Around AASCIF

Garland promoted to Director of IT Services
Randy Garland has been promoted to Director of IT Services for Kentucky Employers’ Mutual Insurance (KEMI). Randy has been an employee of KEMI for 10 years and has an extensive background in systems management. Randy currently serves on AASCIF’s Information Technology Committee.

KEMI Selected as One of the Best Places to Work in Kentucky
The Kentucky Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) State Council, in conjunction with the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, announced KEMI as a winner in the second annual "Best Places to Work in Kentucky" competition sponsored by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. The program is a multi-year initiative to motivate companies in the Commonwealth to focus, measure and move their workplace environments toward excellence.

Employers became responsible for paying injured workers for the full day of the injury. The legislation removed the cap on assessable earnings.

Other benefit enhancements include the removal of the reduction of benefits from 90% to 80% of net regular take home pay after 24 months, enhancement of permanent impairment awards and the ability to top up wage loss benefits to 100% of net through income from other sources such as employer top up, Canada Pension Plan or private insurance.

The legislation expanded the list of presumptive illnesses for firefighters to include primary site colorectal and ureter cancers, lung cancer for non smokers and heart attacks within 24 hours of attendance at an emergency response. Primary site brain cancer, bladder or kidney cancer, non Hodgkin’s lymphoma or leukemia presumptions were added to the Act in 2002. The latest amendments extend the presumptions to include volunteer and part time firefighters.

The new Act defines a prevention role for the WCB, modernized the governance framework and introduced independent reviews of WCB programs.

Public consultations have taken place concerning expansion of coverage. Currently, about 70% of the Manitoba workplace requires mandatory WCB coverage. Another round of public consultations will gather input concerning obligation to reemploy.

Once again, IWIF employees unleashed their generous spirits during the 2005 Maryland Charity Campaign, donating $39,785.50 to numerous charities throughout the state. The company matched employee donations dollar for dollar to bring the total amount to $79,571, about $3,500 more then the previous year.

IWIF’s Fraud Director Jerry Landsman was recently appointed to the Insurance Fraud Council for the American Society of Industrial Security (ASIS), an international group dedicated to advancing security issues in the U.S. and around the globe.

Also considered an expert in his field, Joe Gillian, IWIF Loss Control Director, was recently appointed chairman of the Chesapeake Region Safety Council, a chapter of the National Safety Council. Joe will assume his role as chairman in June 2006.

"Chairman Wehner's broad experience in workers' compensation, as well as labor and business issues, makes him an excellent choice to manage the operations of the State Insurance Fund," Chairman Morris said. Mr. Wehner fills the vacancy left by the departure of Ken Ross as Executive Director earlier this year. Since that time, Christopher Barclay, Secretary to the Board of Commissioners, and Douglas Hayden, General Attorney, have been sharing director duties.

"I also want to commend Acting Co-Directors Chris Barclay and Doug Hayden for the steady job they did while the search was underway for a new Executive Director," Chairman Morris stated. Mr. Wehner, nominated by Governor George E. Pataki, was sworn in as Chairman of the Workers' Compensation Board on March 9, 2004. Under his leadership, the WCB continued to expand its mission and accomplishments in serving its customers, New York's injured workers and their employers. "I am honored to have been chosen by the Board to be Executive Director of the State Insurance Fund," Chairman Wehner said. "I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as Chairman of the Workers' Compensation Board, and look forward to using my knowledge to continue the State Insurance Fund's success. I thank Governor Pataki for his support and confidence in me." NYSIF is a non-profit agency of the State of New York that was created as part of the Workers' Compensation Law of 1914. By law, NYSIF is a competitive insurance carrier that sells workers' compensation and disability benefits insurance to any employer doing business in New York State. Approximately 186,000 employers hold NYSIF workers' compensation insurance policies, constituting about 37 percent of the market. During his tenure at the Workers' Compensation Board, Mr. Wehner launched a series of regional educational conferences presented by board staff around the state. The seminars promoted the board's improved processes and advances to e-case, health management and claims adjudication. More than 500 individuals have attended these conferences, with overwhelming positive feedback.

The Workers' Compensation Board administers benefit programs that protect the rights of injured workers. The state workers' compensation system guarantees workers injured on the job both medical care and weekly cash benefits, usually until they return to work. Under Mr. Wehner's direction, the Board resolved all pending issues for 312,902 new and pre-existing claims in 2004, marking the fourth consecutive year of 300,000 or more resolutions. In addition, in September 2005, Mr. Wehner initiated a review of the Board's outdated Medical Guidelines, bringing together 15 health providers to make recommendations that refine, clarify and update the department's uniform medical guidelines. Mr. Wehner was recently named to the Board of Directors for the American Society of Workers' Compensation Professionals (AMCOMP). In May 2005, Mr. Wehner was recognized by the Society of New York Workers' Compensation Bar Association for invaluable service rendered by the Workers' Compensation Board. Mr. Wehner served previously as Executive Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Department of Labor for more than three years. Prior to being named Executive Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Wehner served more than three-and-a-half years as Deputy Commissioner for Administration and Public Affairs. He also served as Chief Special Assistant to the Commissioner of Labor and Director of Communications. A former member of the Board of Directors for the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA), Mr. Wehner is also a past President of the National Association of Government Labor Officials (NAGLO). He previously served as State Media Director for United States Senator Alfonse M. D'Amato where he worked for 10 years in both his Washington, D.C. and Albany offices. A native of Rochester, New York, Mr. Wehner holds bachelor's and master's degrees in communications from the State University of New York at Albany. Active in youth sports, he and his wife, Diane, have three children.

The purpose of HELP is to provide economic assistance to improve worker safety and conduct research on the effectiveness of each specific safety intervention. This research will be shared with other employers. By looking at worker safety before and after HELP interventions, employers will get a clear picture of the effectiveness of specific safety interventions.

With HELP, North Dakota employers have the opportunity to receive a matching 5-to-1 cash grant with WSI picking up the larger portion. Grants of up to $50,000 per employer are available under the program. Funding for HELP was authorized by the 2005 North Dakota Legislative session and is part of the $35 million WSI intends to spend on safety that is aimed at reducing injuries in the state.

Network specialists at CompSource and HealthE Systems have worked diligently to integrate the necessary components of both networks and they anticipate launching the PBM by the end of April.

Before joining SAIF, Pollino was the director of audits for the Oregon Secretary of State. As chief auditor for the State of Oregon, Pollino oversaw 76 professional audit staff and managed an annual operating budget exceeding $6.5 million.

Pollino has a MBA from the University of Phoenix and a BA (double major) in business administration and economics from the University of Puget Sound. She is a certified internal controls auditor and a certified government financial manager, and she is former chair of the peer review committee of the National State Auditors' Association.

AGRICULTURAL SAFETY SEMINAR SERIES CONCLUDES
SAIF'S 11th annual agricultural safety seminar series concluded in March. Over 1,800 agriculture industry business owners, operators, supervisors, foreman, and employees attended 26 seminars in locations throughout the state. Many of the sessions were conducted exclusively in Spanish.

SAIF conducts these seminars to reach small agricultural accounts that might not otherwise receive safety and loss control services. This year's series included training on "farm vehicle safety and compliance," "drug awareness," and "communicating safety to farm employees."

The Prince Edward Island OHS Act regulations also now include provisions for Violence in the Workplace and Working Alone as well as updated amendments for Scaffolding and Hoisting Apparatus. The new Regulations will become effective May 1, 2006.