I'm covering the Annual Issues Symposium at the NCCI Conference in Orlando...

The agenda looks pretty strong, and attendance is solid as well - at 98% of 2008 levels (a big contrast to the RIMS show last month).

NCCI released their State of the Workers' Comp Line report this morning (available at their website www.ncci.com. Highlights include:

- Frequency declined four points in 2008, evidence that the recession is impacting work comp claims

- As further proof of the continued existence of the soft market, comp premiums declined by 12% last year to $39 billion.

- The accident year combined ratio (claims plus admin expenses) increased to 100%
in 2008, up four points from the prior year.

The agenda includes a discussion of the impact of health reform - and Medicare - on workers comp. Hallelujah. It is long past time for the comp industry to look up and out, to realize we are the flea on the tail of the dog, and that dog is moving in new and different directions, and moving fast.

More to come...