Okay, so we have covered how to gather recommendations, and you've put together your workers' compensation team and assessed your strengths and weaknesses. Now it's time to look at your recommended course of action and review the next steps. Many of these steps will apply to both private employers and public employers, those who are under the domain of FECA — federal employers such as TSA, NASA, U.S. Border Patrol, and any civilian employed by the federal government.
1. Review the assessment's recommendations. They should be in the following areas: management commitment and resources, fraud control, return to work, working with your insurance company and TPA, medical cost controls, pharmacy management.
2. Brainstorm. Discuss the priority of recommendations, potential challenges and ways to overcome obstacles.
3. Make it a formal meeting by calling it: Recommendation Review.
You will need to send a meeting invitation (e-mail) — a first step toward building a cohesive program.
Include in the invitation:
1. Thank all participants for completing the assessment.
2. Point out where the results confirm company strengths.
3. Point out the areas needing improvement.
4. Refer to those areas needing immediate improvement.
5. Include a hyperlink to specific recommendations for improvement.
6. Include the time, date and place for the kick-off meeting. If this is a teleconference, be sure to include the contact method.
Based on their scores, divisions immediately see their strengths (and areas of improvement) and begin to pinpoint remedial strategies to improve their program. The team leader serves as facilitator and appoints a team member to record action items, responsible party, and completion dates on the timetable for each recommendation. (workersxzcompxzkit)
Invite a cost containment expert from your insurance broker to the meeting to offer insight about ways to overcome obstacles. As always, ensure recommendations are concrete and bridge the gap between your current practices and your goals, so you can keep measuring your progress as you move toward goal accomplishment.
Author Robert Elliott,executive vice president, Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers' Compensation costs, including airlines, health care, manufacturing, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. He can be contacted at: Robert_Elliott@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com or 860-553-6604.
TO DOWNLOAD OR LISTEN TO FREE FRAUD PREVENTION AUDIO PODCAST click here: http://www.workerscompkit.com/gallagher/mp3 By: Anthony Van Gorp, private investigator with 25 years experience.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker about workers' comp issues.
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