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AlbertaThe Workers’ Compensation Board–Alberta is piloting a new return-to-work plan for treating low back injuries. The pilot began in April and will continue through September. The new plan focuses on optimizing medical intervention. An orthopedic specialist will provide consultations on back claims that may benefit from early intervention. The plan is based on recent studies showing people who remain active following a back injury are likely to improve faster and have better results. The WCB–Alberta Ethics Committee created a
new video “Louder Than Words” in an effort to support ethical
decision-making in the workplace. Staff responded positively to the provocative,
creative and engaging video.
Arizona A grassroots campaign aimed at reaching a political
decision to clarify the relationship between State Compensation Fund of
Arizona and the state stimulated hundreds of policyholders to contact
their legislators and express their support. Policyholders’ and business
associations’ participation in the campaign resulted in an end to
a legislative proposal to sell SCF that was not in the best interest of
Arizona businesses. SCF has agreed to help legislative leaders and the
governor’s office erase budget shortfalls during fiscal years 2003
and 2004.
ColoradoColorado Gov. Bill Owens recently appointed four new members to the board
of directors of Pinnacol Assurance. J. Mark Eagleton and Debra E. Lovejoy
join the board as employee representatives, Gary O. Johnson is the new
insurance representative and David L. Stevens joins as the finance and
investments representative. The four were installed at the April board
meeting. Owens also reappointed Peter M. Meersman to the board. Meersman,
president and CEO of the Colorado Restaurant Association, was first appointed
in 1999 and serves as the board’s vice chair.
KentuckyKentucky Employers’ Mutual Insurance made a seamless transition in April to a new state-of-the-art insurance business system—PowerComp. PowerComp enables KEMI to better serve its customers in addition to providing enhanced e-business capabilities. The Agent Procedures Guide can now be found on kemi.com. Agents and CSRs have quick, easy access to information about placing business with KEMI. With the online version, updates to the manual happen instantaneously and email notices are sent to agents and CSRs. Again this year, KEMI played a prominent role at the Governor’s Safety and Health Conference, which was May 7-8. This annual conference is designed to increase awareness of occupational safety and health in the workplace.
LouisianaLouisiana Workers’ Compensation Corporation recently launched a new website called Well@WorkSM which can be accessed through the company’s website at www.lwcc.com. The site was created specifically to help injured employees through recovery and return-to-work. The site provides information on three main topics: Benefits and claims: What claimants can expect during the claims process, key benefits covered in workers’ compensation, and tips for smoother claims handling. Return to work: How working can be part of a successful recovery program, tips for a safer return to work, and different options in returning to work. Health and safety: How to choose a healthcare provider, tips for a better recovery, and making healthy lifestyle choices.
MarylandTwo bills recently were signed into law giving IWIF temporary relief from the requirement that an insurer dramatically increase reserves when it experiences “excessive growth.” As IWIF readies itself for acceptance into the guaranty fund, this new legislation will give IWIF the time needed to meet risk-based capital requirements. An IWIF claimant admitted to fraudulently collecting workers’ compensation insurance benefits from the insurer since 1995 and was recently sentenced to three years’ suspended sentence and ordered to pay IWIF $38,000 in restitution. To ensure injured workers the best medical care as well as manage IWIF claims costs more efficiently, IWIF partnered with Alliance PPO/Procare, LLC on May 1. The alliance medical care network boasts a 100 percent participation rate among Maryland hospitals and 17,000 healthcare professionals.
MinnesotaEarly results look good for the prescription benefits management program launched by State Fund Mutual in January. More than 40 percent of eligible claimants are using the pharmacy network, with about 50 percent of all prescriptions filled in the PBM. Prescription costs billed through ExpressScripts are running about 24 percent less than the levels SFM typically paid prior to the program. Despite considerable public policy debate on further medical cost-containment in work comp, no legislation was enacted in the 2003 session. Reimburse-ment levels under the medical fee schedule have risen to well over 200 percent of Medicare reimbursement levels and about 170 percent of group health levels. A task force is expected to study and make a recommendation prior to the 2004 legislative session on whether the fee schedule should be adjusted. It also will study hospital reimbursement levels and consider whether negotiation of lower rates should be permitted for healthcare in networks that injured workers now can be required to use.
MissouriMissouri Employers Mutual Insurance celebrated WorkSAFE Week 2003, June 9-13. WorkSAFE Week 2003 focused on the role attitude plays in loss prevention and urged all Missourians to get an attitude—a WorkSAFE attitude. The campaign focused on public awareness and included advertising, public relations and special events for policyholders and agents particularly committed to workplace safety. A Take 5 Attitude Kit was developed for policyholders to encourage their participation during the week and included everything they need to emphasize workplace safety to employees.
MontanaThe Montana State Fund board of directors in March authorized a $3 million dividend payment to eligible policyholders with superior safety records. This is the fifth consecutive year MSF has rewarded organizations that make workplace safety a priority. Cumulatively over the past five years MSF has returned more than $31 million back to businesses in Montana. The board selected Laurence Hubbard to serve as the next president and
CEO. Hubbard has been with Montana State Fund since 1989. He served as
interim CEO following the retirement of Carl Swanson in February. Before
that, he was vice president of insurance operations.
New Brunswick
New MexicoThe Legislature passed two bills affecting workers’ compensation.
The first increases maximum attorney fees on workers’ compensation
cases from $12,500 to $16,500, provides for more permanent total disability
payments for those with moderate to severe brain injuries, and increases
permanent partial disability benefits for workers who are more severely
disabled. The second bill makes it difficult for insurance companies,
general contractors and owners to secure a wrap-up policy for construction
contracts.
New YorkDuring a two-day conference in February, the American Society of Workers’ Compensation Professionals Inc. announced that nine industry professionals had earned the prestigious designation of Workers’ Compensation Certified Professional. WCCP certification offers a comprehensive education program to help professionals develop a foundation of knowledge in various aspects of workers’ compensation. Eight of the designees are employees of the New York State Insurance Fund. In April, NYSIF discontinued printing and mailing thousands of monthly
billing statements to safety group managers and introduced an eBILL system
that allows them to check account status online.
North DakotaStarting in May, North Dakota Workers Compensation began implementing
some of the most visible changes in its 84-year history. One significant
change includes NDWC changing its name to Workforce Safety & Insurance.
Other major changes include a move to a new building, a new comprehensive
website, new online services for employers, workers and medical providers,
and a new 14-day payment cycle and direct deposit option for injured workers.
Visit www.WorkforceSafety.com for more
OhioDuring the next 18 months, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation will re-engineer operations to save $7 million a year in administrative costs. In the previous organizational structure, BWC employed 4,200 employees. Now, BWC employs fewer than 2,850. By consolidating BWC’s 21 customer service offices into 14, BWC will increase operational efficiency and provide better products and services for customers. This process will not cause layoffs. Also, BWC will transition into focused injury-management and employer-management services. For the first time, field claims-management teams and field employer services teams will serve the same employers and injured workers. These two field service teams will coordinate their actions under one leader.
OklahomaCompSource Oklahoma’s Tulsa employees are planning to move to a
new location this summer. The new Tulsa satellite office provides easy
access to major highways and offers more parking and square footage.
OregonThe Workplace Safety & Insurance Board has joined local safety committees
to promote safe practices in the workplace. The WSIB recently
OregonSAIF Corporation policyholders protested legislation last month that
would direct the state to prepare a plan to privatize SAIF despite its
success in reducing injuries and lowering rates for all Oregon employers.
The legislation is part of a coordinated effort by SAIF’s major competitor
to dismantle the state workers’ compensation fund. Liberty Northwest
is funding a major public relations campaign against SAIF this legislative
session through a lobbying group called Oregonians for Accountability.
It is running attack ads on the radio and in newspapers and is feeding
exposé-style news stories to Portland TV stations about SAIF and
its executives. SAIF has helped keep Oregon’s pure premium rates
from increasing since 1990. Selling it would raise rates for all of Oregon,
a struggling economy with the highest unemployment in the nation.
Rhode IslandOn Feb. 20, the nation’s attention was drawn to the tragic fire at The Station, a West Warwick, R.I., nightclub. At this writing, 100 people have died. Countless others are left with life-altering physical and psychological injuries—some being employees of The Station. Tragic as it was to Rhode Islanders and the nation, The Beacon family is sad to have lost neighbors and friends in this horrible event. Many significant workers’ compensation issues developed from this. As a workers’ compensation institution, The Beacon did not insure The Station. Tragically, there was no workers’ compensation insurance. The nightclub owners have been scrutinized for failing to provide workers’ compensation coverage for their employees. A $1 million fine has been imposed on the owners for not having coverage in place, with additional lawsuits pending. The Beacon is, however, managing claims for two employees of an insured who were at The Station for a promotion. One escaped without sustaining physical injuries. The second employee died in the fire. This tragedy is destined to have an impact on national fire regulations—specifically
automatic sprinkler use in nightclub facilities. The Beacon has studied
its own exposures and has instituted the following preventive measures:
SaskatchewanStakeholders learned about the Associa-tion of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada status at annual general meetings in mid-May. The past and next years’ finances were reviewed as well as program and policy updates. Poor investment markets and an increase in injury claims costs affected the board’s 2002 financial performance. The operating shortfall for 2002 ended up at $93.5 million, which also included money required by legislative amendments. Between 2000 and 2002, injury fund investment earnings have decreased $60 million. Canada’s only educational event of its kind, Comp Institute, was
held April 28-29. Nearly 250 participants came from across western Canada
to learn about the workers’ compensation system as well as hear success
stories about employers’ approaches to injury prevention and disability
management.
TexasTexas Mutual Insurance Company has authorized a $2.2 million grant to the Texas Workers’ Compensation Commission to help support initiatives that will address medical cost control, over-utilization of care and quality of care in the Texas workers’ compensation system. Specifically, TWCC may use the funds to pay for reviewing and correcting doctors’ patterns of practice, to contract for benchmarking activities and data related to medical care, and to pay expenses associated with updating TWCC’s approved doctor list. Texas Mutual implemented a pharmacy benefit management program to help
give injured workers access to a network of pharmacies that will fill
their workers’ compensation-related prescriptions at a discount.
UtahWorkers’ Compensation Fund was recently named a recipient of the Utah Trailblazer Award and the Outstanding Corporate Citizen Award. The awards were presented to WCF for its commitment to building Utah’s future through excellent service, innovation and commitment to the community. WCF and its employees have raised more than $15,000 for the March of Dimes to help fight birth defects, premature birth and low birth weight. WCF’s Special Investigations Unit continues to fight fraud and successfully
saved Utah businesses $5 million in 2002. Total savings has reached more
than $47 million since the unit’s inception in 1992.
West VirginiaOn April 4 , Gregory A. Burton was named the new executive director of the Workers’ Compensation Division. Prior to his appointment, he served as cabinet secretary in the Department of Administration for two years. Burton’s work experiences also include two years as city manager for the city of Charleston, three years as chairman and board member of the West Virginia Health Care Authority, and more than 10 years in the investment-banking field as well as the banking industry in the corporate trust area. Burton has gained valuable experience in bond financing, healthcare, budget preparation, human resources and legislative issues. Download complete newsletter in PDF format
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The
Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission of New Brunswick
has a new look. The design was developed in consultation with all divisions
of the Commission and was launched in January 2003. The new logo replaces
a bilingual wordmark that had been in place since 1995, when the Commission
was formed. The new symbol illustrates that the organization’s values
and strengths are based on people: workers, employers, injured workers,
care providers, staff and the board of directors.