Get ready to be inspired, informed, and entertained at our free, virtual 2021 Medical & Health Symposium Thursday, April 8, through Saturday, April 10. It’s not too late to register for the symposium.

You may view the symposium brochure with information about our three educational tracks, session schedules, and speaker biographies. To see why you should attend, read our blog.

Continuing education

Themed “Comprehensive Care for an Injured Worker,” our symposium features a Provider Staff Forum, a Vocational Rehabilitation Workshop, and a two-day Provider Clinical Education track. From the comfort of your home or office nationwide, you and your staff may join in world-class learning opportunities led by state and national experts in their fields.

The symposium offers free continuing education for many health care and legal professions. During the symposium’s breaks, you may visit our exhibitors.  

Our virtual Medical & Health Symposium kicks off with a Provider Staff Forum highlighting an overview of basic tools and resources for managing the day-to-day operations of workers’ compensation processes and workflows. In the afternoon, our Vocational Rehabilitation Workshop features Linda Hedenblad, MSE, CRC, MINT, speaking on ethical decision making and resilience for all attendees.  

Our Provider Clinical Education sessions cover the latest topics impacting patient care and providers. Some of the topics include substance abuse disorder, COVID-19 clinical insights, where medical and legal intersect, power of human connection, delayed recovery, violence in the workplace, stories of triumph and tragedy, multi-disciplinary treatment programs and return to work.

Our event reviews the most pressing health and medical issues facing all of us today. If you have questions, call 1-800-644-6292, option 0-3-0 or email medsymposium@bwc.state.oh.us.

Register and encourage your staff members to join us virtually April 8-10 at our 2021 Medical & Health Symposium!

Effective April 1, there will be changes to our outpatient medication formulary. Ohio Administrative Code 4123-6-21.3 Appendix (4-1-2021).pdf (ohio.gov) lists updates. Changes effective April 1 are highlighted in yellow.

These changes are based on recommendations from our Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee. Our committee is a diverse group of pharmacists and prescribing physicians who advise us on appropriate prescriptions and authorization of medicines.

Drug formulary look-up

For your information, our Drug formulary look-up is a tool you may use to look up coverage for a specific drug. Enter a partial or complete drug name, and then click search.

If you have questions about our formulary, email our pharmacy benefits department.

We continue to serve you during this COVID-19 state of emergency with teams teleworking to assure our core operations for Ohio’s injured workers and employers are as smooth as possible. Here are some highlights of what we’re doing for our customers during the pandemic.

• We’re finding, delivering PPE statewide! When Governor Mike DeWine and other state leaders called on all Ohioans to help shore up Ohio’s personal protective equipment supply, we responded. Our employees across the state uncovered and donated hundreds of N95 masks, safety goggles, nitrile gloves, hand sanitizers, wipes and more.

Our Special Investigations Department has assisted the state’s Emergency Operations Center to deliver more than 3.5 million pieces of essential supplies and PPE statewide. This includes face masks, protective gowns, face shield, sanitizer, pop-up testing equipment, and ventilators to health care settings, hospitals, and front-line workers around the state.

Here’s a blog written by our security manager who travels statewide delivering supplies for all Ohioans.

• Rate reduction for private employers begins July 1! We continue to explore all ways possible to reduce workers’ compensation costs for employers, including reducing premium rates. We reduced rates for public employers a net 7.9% on

Jan. 1. For private employers we reduced rates a net 7.1%, effective July 1.

You can find a history of our rate changes since 2000 by clicking this link.

• Nearly $8 billion for employers in dividends in 2020! Our Board of Directors approved three dividends totally nearly $8 billion in 2020 to ease COVID-19’s impact on our business community and economy. These dividends were made possible by BWC’s strong investment returns, declining claims, and other cost savings.

• New facilities eligible for HVAC assistance program, June 30 deadline! In the continuing effort to weaken COVID-19’s spread, we expanded our Indoor Air Quality Assistance Program to include substance use treatment centers, group homes, and others. As of April 1, we’ve processed more than 700 applications. The deadline to apply is June 30.

If your facility is not eligible for a grant, our blog provides helpful resources to assist you in improving your facility’s indoor air quality.

For an application, FAQ, and more, visit this BWC webpage. You may email your questions to grants@bwc.state.oh.us.

• More non-medical grade masks on the way! Watch your doorstep, employers. Under our Protecting Ohio’s Workforce – We’ve Got you Covered initiative, we are working with Ohio manufacturers and nonprofits to distribute millions of masks to Ohio’s employers and workforce to weaken the spread of COVID-19.

Encourage your patients, colleagues, and employees to continue wearing their masks. All of us are setting an example for our communities. When we’re out in public, Masks On!

• For other information about COVID-19 related to BWC, visit Frequently Asked Questions: What BWC providers need to know about care during the COVID-19 state of emergency.

We’re not done. These efforts continue. Remember – We are #In This Together Ohio.