Looking beyond typical tactics can save money, promote settlement, and increase the ability to resolve workers’ compensation claims.

Cost mitigation is a significant key to a successful workers’ compensation program.  While it takes time and effort to implement, adding key components to your program can save money, promote settlement, and increase the ability to resolve cumbersome workers’ compensation claims.

SSDI Permanent Total Disability Review

Many workers’ compensation defense attorneys and members of the claim management team over-reserve and often settle cases with permanent total disability (PTD) exposure.  This is often found in cases where the injured employee is older or suffered a significant work injury where they would qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).  Studies have indicated these claims create barriers to settlement and cause unnecessary problems for claim handlers.  Now is the time to change how these claims are reviewed:

• Understand the statutory language for someone to qualify for PTD benefits. This includes an understanding of case law, and the understanding that only in a few jurisdictions does the receipt of SSDI benefits create a statutory rebuttable presumption of being permanently and totally disabled;

• Prevent unnecessary PTD exposure by reviewing cases in terms of the employee’s reasonable functional ability, transferable job skills, compliance with a vocational rehabilitation plan, and job search efforts; and

• Reduce the indemnity costs of a claim through effective return to work efforts.

Clinical Review of Prescription Medications

All claim management teams should scrutinize medical spending on workers’ compensation claims.  This includes being proactive when it comes to the use of prescription medications and the dangers of opioid-based drug misuse and abuse.  Proactive features to include in any program should consist of the following:

• The effective use of physician-to-physician engagement to ensure treatments and medications are reasonable, necessary, and related to the work injury. It is also important to apply evidence-based medication principles when it comes to treatment involving the use of common pain killers for more than 30 days; and

• Use of clinical reviews when combined with future medical care cost projections that include seeking a physician to sign off on amended future care being recommended by the injured employee’s treating doctor.

Effective Use of Rated Ages

People often think of obtaining a rated age when it comes to preparing a Medicare Set-aside.  There are many other important applications to the use of this tool, including mitigation exposures and settling workers’ compensation cases.

• Provides for an opportunity to more realistically calculate an injured employee’s life expectancy with any pre-existing or non-work related conditions; and

• Provides a claim handler or defense attorney with an independent analysis of the injured employee’s need for future medical care and treatment – even outside the context of a Medicare Set-aside.

It is important to have this document available when negotiating a settlement.  It only adds to the credibility of your settlement offers.

Use Reverse Offset Provisions When Applicable

A handful of states still allow for the use of reverse offsets when it comes to injured employees receiving wage loss benefits, and SSDI benefits.  Without the application of these provisions, people will receive less in SSDI benefits, which gives them an incentive to continue to collect workers’ compensation.  Use of the SSDI reverse offset provisions allow the insurance carrier to do the following:

• Find lost dollars that have not been offset against the workers’ compensation claim; and

• Provide parties with a turnkey analysis to produce hard dollar savings without taking up claim handler time and energy.

The following jurisdictions have reverse offset provisions available: Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Conclusions

There are my tools interested stakeholders have available at their disposal to mitigate workers’ compensation program costs.  These tools can be used on all types of cases, but are especially useful when it comes to pushing claims involving severe or catastrophic injuries toward settlement.

Author Michael Stack, CEO Amaxx LLC. He is an expert in workers’ compensation cost containment systems and helps employers reduce their workers’ comp costs by 20% to 50%.  He works as a consultant to large and mid-market clients, is a 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: mstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.

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

©2019 Amaxx LLC. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.

Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker, attorney, or qualified professional.

Even though the Kansas city chiefs were down by 10 points late in the second half of last night’s Super Bowl 54 to the San Francisco 49 years, you just kind of felt that something was coming.

Hello, my name is Michael stack and I’m the CEO of Amaxx and today I want to talk with you about that Chief’s victory, how it gave us a great roadmap and preview of how to actually handle and understand how a work comp claim is going to go. That predictor, that feeling that something either going to go really well or possibly go really poorly and it’s those ones that are going to possibly go really poorly that we need to pay attention to because those are the ones that caused those really poor outcomes for the injured workers and cost us a bundle, a bundle of money and frustration. So, we want to avoid those as much as possible.

Intervene EARLY In a Workers’ Comp Claim

So we need to get in front of them and we need to intervene early. And we know the earlier we intervene, the better we’re going to do. So, I want to give you two really quick tips here on how to get in front of this. If you followed any of the NFL playoffs this year, you know that the Chiefs were down by at least 10 points in every single one of their games, so when they were down again in the Superbowl, it wasn’t a big deal. You knew that they could overcome it. The fans knew that they can overcome it in the stadium and us watching it on TV knew that they could like the overcome it. It’s such a great indicator, such a great preview, such a great lesson for us to learn the work comp industry. They were extraordinarily resilient. They’d done it in the past and they’re going to probably do it again in the future.

How Well Have Injured Workers’ Handled Setbacks In The Past?

How well have your injured workers handled setbacks in the past? They had a big project. They had a big deadline. They had a big challenge, was another coworker or the supervisor or any number of billion things that could be a big issue or setbacks at work in our normal everyday lives in an office or construction site. Any type of work setting, how have they handled setbacks in the past? It is a major, major, major indicator of how they’re going to handle them in the future. If you don’t know this personally and you’re managing a claim about your injured worker, ask somebody who does because again, it’s going to give you tremendous insight into how they’re going to handle their claim and their setback and if they’ve handled everything poorly in the past as work comp professionals, we’re going to need to leverage some other tools, whether that’s case management or field case management or we’re going to leverage some other outside interventions to get in front of these problems.

We’re going to spend a little bit of time and energy upfront to avoid a major pain and a major cost on the backend resiliency. How have they done that? Learn that from last night, the Chiefs victory in the Super Bowl, it’s a major indicator.

Orebro Pain Screening Questionnaire

Now this one we didn’t learn in the Super Bowl, but it’s a great work comp technique. Anyway, so the Orebro brain screening questionnaire, it’s also called the short form 12 if you Google this, it’s free to use. It’s in the public domain. It doesn’t cost you a thing. This is a more formal way to do this. Now, this has been tested over many, many years and up to 95% accuracy. The Orebro pain screening questionnaire can tell you, how well they’re going to handle and injury. Are they going to do well? Are they going to not going to do well and again, leverage those interventions for the ones that need that extra support.

It’s going to cost avoid so much money and so much pain and frustration and really drive that better outcome for the injured worker. This test is administered two to four weeks typically into the claim and this can be done by a case manager. It could be done by a third-party vendor, it could even be done by the adjuster that administers this task. Look it up, leverage it.

Create Better Outcomes & Dramatically Reduce Workers’ Comp Costs

Neither one of these costs of thing. It’s just about being intentional about having that feeling, that indicates that something’s going to go, and then getting on top of it and being a professional in handling it so that you can create that better outcome and dramatically reduce your workers’ compensation costs, particularly for following these systems.

Again, my name is Michael stack. I’m CEO of AMAX, and remember your work today, sitting at your desk, particularly following these systems, can have a dramatic impact on your company’s bottom line, but it will have a dramatic impact on someone’s life. So, be great!

Author Michael Stack, CEO Amaxx LLC. He is an expert in workers’ compensation cost containment systems and helps employers reduce their workers’ comp costs by 20% to 50%.  He works as a consultant to large and mid-market clients, is a 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: mstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.

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

©2019 Amaxx LLC. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.

Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker, attorney, or qualified professional.

The ever-changing American workforce presents many challenges for claim management teams as they seek to hire, train, and retain claim handlers.  One of these challenges includes dealing with a workforce that was not born in the United States, is a newly arrived immigrant, or someone who has little to no knowledge of the English language.  Claim management teams should embrace this challenge and use it as an opportunity to expand their workforce as they seek to establish and expand their diversity and inclusion efforts.

Share Experiences Among Staff

We all come from different backgrounds, whether it be socioeconomic, race, or religion.  These factors make each individual unique – we all have a story to share.  This requires everyone on the claim management team to approach problems with an open mind and being willing to accept the viewpoint of someone else.  Other ways to address these issues and expand the knowledge includes taking time at staff meetings to share experiences, and provide suggestions on how to approach an issue on a workers’ compensation claim.

Se Habla Español?  Si!

The United States does not have an official language.  The result is millions of Americans either do not speak English, or have limited use of the language.  This creates a challenge for the claims management team as they address matters involving non-English speaking employees who have suffered a work injury.  Suggestions to meet this challenge include:

• Create job openings for multi-lingual staff. This can include having positions that require the applicant to be fluent in common second languages such as Spanish, Somali, Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, other varieties), French and French Creole, Tagalog, and Vietnamese; and

• Subscribe to telephonic “language lines” that allow claim handlers to access someone fluent in other second languages; and

• Prepare documents in other common languages that explain the workers’ compensation process.

External steps can also be undertaken.  This can include locating organizations that work with diverse cultures and coordinate career fair opportunities with these new partners.  An effort should also be made to focus on outreach to businesses owned by minority groups.

Do Not Forget About Employees Living in Rural Areas

Employees living outside metropolitan areas face many challenges.  This includes frequent travel to receive medical care and treatment, and limited options in terms of specialists who perform surgery or treat catastrophic injuries.  Investments by a claim management team in technology-based tools can pay dividends.  This includes the following:

• Telephone medicine;

• Use of field nurse case managers;

• Prepaying travel and reasonable meal expenses for those required to travel more than 150 miles.

Understanding Your Jurisdiction’s Demographics

Members of the claim management team should also make an effort to understand the demographics of the jurisdictions they cover.  Developing this understanding can become difficult as many claim handlers work files in multiple states.  One way to help everyone to understand the unique characteristics of a workforce is to invite a state demographer to a staff training event and have them share statistics on state diversity, and future trends.  This information will allow everyone on a team to brainstorm on ways to address the characteristics of the current workforce, and what changes need to be made moving forward.

The demographics of a claim team are also important.  Ways to address a group and meet their diverse interests could include:

• Cross-train staff to capitalize on interests, strengths, and education;

• Create a two-way performance review, which would allow claim handlers and their supervisors to better understand each other;

• Balance business needs with staff strengths, individual lifestyles and being outcome-focused; and

• Dive deeper into succession planning and opportunities for mentoring and career path growth.

Conclusions

The changing workplace is placing new demands on claim management teams.  This should be viewed as an opportunity to demand diversity and inclusions efforts internally, and in the larger community.  The result will be a better claim management team that is conscious of employees coming from different backgrounds and address their situation in a better manner.

Author Michael Stack, CEO Amaxx LLC. He is an expert in workers’ compensation cost containment systems and helps employers reduce their workers’ comp costs by 20% to 50%.  He works as a consultant to large and mid-market clients, is a 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: mstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.

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

©2019 Amaxx LLC. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.

Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker, attorney, or qualified professional.

Third-party administrators are often considered an integral part of the claims management process. Some would even call them claims process workhorses. Once a workers’ compensation claim begins, TPAs have a litany of things to do to help get the worker back on the job and the claim closed.

While such a service may seem invaluable, there is much more a TPA can do. Savvier TPAs become long-term consultative partners. By using advanced analytic tools in combination with a deep understanding of an employer’s unique situation, TPAs can help drive better outcomes for injured workers and their employers/payers. As stated by Mark DeLew, VP of Consultative Analytics at Broadspire, “a key role of the account executive is to understand the client’s objectives and then translate those with our analytic tools into Key Performance Indicators KPIs.”

What these TPAs do specifically, is help organizations come to realize:

• Determine an Organization’s Objectives and Identify Opportunities to Improve
• Define the Organization’s Goals and Priorities.
• Manage Project with a Systems-Based Approach

1. Determine an Organization’s Current State and Identify Opportunities to Improve

Getting an accurate picture of where a company currently stands involves a team effort. The TPA needs experts from many different facets of the claims management process to truly understand what is happening in the organization. Nurse case managers, adjusters, quality assurance personnel, utilization review specialists, intake setup personnel, data conversion experts, and others are needed for this step.

The TPA account executive needs first to understand the organization’s current state and identify opportunities for improvement.

• What is the overall health of the program?
• Are return-to-work rates trending up or down?
• What is the litigation rate?
• What is the loss rate?
• What percentage of claims are closed, and within what timeframes?

Drilling down to identify these key cost drivers is the start of realizing what is actually happening in the company.  DeLew noted this analysis needs to be done “in collaboration with the cross-functional team of claims adjusters, team managers, nurses, and clients and to understand the root cause why.”

Once these are known and the reasons for them, the TPA can work with the organization to find areas for opportunities and the right solutions.

For each significant trend, the root cause must be determined. Interviewing those on the cross-functional team is a crucial part of the process to help come up with actionable items.

DeLew gave an example of a client who found its incurred claims costs were trending higher but did not know why. Broadspire introduced a virtual peer, a benchmark based on other similar companies within the same industry. Using a predictive model that took into account various factors, they drilled down for such things as age, body part, cause, and nature of the injury, and compared them with those of the virtual peer. They found that in this particular company, age was a big driver of increased costs.

Broadspire then went back to the cross-functional team to come up with potential solutions to the increased rate of older workers having workplace injuries.

2. Define the Organization’s Goals and Priorities.

Tools such as the virtual peer can help determine where a company is headed. Advanced analytics can be used to create a cost-benefit analysis to help an organization better understand what is likely to happen. Savings are then projected based on loss experience.

One potential area of focus is Return to Work. Looking at the average RTW date vs. the release date for injured workers can help to see the real cost of not getting injured workers back to work quickly.

The figures can also be presented by showing different regions of the country where the lag times, and hence, the costs may be greater or smaller. The result might be to discuss improving RTW rates in a specific area. Showing those in charge the costs of not getting an injured worker back is more likely to prompt buy-in from managers and others. Joel Raedeke, Senior VP of Consultative Analytics at Broadspire states, “this metric is one that we like because it clearly shows costly behavior and gives concrete data to drive action.”

Litigation is another area where advanced analytics from a TPA can help drive better outcomes. ‘Dollarizing,’ the litigation can help a company see its costs related to how quickly claims are litigated, as well as the impact of particular defense firms. “Statistics on how quickly claims are being litigated can help identify prevention opportunities. Then comparing the impact of defense firms on outcomes helps to mitigate costs even further,” said DeLew.

Using infographics and timelines can illustrate where the company is going. For example, let’s say a company wants to reduce its loss pick by 6 percent and decrease its open inventory by 22 percent. A year-long timeline can be set up. It may start, for example, with the TPA account executive aggressively pursuing claim closure with the cross-functional team, and setting meetings with the actuary to understand cost drivers. The ensuing months would then contain a variety of other steps to show how to achieve the goals. “Infographics and timelines allow us to visualize with a client stepping into that future state and the steps needed to achieve their goals,” said Raedeke.

3. Manage Project with a Systems-Based Approach

Emails and spreadsheets are the status quo for the industry, but not necessarily the best way. Trying to manage multiple projects with multiple people involved can be tedious and inefficient.

Account management can instead be done in a way that gives full visibility and track-ability in real-time. A system based approach eliminates the necessity to wait until the weekly meeting to get an update on what everyone involved is doing. “Better operating tools allow an account executive to efficiently manage a large team and achieve the goals of large projects,” said Raedeke.

Conclusion

Best in class TPAs that can an organization determine their current state of workers’ comp management, set realistic goals for improvement, and use a systems-based approach to project management using better operating tools and sophisticated analytics can help organizations vastly improve their outcomes and decrease their costs.

Author Michael Stack, CEO Amaxx LLC. He is an expert in workers’ compensation cost containment systems and helps employers reduce their workers’ comp costs by 20% to 50%.  He works as a consultant to large and mid-market clients, is a 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: mstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.

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

©2019 Amaxx LLC. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.

Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker, attorney, or qualified professional.

Garbage in; Garbage out!  If you are putting garbage into your workers’ compensation program, it goes without saying the results will not be pleasant.  Now is the time to focus on gathering all the necessary information to obtain high-quality results in order to pay claims appropriately, and improve efficiency.

Create a System That Creates Repeatable, High-Quality Results

A significant improvement in the world of claims management over the years is the implementation of an electronic system for entering and managing claims.  Used by employees of the Carrier/TPA, this is an automated system that assigns risk if certain conditions are present.  These systems allow for the following:

• Claims professional to gather more information in less time;

• Provides for appropriate follow-up on responses to high-gain issues; and

• Assists in the evaluation of information systematically.

System Guides the Questions So Nothing is Missed

The person receiving the claim for the Carrier/TPA will have questions that need to be answered.  If the answers are positive for certain criteria, the system will assign the claim a risk number within certain values from the software. The higher the score, the more risk is assigned to the claim. The system will be used initially for 3-point contacts to the injured worker, the employer, and the medical provider.  Positive responses to certain criteria will pop up other questions to ask which ensures the adjuster does not forget anything that can be crucial to the claim.

Processing claims through a system like this allows the claim handler to understand the “pain points” of a claim when it arrives at their desk.  This will better direct their investigation and reduce unnecessary or excessive time spent on a claim.

Encourage Claim Handlers to Follow Best Practices

The implementation of a bonus system is another tool to use.  Carriers/TPAs often use a bonus system to reward adjusters, and these bonuses revolve around timeliness of their contacts, resolution of their claims, and overall reserve savings by proactive claims handling.  This encourages the claim handler to follow best practices.

Claims practices can also be classified based on their system score.  Medical only claims or minor lost-time claims can be routed to the appropriate adjuster, instead of going initially to a senior level claim handler.  Other inefficient claim handling processes include assigning a claim based on what information is listed in the injury report.  This process can be inefficient if the injury report was completed in error.  Time and money can be saved when each claim handler is making the highest and best use of their day.

Using Outside Service Providers When Necessary

Outside service providers can be used immediately in certain circumstances.  These assignments can include:

• Field Nurse Case Manager: These service providers should be used in instances where the employee will require significant or extended medical care and treatment.  This can equate to large cost savings as this month can include crucial moves within the claim, preventing missed work when a return to work could have been possible.

• Medical Specialist: Claims involving complex injuries can be referred to a specialist at the onset of a claim where the identified injury will likely require surgery or extensive physical therapy.  Instead of waiting for the paperwork the case manager can get it at the appointment and send it to the claim handler the same day, instead of when the actual medical reports come in with the bill weeks later.

Conclusions

Several technological advancements are going on within the claim industry.  As an employer, you should be open to new technology, and trying new things in order to be more proactive in the claim process.  Oftentimes the claim handler is very set in their ways, and there can be some resistance to the introduction to new techniques and new technology.  These advancements are made to help all parties involved to make the process more streamlined and more effective for the claims profession.

Author Michael Stack, CEO Amaxx LLC. He is an expert in workers’ compensation cost containment systems and helps employers reduce their workers’ comp costs by 20% to 50%.  He works as a consultant to large and mid-market clients, is a 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: mstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.

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

©2019 Amaxx LLC. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.

Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker, attorney, or qualified professional.

The longer an injured worker is out of work, the less likely he is ever to return. Statistics show an employee who is out of work for 6 months has only a 50 percent likelihood of going back, and the number increases exponentially after that. There are many reasons this occurs.

Disability Mindset

Being out of the work environment means losing touch — with colleagues, the daily routine, and the feeling of being productive, which for many, is vitally important to maintain a sense of self-worth. Depression and frustration, not to mention pain, can set in and quickly turn to anger.

Instead of focusing on the recovery process, injured workers who are out for long periods of time may turn their attention to retaliation. Instead of thinking about healing and returning to their pre-injury normal lives, these workers may instead start to embrace their ‘new normal’ lives. They develop a disability mindset and start to direct their energies to ways they can stay permanently out of the workforce.

Work as Therapy

There is a plethora of research that demonstrates returning to the workforce in some capacity increases the worker’s engagement in the recovery process, and improves his emotional and physical health. But many organizations either don’t subscribe to this idea, or they are unable to accommodate these employees.

Too many employers have the attitude that they don’t want an injured worker back unless they are 100 percent recovered and fully able to completely step back into their position. Unfortunately for these employers, statistics bear out the fact that returning workers in some capacity leads to better outcomes and saves money for the employer.

In some cases, it’s difficult or even impossible to find modified or light-duty work for the injured employee at the worksite, due to the nature of the work and/or the worker’s injuries. One solution that wise organizations are taking is to partner with nonprofit and charitable organizations. Employers that take this approach see their injured workers recover within the expected timeframe and back at work, saving them unnecessary costs and headaches.

Case Study: (Provided by Broadspire):  $5,000 in Savings From Non-Profit Return to Work Option

Challenge:

A worker who sustained multiple wrist injuries from an occupational accident had an extended recovery. His employer was able to provide him with light-duty work — for a while. However, when the employee needed a third and final surgery, his company could no longer accommodate him.

A Broadspire field case manager quickly noticed the injured worker was becoming depressed. The situation could have easily and quickly spiraled downward.

Solution:

Broadspire’s ‘Worker on Loan’ program is designed for exactly this type of situation, where an injured worker’s employer has no opportunity for light-duty work. After the field case nurse reported the injured worker’s situation, the Broadspire adjuster contacted the employer who agreed to try the Worker on Loan Program.

In this instance, Habit for Humanity was able to provide work for the injured worker. It turned out to be a great fit, as the employee’s former job was in construction. The field case manager soon reported that the worker’s mood improved significantly. Once he started working with the revered organization, he was able to feel productive and help others.

Results:

This case perfectly illustrates the value of work as a viable response to an injury. Instead of going into a deep depression and staying out of work indefinitely, this injured worker was actually able to return to full-duty at his normal job — nine weeks earlier than planned! The result was a win-win for the injured worker, the employer, and Habit for Humanity, which got the benefit of his expertise.

Total Savings = $5,000

Conclusion

Keeping an injured worker engaged with the workforce is vital to achieving the best outcomes. Collaborating with nonprofits is a perfect answer for companies that understand this but may not have light-duty options available.

Author Michael Stack, CEO Amaxx LLC. He is an expert in workers’ compensation cost containment systems and helps employers reduce their workers’ comp costs by 20% to 50%.  He works as a consultant to large and mid-market clients, is a 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 the founder & lead trainer of Amaxx Workers’ Comp Training Center.

Contact: mstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.

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

©2019 Amaxx LLC. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.

Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker, attorney, or qualified professional.

For more training, register for:

HOW TO SCRIPT WINNING ACCOUNT HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS

Registration: How to Script Winning Account Handling Instructions

A well-done set of account handling instructions can be the very foundation on which a highly successful employer and claims handling organization can work together as a partnership to drive positive injured worker outcomes and drive down workers’ compensation costs. Hello, my name is Michael Stack and I’m the CEO of AMAXX. While that statement is true about the account handling instructions, if they’re not followed, they’re not worth the paper they are printed on. If they’re not followed, they are not worth the paper they are printed on. So, the question then becomes, if you put in the time to create this great set of beautiful account instructions that no one is following, what good are they?

Adjusters Need to Follow Account Instructions

And then the second question is, how do you actually get adjusters to follow those account instructions? I’m going to give you a couple of quick tips here. To dial into some of this mindset of how to approach this and how to make them just that more effective so they can, in fact, be that foundation which we talked about earlier.

So I want to give you three quick tips here about how to design these and then how to get cooperation from those adjusters. Three things you want to make them clear, you want to make them concise. And number three, you want to make them easily understood, clear, concise and easily understood.

Many companies will have 10, 20, 30, 50, or 60 pages worth of account instructions. And when you are the one that wrote them and participated in writing them and you look at them and you’re overwhelmed and have a difficult sometimes understanding what the heck is in those, the chance of your adjuster team, being able to pick them up and understand and be able to execute on them effectively is very, very low.

Clear, Concise, and Easily Understood

So make them clear, make them concise and make them easily understood. When you’re designing those, take a look at what you have. If it’s this thick, you’re not going to be effective and you need to dial that in to sharpen it up and you need to take another look at it with these three things in mind.

And then the other question on this is if you are wanting to get participation from your adjuster team when you’re designing this, ask for their input, ask for their input. When you are designing these and finalizing them, if you can get some cooperation in the beginning of this partnership from that claims handling team, when you’re designing them, clear and concise and trying to make them understood, maybe there’s stuff that you think, Oh, that’s obvious as can be. But to them it just doesn’t, it just doesn’t make a lot of sense in how we would actually function.

Work Successfully Together

Get that input from your claims handling team, dial these things in together, and then you can build that partnership together and work successfully together. And again, my name is Michael stack. I’m the CEO of AMAX. And remember your work today in workers’ compensation can have a dramatic impact on your company’s bottom line, but it will have a dramatic impact on someone’s life. So be great.

Author Michael Stack, CEO Amaxx LLC. He is an expert in workers’ compensation cost containment systems and helps employers reduce their workers’ comp costs by 20% to 50%.  He works as a consultant to large and mid-market clients, is a 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: mstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.

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

©2019 Amaxx LLC. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.

Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker, attorney, or qualified professional.

Risk managers and workers’ compensation managers normally delegate the job of filling out the First Report of Injury form (also known in some states as the Employer’s First Report). Delegation of the First Report of Injury to someone who is not extremely careful creates numerous problems. All the information on the First Report of Injury needs to be checked carefully before it is submitted to the claim’s office and the state Workers’ Compensation Commission / Department of Labor / Industrial Commission / etc. For this article we will use Workers’ Compensation Commission (WCC) for all the states.

The First Report of Injury form is usually given the number 1 in most states, whether it is known as the WC-1, DWC-1, or other nomenclature. The reason the form is given numeral 1 is that normally it is the first form for both the WCC and the claims office. The information and data used by both the WCC and the claims office in setting up their files is taken from the First Report of Injury. Little errors on the First Report of Injury are copied and can create havoc.

Ensure Important Details are Correct

• Name Spelled Correctly

The spelling of the employee’s name should be checked. If the last name is misspelled by the employer’s representative completing the First Report of Injury, the WCC will copy it verbatim. When the WCC receives medical information or other state forms which they are unable to match to an existing claim, the WCC will inquire as to why the claim has not been reported, as they could not find the work comp claim in their database.

• Correct Social Security Number

An employer should never submit a First Report of Injury without the correct social security number (SS#). Too often, when the SS# is not readily available, the employer’s representative will use a fake SS# such as 123-45-6789 or 000-00-0000 or 999-99-9999. This may get the First Report of Injury off the desk of the employer’s representative, but it creates issues for the employer, the WCC and the claims office. For the employer, it can mess up your loss run accuracy. The WCC will need to call the employer and/or the claims office for the correct SS#. The claims office can submit the Insurance Services Office (ISO) inquiry with the fake SS#, but the likelihood of identifying previous insurance claims by the injured employee is greatly reduced when the SS# is not accurate.

• Correct Date of Injury

When the date of injury is incorrect, problems occur. In most workers’ compensation claims, the date of injury is also the date of the first medical treatment. Most claim management computer systems are programmed to kick out medical bills that occur before the date of injury. For example, an incorrect date of injury of 3/3/19 is entered on the First Report of Injury while the correct date of injury is 3/2/19. The medical bills from 3/2/19 will get denied because, to the computer system, they occurred before the date of injury. This results in phone calls from the medical provider(s) and the claims office trying to determine the correct date of injury.

• Proper Wage Information

When the wage information on the First Report of Injury is incorrect, it will create problems, especially if the employee is represented by an attorney. Too often, the employer’s representative will take the easy way out rather than contacting the payroll department for the correct wage information. When the employer’s representative completes the First Report of Injury reflecting the employee works 5 days a week, 8 hours per day, at the standard hourly rate for the work the employee normally does, without verifying with the payroll department, problems arise. For example, on a 40 hour week with a position that pays $15.00 per hour, $600.00 is entered as the weekly wage. But in reality, work has been slow; the employee has been absent a lot and has only averaged 32 hours per week. In this situation, the employee’s attorney often will request a hearing trying to compel the payment of disability benefits based on the higher payroll information entered on the First Report of Injury. This will force the claims adjuster to spent time and legal fees proving the correct earnings information.

• Proper Type of Injury & Body Part Affected

The importance of properly entering the type of injury and the body part affected on the First Report of Injury cannot be overstated. One of the first things an attorney for the employee will do is check the First Report of Injury for the type of injury and the body part. If this information is missing, your represented employee’s injuries will expand dramatically. Neck and back injuries that you did not know the employee had on the date of injury will suddenly appear. The employee’s pre-existing medical problems will be severely aggravated. The additional medical treatment and extended time off work can be very costly when the type of injury and body part is not completed properly.

• Double Check First Report of Injury Prior to Submission

Any incorrect or incomplete information on the First Report of Injury can result in problems. A lot of the problems created by wrong information can be corrected with a few phone calls or the resubmission of the First Report of Injury with the correct information. However, this is a waste of time for all the parties involved. Plus, when the First Report of Injury is inaccurate or incomplete, it can often be exploited by the employee’s attorney. To make the job easier for everyone related to the workers’ compensation claim, be sure your representative who completes the First Report of Injury checks it twice to be sure it is totally accurate.

Author Rebecca Shafer, JD, President of Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is a national expert in the field of workers compensation. She is a writer, speaker, and publisher. Her expertise is working with employers to reduce workers compensation costs, and her clients include airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing. She is the co-author of the #1 selling book on cost containment, Workers Compensation Management Program: Reduce Costs 20% to 50%. Contact:.

Contact: RShafer@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.

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

©2019 Amaxx LLC. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.

Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker, attorney, or qualified professional.

We know that aside from traumatic injuries, the vast majority of workplace injuries heal as expected. However, we also know that roughly 20 percent of seemingly minor injuries turn into major problems, leading to complex medical treatments, long-term recoveries, and major expenses. These claims are often referred to as ‘Creeping Catastrophic’ Claims. The question is why do these types of claims occur?

There is no single answer since every injured worker is different. But we know that biological, psychological and social factors — or a combination of all three, are often to blame. Uncovering and intervening on those issues early in the claim cycle can pay dividends in the long run. Using the right approach at the right time can keep the claim on track for a favorable outcome.

Biological, Psychological & Social Factors

Factors that may have nothing to do with the injury itself may impede the recovery process and be a significant cause of Creeping Catastrophic claims. Biological factors, such as the person’s genetics, age or gender, may impact recovery. There may be mental or emotional health issues, beliefs, expectations or other psychological elements that have a bearing on the healing process. Social issues, such as financial strain, support systems and relationships can easily derail a claim.

Let’s say an injured worker takes a bus to and from work; however, no bus is available to him to the location of, or at the appropriate times for medical appointments. An injured worker in this situation won’t be able to get the treatment he needs and, therefore, cannot be expected to have a smooth recovery. Having this knowledge at the beginning of a claim allows claims managers and others to work with the injured worker and figure out some available options — rather than finding out this information weeks or months into the claim.

Another injured worker may have cultural issues that render her unable to work with particular medical providers. Again, knowing this early on can allow stakeholders to direct care or steer the worker to someone more appropriate, saving time, money and unnecessary suffering.

There are also injured workers who must care for an elderly parent, which may prevent them from going to physicians at certain times or strictly adhering to their medical regimens.

These issues are not the responsibility of the payer, yet ignoring them or failing to recognize them can turn a minor injury into a complicated nightmare. It is incumbent upon payers to do everything possible to find out and address any issues that could harm recovery.

Trust and Engagement

Injured workers are typically scared, confused, and possibly angry. Since they probably have no first-hand knowledge of the workers’ compensation process, they may feel out of control and powerless over the situation. Add to that the fact they are likely in pain, and it’s no wonder they may be less than forthcoming with their life issues that may impact a claim.

On the other hand, an injured employee who trusts the payer — or a representative of the payer, understands the process and feels that he is at the center of his recovery is much more likely to discuss non-injury factors that could significantly affect a claim. A biopsychosocial approach to managing claims can truly engage the injured worker, so he feels comfortable sharing certain aspects of his life outside of work or his injury.

Key to the approach is:

• Timing
• Genuine Communication

1) Timing. The first available opportunity for someone to speak with the injured worker is the right time, whether that is within the first two days, the first day, or the first hour of the injury. That is when the injured worker is trying to make sense of what has happened to her and what she can expect — before she has had days or longer to get ‘advice’ from family members, well-meaning friends or attorneys on TV. It is when she is most likely to listen to and if done correctly, trust the person speaking with her.

That first conversation with the injured worker should not be viewed as an unemotional session where the claims manager is firing questions, but instead should be an empathetic, interactive dialogue. The main focus should be explaining the process and the injured worker’s options, listening to and addressing her concerns and fears, and expressing genuine care and concern — and emphasizing that the goal is to help her heal and return to her job. It is the first step in building a relationship with the injured worker, not just a one-off, quick chat.

2) Genuine Communication. Often the best person to initiate this first conversation is the nurse case manager. He may have insight into the injured worker’s medical issues that can be discussed.

His approach should be easy, to try and establish trust with the injured worker. In discussing the workers’ compensation process, he may set expectations; for example, saying he expects the injured worker to call him after her medical visits. It lets her know that he is going to be with her for the long haul.

The initial and subsequent conversations should be just that — conversations. In addition to discussing the injury and the process the injured worker will go through, the discussion should also center around other things important to the person. Is there a spouse and/or children who may be experiencing some of the same fears and concerns as the injured worker? What are some outside activities that may be affected by the injury?

Learning about the injured worker’s life outside of work can also help in the recovery process. Once the nurse and/or claims manager has a better understanding of what is important to the injured worker, that information can be used as motivation to help with her recovery. For example, if she plays in a golf league once a week, the nurse or claims manager can share that information with other stakeholders and incorporated into the treatment regimen.

Conclusion

Injured workers are far too often left feeling out of the loop in their own recoveries. Including and engaging them early on and using a holistic approach empowers and motivates them to have a positive experience, and avoid the life-altering impact of a creeping catastrophic claim.

Author Michael Stack, CEO Amaxx LLC. He is an expert in workers’ compensation cost containment systems and helps employers reduce their workers’ comp costs by 20% to 50%.  He works as a consultant to large and mid-market clients, is a 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: mstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.

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

©2019 Amaxx LLC. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.

Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker, attorney, or qualified professional.