Last week, the daisyBill team had the pleasure of attending the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) Annual Issues & Research Conference in Phoenix.

The event was exceptional. The WCRI’s impartial and highly informative presentations gave attendees genuinely valuable, actionable insights into the latest trends and research in workers' compensation—without the bias that often plagues other industry events.

Under the leadership of President & CEO Ramona Tanabe, the WCRI team curated a diverse agenda that addressed critical topics facing the industry, meticulously organizing two days of sessions with knowledgeable speakers exploring topics that impact workers’ comp stakeholders throughout the United States.

Given this organization’s clear commitment to sharing objective information to improve workers’ comp nationwide, daisyBill is proud to be a new member of the WCRI.

WCRI - Impartiality Reigned

The WCRI’s focus on delivering unbiased information (except for one speaker) was inspiring, particularly given that payer-side interests historically dominate workers’ comp industry analysis.

The WCRI's commitment to neutrality fostered open discussion and objective assessment, creating an environment where stakeholders could engage constructively. This level of objectivity is a rarity for workers’ comp conferences where most attendees (and members) represent payers.

As daisyNews often argues, impartiality is crucial for driving meaningful improvements to workers’ comp. The WCRI conference exemplified this principle throughout.

WCRI Conference Highlights

Highlights of the conference included memorable presentations from:

Dr. Lanhee J. Chen: A leading U.S. public policy expert and political commentator, Dr. Chen delivered the keynote on the first day of the conference, giving valuable perspectives on current policies affecting workers' compensation.

Dr. Gary Franklin: A professor at the University of Washington, Dr. Franklin presented persuasive evidence demonstrating how pre and post-injury opioid prescriptions affect recovery and disability risks for injured workers.

State Regulators Panel: This session offered valuable insights into how state regulators are working to improve workers' compensation systems. The panel featured regulators from across the nation discussing key issues and recent initiatives, legislation, and judicial decisions impacting their states.

Topics ranged from medical accessibility and mental health to prescription drugs and other emerging trends. The discussion left no doubt that these regulators are deeply committed to enhancing their respective systems to benefit injured workers and employers. They included:

• Clarissa Rodríguez, NYS Workers’ Compensation Board Chair & Commissioner
• Marianne Saylor, Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers' Compensation, Director
• Gaetano Testini, Industrial Commission of Arizona, Director

Dr. Mark Holmes: A professor at the University of North Carolina, Dr. Holmes presented a compelling discussion on “Threats to Healthcare Access in Rural America,” shedding light on the challenges faced by rural populations in accessing healthcare services.

WCRI Research Team: Throughout the two days, this team presented high-quality research the WCRI recently undertook in the following areas:

• Changes in the Medical Workforce: A look at how provider shortages and demographic shifts may impact treatment patterns and outcomes for injured workers.
• Impact of Comorbid Conditions: A discussion of common underlying conditions linked to specific injuries, and potential ways to target these conditions for proactive intervention.
• State of the States: Selected Findings: A roundup of selected findings and trends across WCRI's core benchmark studies, plus a discussion of preliminary findings on the impact of recreational marijuana on workers’ comp.

daisyBill looks forward to attending the 2026 WCRI conference in Boston. Again, we are proud to contribute to an organization so clearly dedicated to transparency, objectivity, and constructive dialogue that can actually effect meaningful change.

The more stakeholders who come together in a forum demanding an honest assessment of workers’ compensation issues, the better the system will work for injured workers, providers, and employers.

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