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Montana Self Insurers' Association

August 2026 Update

  • Not Your Parents Structured Settlement:  Tools for Today’s Settlement Strategies - Webinar September 15 @ 10a; Sponsored by CorVel & Health-e-Systems
  • MSIA Annual Meeting & Reception at the Governor’s Conference West Yellowstone 10/6-10/9
  • Are Data Centers the New Montana Gold Rush – BBER Mid-Year Economic Outlook Seminar
  • FREE - DOLI Safety Training 6 Cities – 6 Dates - Through March 2027
  • Welcome new MSIA Member – Sedgwick

Webinar - Not Your Parents Structured Settlement: Tools for Today’s Settlement Strategies

   Sept 15 @ 10a MDT           Sponsored by CorVel & Health-e-Systems

Join us for the next MSIA CE Webinar, Not Your Parents Structured Settlement: Tools for Today’s Settlement Strategies on September 15 at 10a MDT, sponsored by CorVel and Health-e-Systems. Kerri Poe, CSSC with Arcadia Settlements Group will walk us through the strategic financial tools available to assist in settlements and MSAs. In over 30 years of work, Poe has dealt with mass torts, personal injury settlements, Workers Compensation, general liability, medical malpractice and Minors’ cases. Poe brings value to both sides of the negotiation by working as a subject matter expert and being an advocate to the settlement process.

Forget everything you think you know about structured settlements. A structured settlement can be an integral part of the strategy supporting settlements that have to work for all sides. This isn't your parent's version of a slow, one-size-fits-all annuity; today’s structured settlement is a strategic financial tool that claims teams and attorneys use to solve real problems and provide for additional financial protection for injured workers.

CE credit for the MT WC Claims Examiner license have been approved and are pending for the MT Insurance Producer license. Advance registration is required. MSIA members (if you’re getting this email) have access to unlimited seats. Register here: Not Your Parents Structured Settlement !

Sponsored by:

CorVel - contact:  Nick Holstein at Nick_Holstein@CorVel.com or 303-518- 5657                             

Health-e Systems - contact:  Kristi Kuh at KKuh@HealtheSystems.com or 813-463-1269

Regardless of general liability or workers' compensation claims, participants will walk away with practical, current strategies they can use at their desk - today. This is a fresh look at a familiar tool - - it might change how you approach your next case. Advance registration is required.

Register by using this link:  Not Your Parents Structured Settlement !

MSIA Annual Meeting & Reception at the Governor’s Conference – West Yellowstone 10/6 – 10/9

The Governor’s Conference kicks off with the MSIA exclusive reception with all the speakers at the Conference on 10/6 at 6p at the event space at the Madison Crossing Lounge. Join us for some social time with

Bill Zachry, Dave North, former CEO at Sedgwick, Dr. Claire Muselman of Drake University, Annie Davidson with Sanderson Firm, Jason Parker, national RTW specialist and more will be joining us. Our reception is sponsored by MyMatrixx, Safety National, Sanderson Firm, & Triage Now!

The MSIA Annual Meeting starts at 9:45a the next day, Wednesday October 7. We will go through the Annual Issues survey responses, our budget and elect Board members. We will be joined by Bill Zachry, former Safeway/Albertsons Group VP of Risk Management and is a national WC blogger and leader. As always, our guest speaker’s presentation is open to everyone attending the Conference and is eligible for MT WC Claims Examiner license CE credit. Zachry will be discussing AI, hard stops, guardrails ethical use and its’ impact on business. The MSIA Annual Meeting is sponsored by Browning, Kaleczyc, Berry & Hoven, Clarus IME, Definiti Comp/Definiti RX and Wrenwell Claims!

If you cannot join us for the Business & Annual Meeting, please provide your proxy to the Board of Directors by emailing the MSIA office (PStrauss@MTSelfInsurers.org). This meeting is for ALL members.

MT WC Claims Examiner CE credit available for those who sign in!

See you in West on 10/6!

BBER Mid-Year Economic Seminar – Are Data Centers the New Montana Gold Rush?

Are Data Centers the New Montana Gold Rush? The University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) Midyear Economic Update presented a clear picture of a national economy lifted by AI‑driven productivity and a Montana economy constrained by affordability pressures, slowing population growth, stalled job creation and being ‘dragged’ up by our technology sector. Tech has grown to be a full 5% of the state’s GDP – and growing at a clip of about 5% per year. The Montana outlook was rated as slower but still growing.

National Economic Conditions:

  • AI is the dominant economic driver. AI‑related investment boosted U.S. GDP by nearly 1 percentage point, and productivity rose 4.7% in Q2–Q3 2025. Early adoption has already reduced average task time by 1.5%.
  • Job growth is uneven. Healthcare added 709,000 jobs over the past year, while all other industries combined lost 120,000 jobs.
  • Tariff impacts were milder than expected. Effective tariff payments averaged 10.9% in October 2025, with many companies absorbing costs and fewer retaliatory actions from trading partners.
  • Inflation outlook stabilizing. Inflation is projected to be about 3.8% - higher than anyone wants and it has been stubborn about moving.

Montana Economic Conditions:

  • Montana remains among the least affordable states. One affordability standard says put about 30% of income toward housing. Montana is currently at about 43% overall – with some notable exceptions - Flathead and Gallatin – both over 60%.
  • Population growth has slowed, but still increasing. The big news here is we are seeing growth in county populations that traditionally have NOT been the growth areas. Part of this is due to the higher cost areas driving some in-state migration to neighboring counties, where housing may be more affordable. 
  • Wages continue to increase but job growth has become pretty flat. Tech continues to lead earnings growth.
  • Major 2025 policy changes: Property tax reform, income tax cuts, and expanded “Right to Try” legislation all will likely be issues during the next legislative session. Montana is the first state to enact “Right to Try” medical legislation. 

Montana enters 2026 with mixed momentum:

  • National tailwinds from AI and productivity support broader economic stability.
  • Local headwinds—affordability, slow population growth, and weak resource sectors—continue to constrain economic performance.
  • Policy changes may offer modest relief but are unlikely to resolve structural affordability challenges in the near term.

BBER is producing a study on Data Centers that should be out in a month or so providing a much more comprehensive look at what the impacts – environmentally, economically and job growth. MSIA members will learn about the report, when it is released. The Montana Chamber’s message during this session is that tech is Montana’s growth industry. While there are lots of unanswered questions about Data Centers, there is also a lot of hyperbole, panic over the unknowns and fear of that same unknown. Rather than a ‘just say no’ approach, the Chamber is asking us to weigh the facts, not the stories, about Data Centers.

FREE DOLI Safety Training 6 Cities – 6 Dates - Through March 2027

Montana DOLI is providing free safety training, paid for by a Susan Harwood training grant from OSHA. While the Montana safety record is better than it used to be, we are still in the bottom quartile of states in on-the-job injury rates. The Montana Safety Consultation program is committed to making Montana a safer place to work. Advance registration is requested as seating is limited!

The goal for this training is to emphasize how we can impact 12 targeted areas in which we see injuries across the state.  The training is free for any Montanan covered under OSHA. Seats are limited to 40 people per class so there is a greater opportunity to learn, and make a difference. Learn more here: Safety and Health Training Funded by the Susan Harwood Training Grant

The first session was in Billings in June. Sessions are set for Kalispell (Sept 2 -3), Great Falls (Oct 6 – 7), Bozeman (Nov 4 -5), Helena (Jan 6-7) Butte (Feb 3-4) and Missoula (Mar 3-4).

Training programs will be offered for:

  • Noise/Hearing Conservation                                                    
  • Fall Prevention & Protection
  • Warehousing                                                                                   
  • Machine Guarding & Amputation Prevention
  • Chemical Hazards/Hazard Communications                    
  • Chemical Inhalation & Absorption Hazards
  • Hazardous Temperature Exposure                                  
  • Residential Construction
  • Electrical Hazards                                                                               
  • PPE
  • Lockout/Tagout                                                                        
  • Respirable Crystalline Silica Hazards

For more information, or any questions about the Safety Consultation program, contact Tiffany Ott – 406-494-0324 or visit the website Safety-Health/Request-Free-Consultation. Advance registration for the free safety training programs is requested and available here: Safety and Health Training Funded by the Susan Harwood Training Grant.

Welcome new MSIA Member – Sedgwick

With Sedgwick, your workers get access to the greatest network of experts and the best care. You get the most advanced AI-enabled technology available and the richest data set in the world. The best return to work outcomes and experiences in the industry come from partnering with the leading integrated workers’ compensation and managed care provider. Get the best outcome for every workers’ compensation claim. We’re the industry-leading claims administrator for all 50 states and pull together the right jurisdictional, clinical, return to work and settlement expertise needed for each claim. Our best-in-class team – backed by our proprietary, AI-enabled technology – delivers seamless experiences and the fastest recoveries possible for your injured workers, all while lowering program costs. At every step in the process, you and your workers will have access to powerful tools too – use Omni for actionable reports, analytics and for real-time claim status. Each injured worker is unique, and their care should be too. We’ll take the time to get to know your injured workers and what they need to recover, so we can connect them to the right medical resources, at the right time.

As Sedgwick works to get them the best quality care, we’ll help you reduce your expenses through our medical bill review and healthcare network solutions. It can be confusing to calculate Medicare set aside (MSA) allocations or how much is owed when there’s a lien. Our Medicare compliance services are proven at helping clients spend less and settle more. Using data from our claims system, we work quickly and accurately to lower MSAs and reduce over 60% of liens to $0. Sedgwick provides comprehensive Medicare compliance services as an in-house, integrated program option for workers’ compensation and liability claims management. Our team offers a unique approach to Medicare Set Asides (MSAs), Medicare lien resolution and medical cost projections. Clients can rely on the efficiencies, quick turnaround time and quality Sedgwick‘s experts deliver – and the assurance that our overall goal is to drive total claims costs down. For more information, contact Samantha Boardman at Samantha.Boardman@Sedgwick.com or 406-770-6096