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Florida faces another new twist.

The workers’ compensation market in the state of Florida has faced some turbulent times over the last year. More shocking news came the Wednesday before Thanksgiving in the form of a ruling by Leon County Circuit Court. Judge Karen Gievers released the shocking news in the form of a ruling in a case that claims the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) and the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) did not follow proper procedure under the states Sunshine Law.

The case that is challenging this ruling was brought before the court by James Fee. Fee is a Miami attorney who represents injured workers. He claimed, and Judge Gievers agreed, that NCCI was in violation of the Sunshine Laws by holding “multiple, non-public, secret meetings” internally and with the OIR over the rates. Representatives with NCCI and the OIR claim they have complied with the Sunshine Laws.

How much was the rate increase in Florida?

The total rate change was an in crease 14.5% for workers compensation insurance coverage, on average throughout the state of Florida.

What cause the rate increase?

The rate increase was the result of two court cases, Castellanos v. Next Door Company and Westphal v. City of St. Petersburg, and updates to the Florida Workers’ Compensation Health Care Provider Reimbursement Manual mandated by Senate Bill 1402.

Castellanos vs. Next Door Company

Marvin Castellanos was an injured employee who sued Next Door Company. This court decision ruled invalid a previous court ruling from 2009. The previous ruling put in place a mandatory attorney fee schedule. THe overturn of this ruling means judges no longer have to stick to the mandatory fee schedule and now can award additional compensation for attorney’s fees. The judges now use the fee schedule as a starting point. This will cause the amount judges award to injured employees to increase dramatically because there is no longer a cap on what the judges can recommend for compensation to the injured employees attorney fees. This ruling resulted in the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) approving an increase of 10.1 percent on average statewide.

Westphal v. City of St. Petersburg

The Westphal vs. City of St. Petersburg case found the 104-week statutory limitation on temporary total disability benefits to be unconstitutional. The Florida Supreme Court reinstated a 260-week limitation. This Increased the amount of time an injured employees will get partial salary benefits by an additional 156 weeks. This additional 156 weeks of coverage caused the OIR to approve an average increase of 2.2 percent statewide.

Senate Bill 1402

The additional 1.8 percent increase on premium for workers’ compensation was related to updates within the Florida Workers’ Compensation HCPR Manual. This increase was approved as part of Senate Bill 1402.

14.5% Workers Comp Rate Hikes in Florida! What do I do now?

You do what you can to do your business every day and create opportunities for yourself, your employees and your customers. Rates of everything is rising, property cost, materials, shipping, employee wages. The state of Florida has now said its time for workers’ comp insurance to do the same. The rate increase is to be 14.5%! Articles can go into much more detail but ultimately medical costs, legal costs and claims expenses rise over time and Florida workers compensation rates are rising to catch up for the natural changes that have taken place and certain court rulings have made precedence that support the increased cost. There are fair arguments for and against this change but at this point we work with what we have, so as a business owner what can you do?

The state of Florida is a rate mandated state for Workers Compensation which means the starting rate is the same for everyone based on their classification code, so every carrier should be offering the same rate. There are some exceptions that can be helpful for you to keep in mind. Here are a few things that can help benefit you in combating this increase with a more competitive option:

There are some exceptions: Some of our carriers have programs for particular industries that allow for discounted rates(5% below state set rates) one in particular caters to Retail stores, Restaurants and Professional Offices(Law firms, Accountants, Doctors offices, etc.)

Check with appropriate discount programs: The Florida workers compensation system has discount options available if you meet the guidelines and have these policies in place for your business. They do have an application for each and require certain protocols in place but these can save 5% on your Florida workers compensation rate.

Drug Free Workplace Credit
Safety Credit

Divident Plans: Some of our carriers offer dividend plans in Florida that reward businesses that control their claims. One in particular offers a 5% dividend for businesses paying 5-10k in premium and keeping a loss ratio under 5% and for accounts over 30k in annual premium they can qualify for a 20% dividend if they have a loss ratio under 20%. Like anything they do have some basic eligibility criteria but this is a huge way to reward safe business operations and lower your overhead against your competition.

Review loss control Measures: We do understand accidents do happen, however most accidents with better preparation can be prevented. A few areas to focus on:

Hiring Practices: Hiring the right employees that are experienced in the field and vested in your business are your lifeblood. Don’t put that in the hands of just anyone.

Safety Controls: Start with OSHA basics and if you have a unique business you might need more. Keeping your employees safe and preventing workers comp claims is the best way to save money on your workers comp.

Document everything: If you have safety meetings, a safety policy, drug free workplace, make sure this is all in writing and in your employee handbook. Make sure sign offs are in place so your employees are aware of these policies. This can be a great tool to prevent claims and keep a culture of safety that you take seriously in your business.

Manage your workers compensation claims: As you develop an Experience MOD over time for your Florida workers compensation claims history, your premium can go up or down based on this experience. This means your premium is directly affected by claims you had 2-5 years ago. Settling those claims and learning from them can help you combat the rising workers comp costs. This process takes time but you will thank yourself in the next couple years as that MOD drops lower.

Buy in to avoid the increase: If you have not placed your workers comp coverage for your business yet and are in the market, get this coverage before December 1, 2016. This is when the rate change takes place. You will still have to face the rates next year but at least this is one year you are paying 14.5% less on this policy.

Put some skin in the game: Especially if you are paying premiums in excess of $20,000 annual, Deductible plans as well as coinsurance plans can allow you to put some skin in the game and take on a little risk of your own. Some start as small as $500-$1000 deductibles but go up and the savings increases with that. It might not make a lot of sense for the smaller premium amounts but this is a good tool to help save money without putting too much of your business at risk. Pick a deductible that saves you money and you feel comfortable with.

Alternate payment options: Plans like Pay-As-You-GO can be helpful tools which allow you to pay your premium when you run your payroll. This won’t change the price but for companies that have a tough time with premiums in the slow season but still have a year round payroll, this can be a great solution.

In times like these were pricing can have such a direct impact on your business and its livelihood, Rate increases are inevitable, however taking these steps above if you are not already, could show savings of up to 25% below market for some clients but 5-10% is very obtainable for most clients. The increase in Florida is a tough one to swallow, however taking these actions could allow you to offset these increases. Speak with one of our Professional Insurance agents to learn how you can implement and benefit from some of these tools.

California Business Owners Trying to Avoid Workers Compensation Insurance

California has the most expensive workers’ compensation rates in the United States. California Workers Compensation premiums can be so expensive that business owners try to find creative ways to avoid paying workers compensation insurance for their employee labor. The common practice is turning employees into 1099 contractors with the thought that since they are no longer employees the business owner is no longer responsible for workers comp. Business owners have to be very careful when doing this. State Compensation Fund sends a document with all of their quotes defining a true Independent Contractor vs a 1099 that is technically an employee. Some of the determining factors laid out by SCIF to determine if the 1099 is an employee or an Independent Contractor:

Does the business have the right to direct and control? If yes, 100% Employee.
If the trade requires a license, Independent Contractor must have their own license. Employees use the business owner’s license to complete the work.
Who provides the instruments/tools to perform the work?
Has the Independent Contractor chosen the burdens/benefits of self-employment?

Another commonly used band aid business owners try to implement to avoid paying california workers compensation insurance premiums for employees is to give the employees a percentage of ownership then exclude them from coverage by having them sign the appropriate exclusion form. California business owners commonly give employees 1% ownership then exclude them from coverage to avoid paying workers compensation insurance. The state of CA has passed a new law effective 01/01/2017 that now requires a minimum ownership percentage before a CA business owner can qualify to be excluded from workers’ compensation insurance. Effective 01/01/2017 California business owners must own at least 15% of Corporate stock to qualify to be excluded. If a business owner meets the 15% minimum, they must sign the appropriate workers’ compensation exclusion form and file it with the insurance company.

All existing Corporations with a workers’ compensation policy must sign a new exclusion form with their insurance company by 01/01/2017. Otherwise the insurance carrier must INCLUDE the business owner from 01/01/2017 until a new exclusion form is signed and filed with the insurance provider. It’s best to circle back to your insurance agent to gather the updated exclusion form. If your insurance agent is not aware of this rule change or how to solve the problem, look for another agent such as myself. Workers Compensation Insurance is typically your biggest insurance expense, you deserve an agent that understands this type of insurance.

3 tips for effectively managing risk in the Non-Profit Industry

People go in to the non profit industry for a wide array of reasons. For most people, that reason has something to do with serving their community. Many people in the non profit Industry do not anticipate having to manage risk, but how effectively their organization manages risk will contribute immensely to the success or failure of the organization. Some of the aspects of managing risk include: developing safety programs, writing liability waiver forms, designing a return-to-work program for injured workers or purchasing workers’ compensation insurance. In order to effectively manage risk, here are three tips every Non Profit Professional should consider when determining how to manage the risks your organization faces.

Find the best info about insurance for Non Profit businesses at My Insurance Question.com

Have an effective safety program in place.

Having an effective safety program in place is essential for all non-profit organizations. First and foremost, this is simply the right thing to do. It is the right thing to do for your employees, for your volunteers and for your organization as a whole. The success of the safety program starts with the leaders of the organization. If the leaders of your organization make it clear that you value safety, the employees and volunteers will value safety as well. What an effective safety program looks like will differ depending on the scope and mission of your organization. A safety program for local soup kitchen will be dramatically different than an NGO that distributes medicine across several different countries. For that reason, it is important to invite a risk management professional to sit on your board of directors. If you do not know someone in this field you can consult with your insurance agent. They typically have generic programs in place for many different industries.

Deciding when and if your organization needs to purchase insurance?

For a small or recently founded organization, you may be able to do without insurance for a short period of time. This is not something to take lightly. No matter how little money your organization has, not securing proper insurance can lead to your organizations failure if an accident does happen without proper coverage. Eventually there will come a time when your organization will need coverage. The state you are located in will determine when you are required by law to purchase some coverages. Workers’ compensation insurance is usually the first coverage you will be required to purchase. This policy covers the risk of bodily injury to your employees. General liability insurance covers bodily injury and property damage done to third parties. These third parties may be the people you serve or anyone who comes in contact with your organization. These two policies are typically the first policies a non profit will consider and they are the bare minimum coverage. As your organization grows these two policies may not fully cover your business from all risks. You may not understand all of the risks you actually face and the types of insurance you need. Consulting with an insurance professional whom you trust is important at this stage in your risk management process. Asking someone who works in insurance to volunteer with your organization or to sit on your board is a good idea.

Have a return-to-work program in place for injured employees.

Developing an effective return-to-work program is something that can be a work in progress. Ideally your safety program works and you do not have many injuries. Even if you only have the occasional minor injury, it is best practice for your organization to have a plan for getting an injured worker back to work as soon as possible. The quicker they get back on the job the more likely they are to return to regular work and the mission of your organization. Some common jobs for injured workers include basic office work like stuffing envelopes, answering the phone or writing thank you letters to donors. Getting people back on the job quickly is important because people who work in this industry frequently have a special relationship with the work they do. Many of them want to be a part of something greater than themselves. This is especially true with the millennial generation. When these people are injured and not able to work, part of their life is taken from them. The longer it is not a part of their life, the more likely they are to not come back to work at all. This is when the cost of a claim can become the greatest and is when you can expect to see an increase in your insurance premium. Having an effective return-to-work program can help these employees get back on the job, control the cost of your workers’ compensation claim and continue the mission of your organization.

Declaration Page. What is it? Where is it? Is it important?

I am sure at some point in time you have had an insurance agent ask you for your policy declaration page or pages. If you are like most business owners, you think to yourself what are they asking me for. Basically, what these pages represent are the cliff notes of your insurance policy for that particular line of insurance. You will notice that your worker’s compensation declaration page is shorter than your business owners package or general liability. These declarations will not list all of the exclusions in your policy. It will only list the coverage limits you currently have. Here is the definition of declarations: The front page (or pages) of a policy that specify the named insured, address, policy period, location of premises, policy limits, and other key information that varies from insured to insured. The declarations page is also known as the information page. Often informally referred to as the “dec” or “dec page.”

The next thought most business owners have is, where do I find the declaration page. The declaration page or pages can be found in the front 3^rd of your insurance policy. Most of the time it’s within the first 10 pages. This is especially the case for worker’s compensation. For your general liability and business owners package policy it may be a few further pages in. The key to identifying it is when you start to see wording such as limits or premium. When you see that and how the premium pricing is broken down then you are in the right place. It will show your experience mod from the current term, premium discounts, state taxes, fees, expense constant, and a few other items on there. Some of this will vary on what type of policy it is.

This information is important to insurance agents for a wide variety of reasons. Most of the time a business owner thinks we only want to see these pages so that we can beat the price on your current policy. Yes, that is helpful information to use but it doesn’t necessarily mean that our carriers will just price it below your policy just in order to win your business. Our underwriters like to know pricing information so they can compare it to other policies that are either doing the exact same type of business or something very similar, and offer you a quote accordingly. If they generally don’t know what you are paying, then they will go on the conservative side and offer a policy that is in the average of pricing for that industry based on where they have priced and written the type of business you are doing. I feel, the most important reason for this to me is that I like to view these pages to give you an apples to apples comparison of the two policies. Also, I can check to see if you are truly covered correctly. If their may be gaps that are missing some key coverages or are underinsured in areas that you would not want to be underinsured in. Thus we can present you with a quote exactly like the one you have with the same coverage and limits. This will also enable us to present another quote option, if necessary. Typically this option is where we think your limits should be and additional coverages that you may not have that most people in your line of work have. The key to remember when being asked for your declaration page or pages is that we as insurance producers are wanting to make sure your covered correctly and at a fair price. We are here to get you a fair price, but we are also here to make sure you do not have any gaps when a claim does occur. We don’t like audit surprises or coverage gaps at the time when you think you are covered just as much as you do. The declaration page is so much more than just a price to beat.

The Importance of Accident Prevention in the Workplace

It may seem obvious that it should be the goal of employers to focus on accident prevention in the workplace. However, for those that need a little additional encouragement, here are some reasons to prioritize safety in the workplace.

Caution signs are essential to accident prevention in the workplace.

Accidents are financially expensive

Businesses exist to create profit. Most businesses are relatively low profit margin and work very hard to create that profit margin. Workplace accidents lead to extra financial expenses. They can also add costs to insurance policies through increased rates or a worse experience modification factor.

For example, if a business operated at a ten percent profit margin (which is well ahead of many businesses), they would need $50,000 in additional revenue to offset $5,000 in extra expenses created by an on the job injury. That could lead to extra hours worked by ownership, having to cut positions or hours or other difficult budget decisions.

Reduced workplace morale

There are more than just financial costs due to workplace injuries. A lack of accident prevention can reduce morale of other employees. Sometimes the morale can be reduced as a result of having to work longer hours or harder to make up for injured employees that have to miss work. It may result from financial strain on the business due to the injury. It also may arise simply because employees don’t like to see their co-workers suffer.

Recent Trends

It’s hard to argue against the importance of workplace safety. As a result, there have been recent trends by workers’ comp insurance carriers to help with accident prevention in the workplace. Carriers such as Missouri Employers Mutual, Utah Business Insurance Company and Guarantee Insurance Company offer extensive loss control services. Additionally, some carriers offered reduced cost items for workplace safety. These items include The Hartford’s Shoes for Crews incentive, incentives for a healthier workplace, weight loss programs as well as discounts on ergonomic office furniture. Missouri Employers Mutual just launched a safety grant program for their clients to help defray the costs of large one-time purchases to make workplaces safer.

Most employers want to protect their employers and focus on creating a safe workplace. Some of the reasons listed above highlight the benefit to focusing on preventing workplace accident for all employers.

Broker of Record vs Agent of Record

Before you sign a Broker of Record (BOR) or an Agent of Record (AOR), here is what you need to know.

A BOR is a broker of record notice and an AOR is an agent of record. A Broker of Record is an agent designated by the policy holder to represent and manage the policyholders insurance policy. Now before I move forward let me ask a question. Does anyone work for free? Does anyone complete a job for a customer, but then the funds go to a competitor or a different local business? No that doesn’t typically happen. Except in the insurance industry. Let me also follow that up by saying I enjoy the customer service that I give everyday. By no means, do I think that every person coming to me for insurance will decide to let me handle their insurance needs.

Marketing, Financial, Insurance, Broker

Here is another scenario that may give you a better understanding of the Broker of Record (BOR) process and what it exactly means. Let’s say a business owner decides their renewal rates for workers compensation or general liability insurance just can’t be the best out there. So what does the business owner do? They can start calling other agents? I am assuming they call other agents because they either assume their agent has already looked for a renewal and can’t do any better. They may assume their current agent simply does not have the access to other more competitive markets. But do they call and ask them to shop for better rate’s?

The first thing a business owner should do is jump on their own computer and search workers comp insurance (let’s keep to work comp). So here they are talking to an agent that is going to get all of the company information. Then this agent will shop all of the markets they have for this businesses particular industry. On average submitting to 3-6 markets. Then presenting that business with new applications to sign and a shiny new quote with not just a better price but a better rate per 100 in payroll. Most business owners are are so happy that they are saving money (hopefully a lot), but even if it’s only a little hey every penny counts right. At this point most business owners will call their current agent and telling them some similar to, I’m not renewing my policy with you. I found a better price. At that point the business owner has the agents attention! At this point the agent decides to start submitting to all of the insurance carriers they are appointed with. The agent will do this in order to see if they can match or beat the pricing you got from the other agent (me). This may not be because they were not doing their best work for you in the first place. It may be you were not clear to them what your priority was to begin with. Agents speak with many business owners with many different priorities. Some just want a quote, quickly so they can get back to their business. Others do not mind waiting to get the absolute best deal.

Here is how I imagine the next scenario goes. The current agent that most likely wants to keep your business will ask what carrier is offering better pricing? The business owner may tell them who the carrier is and the current agent will say, oh I am appointed with that particular carrier. I can get you those rates. The current agent would then asks you to sign a BOR or AOR letter, letting them take away the work they did for the business.

I understand this is an imperfect situation, but this is the name of the insurance agent game. So the next time you are shopping take into consideration the time, effort and work the agent you called for help put into saving you money before you sign a Broker of Record (BOR) letter.

My Insurance Question is a created by the experts at The Insurance Shop LLC. The Insurance Shop was formed in 2005 and over the course of more then a decade the agency has developed relationships with more then two dozen carriers. This vast amount of carriers allow their agents to acquire the best value when shopping for commercial insurance. If you are ready for a new look at your coverage, give us a call at 800-800-4864.

6 Tips for controlling the cost of a Workers Compensation Claim.

Quickly report all claims to the insurer.

Some states have requirements for how quickly a workers compensation claim must be reported. Insurance carriers have specific departments that deal with claims exclusively. They will know the process thoroughly for filing a workers’ compensation claim. Because this is a process your business hopefully does not deal with frequently, getting your injured worker the proper coverage quickly will be easier with the help of your carrier. Documenting the claims allows the carriers to pick up on patterns and help businesses develop programs to prevent common injuries.

Make sure supervisors are adequately trained.

Taking care of an injured employee may not be at the top of the priority list when hiring a manager for your business. Hopefully it is not something your managers have to encounter very frequently, but it needs to be something they can effectively deal with for the success of your business. Many businesses have a point person who studies the workers compensation claim process thoroughly. It is still important to have this person train the other managers to be aware of this process in case of an incident occurring when they are not on duty or away on vacation.

Communicating with your employees is important to limiting the impact of a workers compensation claim.

Keep complete notes of the injury and reporting process.

Note taking is crucial in everything you do within your business. This is especially important when you experience a workers compensation insurance claim. It may seem tedious, but it can save your business immensely if a claim makes it into the court of law. Besides the fact you need to cover your business legally, accurate documentation helps your carrier document injuries within your industry. They can use this information to see patterns and to determine appropriate safety programs to deal with those patterns.

Communication is key.

Communicating with all parties involved in the workers compensation claim is extremely important. This starts with communicating with your employee. In most states they have the right to seek a second opinion, but the more you keep your carrier in the loop of these situations the better they can help you control the cost of the claim. Separate from the cost of the claim, it is in your best interest to let your injured employee know you care about their well-being. Communicating with both your insurance agent and carrier is important as well. The carrier is the one equipped to handle the claim, not your agent. The agent can be helpful if you feel your carrier is not living up to your expectations. Keeping them updated on the workers compensation claim can help you ensure you are getting the proper attention from your carrier and they can help you prepare for explaining the claim when you go to renew your policy.

A proper safety program can prevent employee injuries and limit a workers compensation claim.

Prevent employees from injuries.

Safety programs are key to the long term success of your business. Making a safety plan part of your ongoing training is essential to your business and it does not have to take a lot of time. Fifteen minute discussions two or three times a month should be sufficient. Make sure the meetings have a specific topic and ask for feedback from your employees. Asking for their feedback gets them involved in the discussion. This will make them more involved in the program. It can lead to higher job satisfaction if those employees feel like you are listening and make changes based on their feedback.

Create a return to work program.

Studies have shown that the quicker a person gets back on the job in any form or fashion, the more likely they are to return to permanent work. Humans are creatures of habit. Coming to work is part of their habit and the longer they go without that habit the more likely they are to create new habits not associated with your business. This is when a claim can get out of control if an injured employee goes on long term or permanent disability. Designing low impact work of some kind will allow those employees to return to work and get back in the routine of work quicker.

3 ways to managing risk in the Non-Profit Industry

There are many reasons why people go in to the non-profit industry. Some people want to fight poverty, some work closely with a church and others might be dedicated to fighting a disease. One common theme among people who work in the non profit industry is that they want to be a part of something greater than themselves. One thing many people in this industry do not anticipate is having to manage risk, but this can be one aspect of their job that can ultimately determine the success or failure of the organization.

Find the best answers to your Non Profit Insurance questions at MyInsuranceQuestion.com

Many people who go in to this sector do not anticipate having to manage risk or buy insurance. They probably do not anticipate their jobs causing them to have to worry about things like a return-to-work program, workers’ compensation benefits or general liability insurance. As a non-profit professional, how effectively you handle these aspects of your organization will contribute immensely to the success or failure of your organization. For that reason we have created three main tips for managing risk within your non-profit agency.

Have an effective safety program in place.

Having an effective non-profit safety program in place is essential for all non-profit organizations. Most non-profits depend on people volunteering their precious time and money to the organization. The last thing you want to happen is for a volunteer to be injured while helping your organization. A safety program can prevent this from happening.

First and foremost, reporting and documenting injuries needs to be a part of your company culture. It should start with the first training all employees get during the on-boarding process. Employees need to be well aware of how to inform volunteers how to properly do their job in a safe manner. This can go hand in hand with your business’s safety program and your business’s safe driving program. Another thing to keep in mind is that how safe your organization takes safety starts with you and your key employees. If you stress safety as the professional, your employees and volunteers will also value this safety program.

Non Profit Insurance Answers

When should a new or small non-profit decide to purchase insurance?

For a new non profit, insurance may not be necessary at first, but it is not something to be taken lightly. No matter what the financial situation is of an organization, the quickest way to fail as a non-profit is to not secure adequate insurance. Your state laws will determine when you must purchase coverage. Workers’ comp and general liability are typically the first two policies you will find a need for. Workers comp protects your employees and general liability protects your organization from damages to third parties. Even if you are fairly sure you have proper coverage or do not need coverage at this time, consulting with an insurance professional with whom you trust is a very wise decision. If you know someone who works in risk management or insurance, it might be a good idea to ask them to sit on your board of directors.

Have a return-to-work program in place for injured employees.

Operating an effective return-to-work program is another aspect that will contribute immensely to the success or failure of your organization. Ideally you will never have a need for a return to work program because none of your employees will ever be injured on the job. But as you very well know, we do not live in an ideal world. For that reason it is crucial for you to prepare for the day when you do have an inured employee. If you are prepared, you will be able to get those employees back on the job quickly and control the cost to your organization. Any work you have to get the injured employee involved in the organization will benefit the injured employee and your organization in the long run. Getting people back on the job quickly is important because the quicker they are back on the job the more likely they are to not become an injured worker long-term or permanently.

4 tips of inured worker outcomes

Here are 4 ways to improve your businesses injured worker outcomes.

Injured workers are a part of running a business. If you stay in business long enough, you are going to have an incident where one of your employees is injured. This is not a bad representation of your business, but how you handle the situation can have a lasting effect on your relationship with your employees and your insurance company. Here are four ways in which you can manage and incident where you have an injured worker that are best for your injured worker, your business and the insurance company you partner with.

Take care of the injury, first and foremost

This is simply the right thing to do. The best way to improve injured worker outcomes is to first deal with the injury. Taking care of the injured employee is also the best thing to do for the insurance companies to help get the injured employee the best medical care and it can help the medical professionals treat the injured employee quickly and cost effectively.

Report the injury to your agent and carrier

A lot of business owners may not think it is so, but your insurance agent and carrier are on your side. It is in their best interest to help your business and to help your injured worker get the care they need and get back on the job as quickly as possible. They deal with these situations a lot. They can navigate the workers’ compensation system much more effectively than you can. More important than anything is the fact that they cannot help you with these injuries until you notify them an injury has occurred. Also, documenting the injury allows your business and the carrier to keep track of your claims history. If there tends to be a pattern of injuries, you can address it and the carrier can help you. They interact with business owner across the country in all industries. Chances are they have dealt with a similar situation and can give you some guidance as to how to prevent/fix the problem from continuing to occur.

Keep your Agent in the loop

Remember your independent insurance agent is on your side. At least they very well should be. If for instance, you feel your carrier may not be living up to their responsibilities the agent can speak with the carrier on your behalf. Agents interact with carriers very frequently for a number of reasons. They have an established relationship with these organizations and they can more easily get your claim in front of the right person to most effectively solve your problem. Also, they can only help you when they know an incident has occurred. The longer you go without getting them involved in a claim the more likely the claim is to get out of hand. This means more missed time for your injured worker, a larger cost to the insurance carrier and probably higher rates on premium for you in the future. Keeping your agent involved can help prevent all of this from occurring.

Let the carrier take care of the billing

Do not try to take care of the billing yourself. Even if you have been in business for a long time and you think you know the workers comp system fairly well. Things change. A medical facility that you have been taking your injured worker to for years may stop a relationship with your carrier. If you take the injured worker to a medical facility out of the carriers’ network, you may be liable for the costs. The network for workers’ comp is not necessarily the same network for health insurance, even if you use the same insurance company for both policies. It is always best to let your insurance company do what they do best.