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NEWSLETTERS
NEWSLETTERS
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561-683-8383
February 2006 |
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In this issue
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Correction of transposition error leads to seven point drop in mod |
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Proper care at the right place |
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Working with the "Problem"
injured worker |
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Correction of transposition error leads to seven point drop in mod
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Company:
Located halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, the 22-year-old company reported sales in 2004 of $6.1 million and a payroll of $1,156,808. The company's 47 employees design, sell and lease trailers, modular buildings and storage containers for mobile offices at construction sites, concession stands, sales offices for developers, and alternative accommodations during reconstruction.
Situation:
A Certified WorkComp Advisor (CWCA) performed a detailed review of the company's Workers' Compensation account and projected an Experience Modification Factor of 0.90 for 2005- 06. When the worksheet came back from the Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB), however, the insured's Mod had been set at 0.97.
Assessment:
A thorough review of the 2005-06 Experience Modification worksheet from the WCIRB revealed a discrepancy in the Bureau's calculation of the Mod. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that a data input clerk at the Bureau had transposed the company's Actual Incurred Loss of $44,014 as $84,014. The $40,000 difference in the Actual Incurred Loss was directly responsible for the 0.07 increase in the Mod.
Solution:
The WCIRB was contacted and the transposition error revealed. The board concurred with the discovery, corrected the entry and issued a revised worksheet.
Result:
After correcting the transposition error, the WCIRB adjusted the company's Experience Modification Factor from its calculation of 0.97 to the correct figure of 0.90, which had been arrived at in the CWCA's original assessment. The resulting drop in the Experience Modifier resulted a premium cost reduction of $8,851.
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Proper care at the right place
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When an injury occurs you want to be sure the injured worker has timely access to the highest quality of care and that the treating primary care physician or specialist will render care aimed at returning the employee to work. Unfortunately many injured employees' first experience with workers' comp is in a medical practice that does not understand occupational health.
All too often it is believed that if a medical provider is credentialed through a network, he or she is a professional who values injury management. It is important to realize that there are differences between occupational health delivery systems and those of the general medical community.
As L5 WorkComp Advisors, it is our role to establish a continuum of care and communication between the three most influential parties in the workers' comp claim process - the employer, the injured employee and the medical provider. A key component of this process is identifying medical providers where injury management is a core value.
This philosophy places the injured worker and his or her care at the forefront. Such medical providers offer proper intervention at the right time and resolve problems before they become too costly. They engage the employer and provide for continuous communication.
In assessing a medical provider, some factors that we evaluate are: treatment guidelines or protocols in the care of the injured worker; the ability to identify ergonomic job risks; the use of standardized work restriction forms; the availability of case management; the absence of social decisions when determining a release to work; and the willingness to coordinate and manage treatment and rehabilitation with other providers to facilitate a speedy recovery and return to work.
Channeling injured employees to the right medical
provider will:
- Improve access to care that results in early intervention and a speedier return to work
- Establish causation of injury (is it really a workers' comp claim?)
- Improve efficacy of treatment (treatment that is appropriate for the problem, yielding the best medical results for the injured worker)
- Reduce claim costs (by returning the injured employee to full productivity sooner)
- Let your employees know that you value them and are committed to their return to work
Experience shows that the longer an injured worker is out of work the more difficult it is for him or her to return to the job. The key to reducing claim costs is not to let the injured worker get out of the normal routine of coming to work. Effective medical care reduces time lost from work, enhances the relationship between employer and employee and makes good fiscal sense.
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Working with the "Problem"
injured worker
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We find that there can be what we call the "problem injured worker." Even when all proper steps have been taken to return the employee to work, the recovery period is extended well past normal expectations. Or, as recovery progresses, other medical issues arise. In effect, there's always another reason to prolong getting back to work.
Clearly, intervention is needed. The good news is that we have it available. We have a consultant available, an experienced Registered Nurse who is also a certified HR professional. Experience indicates that she can recommend beneficial protocols that are successful in dealing with these cases. Contact us for more information.
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Workplace Learning: where are we headed?
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In the age of shrinking workforces and constrained budgets, most businesses are finding they have to do more with less. The business that empowers its workforce to have the knowledge - both human and digital - that they need, when they need it, the way they best understand it and in the amount they require has the competitive edge. It is all about the efficient management of time.
According to the American Society of Training and Development (ASTD), key factors that will drive investment in the future are the development of high performance workforces, employees with the skills to support globalization and preparation for an aging workforce. The hot buttons today are aligning learning with the business, achieving a measurable return and business results, and leveraging technology to drive a significantly improved learning experience.
How we support, direct and accelerate learning that is beneficial for our business requires, for the foreseeable future, a sympathetic, aware and trained human intermediary. The role of the line manager is crucial.
ASTD notes that moving beyond functional skills, there is increasing interest in equipping employees with skill sets that better support the broader responsibilities of workers today. Critical thinking skills, creative problem solving skills, and the skills required to establish and grow social networks will be more and more important to an employee's success.
In the future, there will be a shortfall of qualified labor to fill positions. According to ASTD, research suggests that businesses will have to leverage workers that today might be classified as unskilled labor to fill this labor gap. This will place a greater responsibility to educate new hires in basic job skills; and because this occurs at a time when companies have a labor shortage, the learning must be integrated in the employee's workflow.
While the ASTD report focuses on workplace learning, the relevance to Workers' Comp is clear. It is not an on/off intervention when injury occurs, but an ongoing process, encompassing all aspects of the workplace.
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