The North Carolina Bar Association Workers’ Compensation Council met May 18, 2021.

Updates from the North Carolina Industrial Commission (NCIC) and the Dispute Resolution Commission (DRC) are provided below.

Deputy Commissioners

Deputy Commissioner Nance announced that the Commission has added Deputy Commissioner Celeste Harris and Deputy Commissioner Wes Saunders. Both Deputy Commissioners have workers’ compensation experience.

NCIC IC Conference (Oct. 6-8)

Mark your calendars for the NC Industrial Commission Conference Oct. 6-8, 2021. The event will be held in-person and will feature 18 topics including General Ethics, Technology and Substance Abuse.

Updating Information with NCIC

Beginning March 1, 2021, all carriers, TPA, and self-insured employers are now required to provide the NCIC with an email address to receive claim-related documents. This address will only be used if the NCIC does not have the individual claim handler’s email address.

Dispute Resolution Commission

The DRC will meet on June 25, 2021 to discuss how mediations will be conducted in the changing COVID environment. The commission is expected to discuss rules for holding virtual and in-person mediations.

More information can be found at the NCIC site and the DRC site.