Four Steps to Managing your Workers Compensation Claim

Rising medical costs, increased litigation and lopsided rulings leave almost everyone with a dazed and confused feeling about workers compensation costs.

While you will never have as much control as you would like, here are four techniques that will help you maximize results, lower costs and put the control back in your hands. Performing these four steps consistently gives you the best chance of getting your workers compensation costs back in control.

Step 1: Early Reporting

When a workers compensation claim occurs, early reporting is critical. The faster you get the injured employee to the doctor and report the loss to the insurance carrier, the less costly the claim will be to you.

Step 2: Chose the Right Doctor

The goal is for the employee to get well and back to work as soon as possible. Managing care is the key to your success and requires that you plan ahead.

Choosing the right doctor cannot be done the day of the injury, it has to be done in advance. Interview the physician, visit their facility and communicate with your staff to make sure everyone knows who they should see if they are injured. If you would be happy being treated there, so will your employees.

Step 3: Return to Work (RTW) Program

Accommodating return to work with restrictions is the third and most challenging step. Keep in mind these key points to ensure you have a successful return to work program.

• Prepare, communicate and train.
• Make RTW with restrictions part of your organization’s culture. Spell out your expectations in your employee manuals.
• Address the concept in your new employee orientation material. Be open and consistent in your approach.
• Add credibility to the program by appointing a RTW coordinator.
• Identify key operational tasks and skill sets and physical requirements necessary to carry out the work.

Being prepared and having your return to work program established ahead of time, will make this almost second nature to your organization.

Step 4: Communication

The final step is communication. Successful claims resolution starts with the initial conversation with your claims handler.

Know the best way to reach the adjuster, ask if they prefer telephone or email. Regularly checking in with the handler will keep your file on top of the stack and eventually get your claim to a closed status.

Often your insurance carrier will assign the same claims handler to the majority of your cases. This creates a rapport with the claims handler and eliminates uncertainty.

There you have it; four simple steps to help you get your workers compensation costs under control. They drive results, reduce stress and will keep your workers compensation costs to a minimum.