not just a claim number, but (particularly for self insurers) are our co-workers, neighbors and important to our work and business. RTW outcomes cannot be fully explained or improved by medical facts alone. They are heavily influenced by a range of robust and well-validated factors we all can influence – positively or negatively.

Each session is limited to 25 people – please register for only one session by using this link: Rethinking Return-to-Work: Introducing a Worker-Centric Framework.

The Continuing Medical Education (CME) program is fully funded by the State of Montana Department of Labor & Industry. The Department’s support

ensures that this educational activity is provided at no cost to participants to promote ongoing professional development and workforce advancement in the state.


CMS Webinar on MSA Reporting - 4/15 Noon MDT

Without much notice, CMS re-scheduled their March 25 Webinar reported on in the MSIA March UPDATE to April 15. From their announcement:

The intent of the webinar is to review the WCMSA reporting process and data fields that were required effective April 4, 2025. CMS will also discuss some of the issues encountered, and review WCMSA reporting best practices. All are welcome, but the intended audience for this webinar is the Section 111 reporting community (Responsible Reporting Entities (RREs) and Reporting Agents).

In advance of the webinar, participants are encouraged to email general questions related to Section 111 WCMSA reporting to the resource mailbox at PL110-173SEC111-comments@cms.hhs.gov.

Teams Join Link: April 15, 2026 2:00 PM EST https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/22876272966889?p=WsvTXDWa93jTlz082i

Meeting ID: 228 762 729 668 89     Passcode: Wq2xz3Gm

OR to connect via telephone: (888) 588-2610             

Phone Conference ID 457 579 086#

CMS has recently started auditing WC MSA reporting with the intent of providing potentially significant civil monetary penalties (CMPs) for inadequate reporting. This was the topic of the 2/25 MSIA Webinar, Section 111 Compliance Trends – Are You Ready? presented by Ciara Koba of Allan Koba Compliance Solutions on Feb 25 – if you would like more details or a copy of the presentation deck, please contact the MSIA office.

MSIA has participated in meetings organized by UWC Strategies with the new CMS leadership and while the dialogue has been more productive than prior discussions, there are a lot of issues and questions remaining. Prior CMS webinars have helped clarify what they are thinking, doing and seeking in the required reporting.

Some of the questions that may need to be addressed, for example, deal with the most recent reporting change. That change requires ALL diagnosis code information regarding a beneficiary (injured worker claimant) to be associated with the first claim reported to CMS. So, the injured right knee you reported on in December of 2013, will also have the diagnosis codes associated with the covered subsequent lower back injury from 2023. There may be some questions remaining on reporting and the requirements.

Important Note: This is a public webinar and there is no pre-registration needed. The webinar link should only be utilized on the day of the webinar. Due to the number of expected participants, please log in at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the presentation.


National Council of Self Insurers Conference – Rancho Mirage 5/31 – 6/3

Limited Discount Registrations Available through MSIA – Contact Us!

The National Council of Self Insurers Annual Conference has again become one of the meetings not to miss. We have made the Conference focus on Employers Talking With Employers about what’s working, what they’ve learned and what’s coming next in preventing injuries, addressing injured workers’ needs and helping to return to life after an accident has occurred. The National Council Conference, because it is for workers’ compensation leaders, has featured MSIA members as part of the program - MyMatrixx, Sibayne Stillwater, Midland Claims Service, Sanderson Firm, RxBridge, MinWorx Health and Allan Koba Compliance Solutions as examples. This year is no exception – MSIA leaders such as Safety National, Rising Medical Solutions and Bardavon Health are scheduled to present.

This year’s National Council Conference will be 5/31 – 6/3 in Rancho Mirage at the Ritz Carleton. Register here: National Council Annual Conference 2026 MSIA has access to a limited number of discount registrations available for MSIA members

 

This promises to be another GREAT Conference with a higher concentration of employers, thought leaders and decision makers.

Contact MSIA before you register to get a discounted registration.

  

MSIA Annual Meeting & Exclusive Event at the Governor’s Conference

West Yellowstone 10/6 - 9

It’s time to start planning to attend the Governor’s Conference and the MSIA Business & Annual Meeting. This year we will be in West Yellowstone at the Holiday Inn. The Governor’s Conference will kick off with an exclusive MSIA event the evening of 10/6 open to Conference speakers, MSIA members and special invited guests. This is our first effort at an exclusive event, and we’re going to do our best to do it right – please plan on joining us the evening of 10/6 in West Yellowstone. Plan on spending some extra time in the area to visit the Yellowstone Park. Early October is a GREAT time to see some of the most amazing natural wonders – the crowds are down and you can really get around!

After our Exclusive Event, the MSIA Business & Annual Meeting will continue at 10a on Wednesday 10/7. We will review our public policy positions, formally adopt our budget, elect Board members and hear from Bill Zachry as our guest speaker. Zachry is well known nationally as a speaker and writer on all things workers’ compensation. He is the former risk manager for Safeway, active with WCRI, CWCI and is on the Board for the State Compensaiton Insurance Fund – CA’s version of MSF. If you cannot make the meeting – Please, please, please provide your proxy to the Board or someone else.


MSIA is moving April 10

Effective April 10, the MSIA office will be moving to 4923 Smallwood Court, Helena, MT 59601. There is no change in email or phone contact information – only our physical mailing address. There is no change regarding our banking information (for those members who use EFT/ACH services).

Please make note of the new address - - 4923 Smallwood Ct, Helena, MT 59601 - - effective April 10, 2026.


Mark Your Calendars! - Next MSIA CE Webinar May 20 @ 10a MDT

Dr. Claire Muselman Presents a follow up to the 2025 MSIA Annual Meeting

Beyond the Punch in the Face: A Human Centered Roadmap

for Making Workers’ Compensation Work!    

We’re proud to host Dr. Claire Muselman again for a follow up to the presentation at the 2025 MSIA Annual Meeting presentation – Beyond the Punch in the Face: A Human Centered Approach to Making Workers’ Compensation Work! This Webinar will be May 20 at 10a MDT. Registration is not yet available – this is a heads up notice to mark your calendar! We will be applying for MT WC Claims Examiner and MT Insurance Producer license credits.

Muselman presented to a record crowd at our last annual meeting and EVERYONE walked away with a new appreciation for how much better we could work together by keeping just a few things in mind as we dealt with colleagues, injured workers, medical providers, attorneys – actually, ANYONE! If you missed Muselman’s presentation in Billings the powerpoint deck is available by contacting the MSIA office.

Muselman never disappoints, whether live as in Billings, or via webinar. This one will be one you will want to attend – regardless of your role in our system.

Details will be coming later this month! (Sponsorships are also available – contact MSIA!)