|
Colorado
Pinnacol Assurance
- Pinnacol Assurance was recently named one of the “Best Small and Medium Companies to Work For in America” by the Great Place to Work® Institute and the Society for Human Resources Management. Out of 500 applicants, we’re one of just 25 medium size companies that won this year.
- The Pinnacol Foundation’s annual golf tournament raised over $100,000, which will fund 48 college scholarships to Colorado students. This is the largest number of scholarship recipients since Pinnacol established the Foundation in 2000.
- Pinnacol has partnered with ClickSafety, a nationally recognized training company, to offer online safety training for our policyholders and their employees. More than 100 courses, including industry-specific and general safety content, are available.
- Pinnacol recently published our 2005 Annual Report. The report highlights how we partner with stakeholders across the state to provide assured and affordable coverage, workplace safety, and medical care for Colorado businesses and their employees.
Kentucky
Patients at UK Healthcare's Kentucky Children's Hospital received a pleasant surprise when a handful of employees from Kentucky Employers' Mutual Insurance (KEMI) brought hundreds of Christmas presents collected during a recent "Christmas in July" campaign sponsored by the company's activities committee.
Although this is the first Christmas in July KEMI has organized, they are no strangers to the Kentucky Children's Hospital. In December of last year, KEMI employees donated over $5,000 to the Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House of the Bluegrass.
"Our employees care deeply about the well-being of our community and take great pride in helping others," said Jenny Whitis, Human Resources Director for KEMI. "We hope that through the generosity of our staff we can encourage those facing difficult circumstances and at the very least, brighten their day through events such as this."
To view a brief video highlighting KEMI's community involvement, click here.
Louisiana
LWCC Receives Ward’s 50 Designation for Fifth Straight Year
Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corporation (LWCC) has received the prestigious 2006 Ward’s 50 designation, recognizing the 50 top-performing property and casualty insurers in America. Selected from among more than 3,000 property-casualty insurance companies nationwide, LWCC has received the award for five consecutive years.
“The insurance industry today faces tremendous challenges including market pressures, expense management, technology, rising claim costs, compliance, legislation and more,” said Jeff Rieder, president of Ward Group. “The best companies often do things differently in order to set themselves apart from the competition. In particular, these companies maintain efficient operating models, meet the needs of customers and successfully execute their strategy.”
The objective of Ward’s analysis is to recognize the 50 companies that have excelled at balancing safety, consistency and performance, and then to benchmark their performance with the industry overall. Ward Group is acknowledged as the leading authority on insurance industry benchmarking.
“We’re making sure that we give injured workers fair treatment and proper care while also striving to be more efficient and easy to do business with for our policyholders and agents,” said Kristin Wall, LWCC’s president and chief executive officer.
LWCC is the largest writer of workers’ comp insurance in Louisiana, covering about 23,000 policyholders.
LWCC Management Promotions Announced
LWCC has announced the promotions of Paul D. Buffone to assistant vice president of risk management services and Russell Michiels to claims operations manager.
Buffone, who joined LWCC in 1993, has served as director of litigation services for the company since 2001. Previously, he was LWCC’s senior corporate counsel after practicing for several years in the areas of state workers’ compensation and maritime law.
In his new position, Buffone oversees risk management services for LWCC, as well as the collections department legal division and the special investigation unit.
Buffone received a B.S. degree from Louisiana State University in 1989 and a Juris Doctorate degree from LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 1993. He is a Louisiana Bar Foundation Fellow and serves on the Louisiana Department of Labor Advisory Group to the Director of Workers’ Compensation. He is also a member of the Strategic Services on Unemployment & Workers’ Compensation Joint Task Force to Amend the Federal Medicare Secondary Payor Act, as well as the Coalition to Amend the Federal Longshore Act.
Michiels began his career with LWCC in 1992 as a claims service representative. In 1993, he completed the claims associate training program, and he has held a variety of positions within LWCC’s risk management services division, including most recently claims team leader. In his new position, Michiels oversees all claims administrative functions.
LWCC Fraud Investigation Leads to Guilty Pleas
A Louisiana couple pleaded guilty in a workers’ compensation fraud case in August following a surveillance investigation by LWCC and a series of court rulings favorable to the company.
Gregory Hebert, 47, of Lake Charles received a suspended sentence, was fined $800 and was placed on four years of active supervised probation after pleading guilty to felony insurance fraud. In addition, he is required to pay $13,746 to LWCC in restitution; that amount is payable over the four-year probationary period.
His wife, 45-year-old Patricia Hebert, who cooperated with the criminal investigation, was allowed to plead guilty to attempted felony theft, a misdemeanor. She received one year of unsupervised probation, was fined $400 and owed LWCC $5,000 in restitution, which has been paid.
“We take workers’ comp fraud very seriously,” said LWCC Vice President of Operations Mike Dileo. “LWCC’s special investigation unit did an outstanding job of surveillance in this case, and the company followed it up aggressively through the Office of Workers’ Compensation court system, the appeals process and the criminal court system.”
Prosecutor Mark Pethke said Gregory Hebert fell from a roof in January 2000 and required medical care for an injured back and legs. In 2003, Hebert was still reporting to his doctors that he was in constant pain and unable to lead a normal life, Pethke said. Surveillance videos, however, showed Hebert driving, climbing steps and carrying several cases of drinks, according to Pethke.
“It was pretty clear,” said the prosecutor.
LWCC maintains a fraud hotline (800-933-3728) where information about suspected workers’ comp fraud may be reported. The company offers a $1,500 reward for information leading to criminal fraud arrests.
Maine
Back in the top 50
For the fifth year in a row, MEMIC was named to Ward Group’s list of top 50 property-casualty insurers in the U.S. MEMIC CEO and President John Leonard attributes the company’s success to efficiency and its workers’ comp only focus.
Two feathers in MEMIC’s hat
A best place to work and a champion of the economy—two recognitions recently awarded to MEMIC. The company was announced a finalist in the “Best Places To Work in Maine” competition along with eight other businesses in the large company category. Final rankings will be announced at the end of September. And the Maine Development Foundation honored MEMIC as one of two businesses who are “Champions for Economic Development.” Winners were selected based upon their commitment to economic growth, ability to collaborate and create partnerships, high professional standards, and innovativeness of ideas and approaches to issues.
MEMIC march
MEMIC Indemnity Company continues to gain licenses to write workers’ compensation throughout the U.S. The MEMIC subsidiary is now licensed in 31 states.
Leonard elected
CEO and President John Leonard was elected to the National Council on Compensation Insurance’s National Workers’ Compensation Reinsurance Pool Board, where he will serve a three-year term.
Minnesota
Now ‘SFM’
State Fund Mutual has been redesigning itself with a number of significant long-term changes aimed at better serving employers and better positioning the company for the future as employers’ needs expand. One recent change was shortening the company’s brand name to SFM. Along with the new name, the positioning line, “The Work Comp Experts,” is incorporated into SFM’s new logo.
SFM has decided to start building its own other-states collateral coverage insuring capability by seeking licensure in several additional states where the Minnesota and Wisconsin employers it serves have lesser exposures for which they also need coverage.
Online audits
SFM recently launched an online annual premium audit form for policyholders with less than $10,000 premium, and more than half of them are choosing it over the traditional paper form, exceeding SFM’s expectations.
Secured emails
As an added security measure, SFM has begun password-protecting certain outgoing emails that contain confidential policyholder information potentially attractive to hackers for identity theft or other unauthorized interception, such as injured employee medical data and Social Security numbers. You can view an online demo on SFM’s website showing how users retrieve emails that have been secured.
Online reporting
72 percent of the claims received by SFM during a recent one-week period were reported online through SFM’s website, an all-time weekly high. The year-to-date average for claims submitted online has risen to 66 percent.
New York
- NYSIF CEO/Executive Director David P. Wehner announced the launch of a redesigned and revamped web site at www.nysif.com.
The new site contains information for New York businesses about workers’ compensation and disability benefits insurance, a comprehensive library of current safety resources for employers, and a full line-up of convenient e-business services that are available to NYSIF policyholders.
“We've changed the contents and the look and feel of our site to make it more user-friendly for our customers and for any user interested in learning about workers’ compensation and disability benefits,” NYSIF CEO David Wehner said in announcing the new site. “We've made www.nysif.com a one-stop, full service resource for all of our constituents – policyholders, injured workers, insurance representatives, medical providers – and for all businesses in New York State.”
Developed entirely by NYSIF staff, the new site offers convenient navigation from the homepage under four distinct sections: Workers’ Compensation, Disability Benefits, Safety and Risk Management, and Online Services. Employers, injured workers, insurance representatives and medical providers each have their own sections under which NYSIF covers a full complement of topics and offers a variety of online services tailored to each constituent.
“We've developed this site to be a state-of-the-art resource and service destination for workers’ compensation and disability benefits for New York businesses,” Mr. Wehner said.
Site features also include full accessibility, an improved method for contacting NYSIF, procurement opportunities, a complete site map and an RSS feed.
CEO Wehner also announced the establishment of a new NYSIF safety trade group, Safety Group No. 578 - The Hotel and Motel Group of New York, effective 6/1/06.
This is the second safety group formed in 2006, and it brings our total roster of active safety groups to 99. NYSIF's safety group book of business is now comprised of over 34,300 policies, generating a total annual premium of approximately $700 million.
In 2005, NYSIF policyholders numbered 194,567, earned premium topped $1.58 billion and total assets exceeded $11.5 billion. Qualified policyholders with the safest workplaces received up to 35% in advanced discounts on premium. NYSIF paid dividends of $126,443,000 to safety group policyholders, who enjoyed a third straight year of dividend increases. A.M. Best listed NYSIF among the Top 10 U.S. writers of workers’ compensation insurance in its 2005 Best’s Review.
NYSIF recently added new resources for policyholders by publishing its quarterly newsletter, the Workers' Comp. Advisor, for the first time online in a printable PDF format, with a new issue to be posted every quarter.
"This is another step in our efforts to bring New York workers and businesses information that can help them manage the workers' compensation system in New York," CEO David P. Wehner said. "The Advisor is another reference tool adding to the wealth of information and resources now available on our revamped web site for businesses, workers, providers and insurance representatives."
In addition, NYSIF’s two most widely-read publications, Partners in Safety and A Claims Guide for the Employer, are now available in Spanish. “Making these publications available in both English and Spanish increases their value for New York businesses, reaching a wider audience that reflects the changing composition of New York’s workforce,” Mr. Wehner said.
The publications contain both English and Spanish text in the same brochure. Partners in Safety, or Socios en la Seguridad, includes tips on safety training, accident prevention, materials handling, personal protective equipment and a comprehensive safety inspection checklist. It has helped thousands of New York employers and employees establish and maintain safe workplaces.
A Claims Guide for the Employer (Guía de Solicitudes de Indemnización para el Empleador), contains critical information for businesses, including accident reporting, tips for recognizing fraud, forms descriptions, employment of minors and information on disability benefits.
NYSIF, along with the New York Workers’ Compensation Board, played an important role in helping to craft three significant pieces of legislation recently signed into law by Governor George E. Pataki, affecting 9/11 rescue and clean-up workers. The first law enables workers who became ill after the expiration of the statutory two-year workers’ compensation filing deadline to resubmit claims for further consideration. The second law permits application for accidental death benefits to families of police officers, firefighters and other uniformed personnel who participated in the rescue, recovery and clean-up operations at the World Trade Center site. The third law eliminates the statute of limitations to allow rescue and recovery workers who retired from public service to have their retirement status reclassified as accidental disability if illnesses related to 9/11 rescue and clean-up work later surface.
North Dakota
North Dakota’s Workforce Safety & Insurance (WSI) Board of Directors approved WSI’s 2006-2007 premium rate, which calls for no increase in rates. Additionally, due to continued positive investment returns, the WSI Board authorized for the second year in a row, an across-the-board 40% percent premium dividend credit. The premium dividend credit –estimated to be nearly $52 million—will be available to all employers who maintain an account in good standing and pay more than the minimum premium. “We are asking employers who receive a premium dividend credit to use some portion of it to invest in safety and continue to protect North Dakota’s workforce from work-related injuries,” said Bob Indvik, Chair of the WSI Board. “And to get the best bang for their buck, employers can file for a matching safety grant of up to $50,000. Now, that is what I call a healthy return on an investment –proactive protection of human life.” The WSI matching safety grant program, H.E.L.P. (Hazard Elimination Learning Program), has 5-to-1 matching dollars available, up to $50,000 per eligible employer, to eliminate hazards in the workplace. Since the program’s inception in January, nearly a million dollars in safety grants have been awarded to North Dakota employers.
Oklahoma
- CompSource Oklahoma is participating in the 2006 State Charitable Campaign. CompSource is a long-time leader in the campaign, which raises money for charities across the state. Last year, CompSource was the second leading state agency, contributing more than $43,000 to the campaign.
- In 2005, the Oklahoma legislature removed the Oklahoma Department of Labor’s authority to issue Certificates of Non-Coverage (CNC), resulting in a cooperative effort between CompSource Oklahoma, legislators, regulators and others in the development of the “Affidavit of Independent Contractor Status and Fact Sheet.” During the 2006 legislative session, House Bill 2905 was passed, adopting the use of the affidavit and fact sheet, creating the “Affidavit of Exempt Status Under the Workers’ Compensation Act” and the “Exempt Status Fact Sheet” for any person who is not required to be covered under a workers’ compensation insurance policy. The Affidavit and Fact Sheet continue to be tools to evaluate the relationship between a policyholder and a sub-contractor and identify whether they are independent contractors who do not require coverage under CompSource’s policies.
- CompSource’s utilization of a Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) is well underway. The PBM is expected to provide significant savings for rising prescription drug costs. It will also streamline reporting and processing procedures. CompSource should have savings data available next quarter.
Ontario
WSIB’s new Chair
The Honourable Steven W. Mahoney, P.C., has been appointed as the new Chair of the Ontario Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB). He succeeds Jill Hutcheon, the former Interim Chair, who continues as the WSIB’s President and CEO.
Mr. Mahoney brings almost three decades of political experience in all levels of government to the Chair’s office, including two years as Labour critic in the Ontario legislature and one year as Federal Secretary of State for Crown Corporations.
The WSIB provides disability benefits to workers through a no-fault insurance plan, facilitates the early and safe return to work of injured workers, and oversees Ontario’s workplace safety prevention and training system.
Focus on road safety
The WSIB has partnered with provincial and federal agencies to work toward reducing and preventing deaths and injuries due to motor vehicle collisions. RoadSafe --the Road Safety Partners of Ontario-- will focus on providing information and education about:
- trucking safety
- workplace road safety management awareness
- the risks associated with aggressive, distracted, and drowsy driving
- the importance of using seatbelts
- road safety awareness and skills for new/young drivers.
RoadSafe has launched a website - www.roadsafe.ca where employers and workers can find resources to support their occupational road safety and safe driving programs.
Safety campaign for firefighters launched
Firefighters face a variety of occupational hazards, including regular exposure to the toxic fumes generated by fires of all types and sizes. The firefighter’s self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) is the first line of defense against toxic exposures.
Since 1990, the WSIB has allowed over 900 claims from firefighters for the toxic effects of smoke and chemical exposure at work. To help reduce and eventually eliminate these kinds of illnesses and injuries, the WSIB has developed a campaign to inform, engage, and motivate firefighters to use, fit test, and maintain their SCBA masks.
Six posters have been developed to support the campaign, each with important messages about the fitting, cleaning, and safe use of SCBAs. The posters will be mailed to fire halls across Ontario and can also be viewed on the WSIB’s website.
Oregon
SAIF unveils new brand story and logo to employees
July 28 marked the beginning of a new era at SAIF Corporation with the unveiling of the new corporate brand story and visual identity to employees. In the first all-company meeting in more than 15 years, SAIF executives and guest speakers, including the creative director of the branding agency hired by SAIF, educated employees in branding, explained the purpose of the corporate brand initiative, shared the new brand story, and unveiled the logo.
A seven-week campaign of comic strips featuring employees discussing some aspect of the brand initiative had prepared employees to expect something more than just a new logo or a new advertising campaign. Employees left the launch event understanding that successful branding is about the entire experience of SAIF Corporation and that every employee has a part in creating that experience.
The public unveiling of the logo will occur in December 2006 with the launch of a rebranded saif.com and publication of the January issue of Compnews, SAIF’s policyholder publication.
SAIF’s sales figures remain strong in third quarter
The 2006 sales figures remained strong in the third quarter. Only halfway through the quarter, SAIF reached $17.8 million in new sales, surpassing its year-to-date third quarter sales goal of $17.3 million. Year-to-date policy retention remained strong at 98.8 percent. Other year-to-date sales figures were equally impressive: As of August 16, SAIF has acquired 2,859 accounts while losing only 118 ($4.7 million in total premium).
By mid-August, SAIF gained 599 accounts in the third quarter for a combined total premium of $5.1 million; it lost 44 accounts for a total of $2.3 million in premium. Third-quarter retention currently stands at 98.1 percent. Agents accounted for $4.6 million, or 91.4 percent, of the new sales premium generated in the third quarter.
Saskatchewan
2006 Annual General Meetings Told Strategy and Focus Produced 2005 Results
The Saskatchewan WCB’s strategic and operational plans are responsible for the positive financial and operating results the WCB posted in 2005, according to its Chairman, John Solomon.
Speaking at the WCB’s 12th Annual General Meetings, Solomon said that strategic focus helped the WCB through recent financial downturns and produced the second consecutive operating surplus in 2005.
“The focus we put on excellent service, financial integrity, and effective processes brought compensation system costs under control,” Solomon said. “Our performance results for the past two years clearly show our strategic plan can steer the WCB through difficult circumstances.”
The WCB posted a $17 million operating surplus in 2005, which was used to replenish the WCB’s Injury Fund. This reduced the accumulated deficit in the Fund from $38 million to $21 million. When combined with reserves, the net result was a $7.4 million surplus.
WCB CEO Peter Federko stressed to stakeholders the WCB’s twin challenges of restoring the Injury Fund and influencing public attitudes towards workplace injury prevention.
Federko told stakeholders that each time loss workplace injury costs an average $10,000.00, making injury frequency a major driver of compensation costs and employer premiums.
Saskatchewan’s 2006 Committee of Review In Process
Saskatchewan’s 13th Workers’ Compensation Act Committee of Review has been struck, and the process of public submissions and public hearings is set to begin.
The Committee is tasked with reviewing three key pieces of Saskatchewan workers’ compensation legislation and their administration: The Workers’ Compensation Act, 1979; The Workers’ Compensation General Regulations, 1985; and The Workers’ Compensation Act Exclusion Regulations.
The Committee of Review is held every four years and is intended to keep the provincial workers’ compensation system fair and responsive. The committee consists of equal representatives from employers and organized employees, with an independent chairman.
WorkSafe Saskatchewan Expands Reach of Safety Messages
WorkSafe Saskatchewan is taking its workplace safety and injury prevention messages to the streets of Regina and Saskatoon.
A transit bus in each city has been painted in the WorkSafe Saskatchewan graphics, and will be in service on transit routes for the next two years. Interior advertising will promote safe work practices and provide transit riders with helpful information on preventing injury.
By extending the reach of safety messages this way, the WorkSafe Saskatchewan campaign has the potential to influence thousands of transit riders in both cities.
Research conducted by the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board is changing public attitudes and workplace behaviour in Saskatchewan. Over 60 per cent of respondents said the campaign is important or very important to their workplace, and more than 40 per cent said the campaign had changed the way they do something at work. More than 90 per cent support the WCB’s investment in social marketing.
Texas
- In August, the Texas Department of Insurance approved expansion of Texas Mutual Insurance Company's Texas Star NetworkSM option. The network option is now available to approximately 85 percent of the company's policyholders. Click here for a map of the certified areas. Click here to read more about the expansion.
- This summer, Texas Mutual Insurance Company promoted Cecily Gallagher to senior vice president of underwriting and actuarial services and Mitch Walsh to vice president of underwriting systems. Gallagher joined the company as vice president-actuary in 1998. Walsh formerly served as a senior manager in the company's information technology division. For more information, click here.
- In July, the company began distributing about $100 million in individual dividends to policyholders. Approximately 34,000 policyholders shared in the largest dividend payout in the company's history. For more information, click here.
- Also in July, Texas Mutual Insurance Company reported that a Travis County grand jury indicted C & D Business Services, Inc., C & D Services, Inc., Donna Iversen, Carol Wiesman and Timothy Carney on workers’ compensation fraud-related charges. The companies and individuals allegedly defrauded Texas Mutual Insurance Company of over $875,000 in premium. The investigation was part of the Texas Mutual® “zero tolerance for fraud” policy. For more information, click here.
|
