Move Workers’ Comp Claims to Settlement with Empathy

An injured worker with an open claim for 15 years finally agreed to settle, and it all came down to an extra $2,000 – $3,000 for a much wanted trip to Alaska. This real claim is very common in our industry and points to a glaring deficiency: a total lack of empathy for the injured worker.

Companies often have many cases that have been on the books for months or even years. Adjusters may have approached the injured workers to see if they’d like to settle and learned, as much as the claimant doesn’t like the workers’ compensation system, he has no interest in closing the case.

There are myriad reasons for not settling a claim, but there is no way to know the real reason unless someone asks. That’s where a professional administrator can make a huge impact.

Reasons Claims Stay Open

Workers’ compensation claims are not like fine wine; they don’t improve with age. So keeping a claim open indefinitely doesn’t make good business sense, and it’s often not in the best interest of the injured worker, either.

The many reasons injured workers don’t want to settle their claims include:

• Disagreement on total value.
• Advice from attorneys, family members or friends not to settle.
• Concern they will run out of money.
• Fearful of going it on their own — even if they don’t like having to deal with a claims adjuster or having medical treatment denied.
• Don’t know how to ensure they are complying with various laws and regulations, such as Medicare.

And perhaps the biggest reason — they are afraid of change. Much as they may abhor dealing with the workers’ compensation system, the alternative seems worse. As the saying goes, ‘better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.’

So how can companies best address these legacy claims? Possibly with a neutral third party.

Professional Administrators

The claim noted above settled when a professional administrator became involved and, more importantly, spent some time getting to know the injured worker. He met with the worker and learned that he and his wife had dreamed of going to Alaska but were never able to because of his injuries and the fear they would not have enough money in the future. He then went to the carrier to see if additional monies could be added to the most recently proposed settlement. When he told the couple that the insurer had agreed to an additional $2,000 to $3,000, the injured worker and his wife broke down in tears and agreed to the settlement.

Showing empathy for an injured worker is key to getting an agreement. Injured workers need to be heard and understood. Those with long-term claims have had their lives turned upside down. Someone willing to listen and grasp their needs can have a major impact on moving the claim toward closure.

The presence of the professional administrator added several other positive elements to the scenario.

• Advocacy. He explained exactly how the settlement would address the injured worker’s future needs. A professional administrator acts as an advocate for the employee throughout his life, helping to direct him to medical providers and dealing with the settlement money. That addresses one of the main concerns of employees reluctant to settle — the idea that someone will still be there to guide them through the process.

• Neutral party. Professional administrators secure substantial discounts through their medical networks, which is also how they are paid. The fact that it is a neutral party adds another element of comfort for the injured worker.

• No more denials. Also, he explained to the injured worker that he would no longer face denials for requested medical treatment, once the settlement was completed.

Experienced professional administrators are able to think outside the box.

Summary

Injured workers are in a situation they did not seek nor expect, and are typically fearful of having no money for future medical issues, and to take care of their families.

Having an advocate who is a neutral party can understand their needs and coordinate a successful settlement to help them get on with their lives and get their claims closed.

Author Michael Stack, CEO Amaxx LLC. He is an expert in workers compensation cost containment systems and helps employers reduce their work comp costs by 20% to 50%. He works as a consultant to large and mid-market clients, is co-author of Your Ultimate Guide To Mastering Workers Comp Costs, a comprehensive step-by-step manual of cost containment strategies based on hands-on field experience, and is founder & lead trainer of Amaxx Workers’ Comp Training Center. .

Contact: [email protected].

Workers’ Comp Roundup Blog: https://blog.reduceyourworkerscomp.com/

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