WORKERSCOMPENSATION.COM WAS DEVELOPED TO SOLVE THE PAIN POINTS OF THE WORKERS’ COMPENSATION COMMUNITY: Their basic site offers news, blogs, discussion forums, new industry trends and concerns, updates on state rules, statutes, and much more. Those services are free to the public. They also offer numerous products for insurance companies, TPAs, Self-Insured Employers, and workers’ compensation professionals, for a monthly subscription fee. Their Virtual Claims Kit includes state forms (for all 50 states), current state posters, custom forms and letters, and customizable state cheat sheets. Their goal is to simplify the process and to keep the workers’ community updated.

STATES CHANGE 200-400 WORKERS’ COMPENSATION FORMS EACH QUARTER ON AVERAGE: It is very difficult to maintain the latest updated state forms, since there are 50 states that are constantly changing them. It is a very confusing process, and if an adjuster is handling several states, keeping track of the latest forms can be extremely difficult. If an incorrect form is used, it can bring fines and penalties from regulators. WorkersCompensation.com continually updates any forms that have changed for the Virtual Claims Kit, so their customers can remain compliant with their state requirements.

THE WORKERS’ COMPENSATION INDUSTRY HAD TO ADAPT TO VIRTUAL WORK, AND TELEMEDICINE LITERALLY OVERNIGHT AT THE START OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC:  The industry had to embrace technologies that originally, had been met with reluctance prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Companies had to shift to online meetings with customers, training new hires virtually, and telemedicine for injured workers, and much more, to avoid business disruption. While the transition had some snags along the way, it was done in a deftly manner. Several companies have continued the remote work post pandemic, including WorkersCompensation.com.    

THERE HAVE BEEN SOME GREAT CHANGES TO THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY: The traditional claim model focused on getting the claim closed, but today, the focus has shifted. The focus is now on empathy, and treating the “whole person,” instead of the body part that was injured. The other shift, is the caseloads of adjusters. While many caseloads of adjusters are still too high, they have been greatly reduced in the last 10 years. The normal caseload of an adjuster prior to this shift was between 200-300 claims, which made it impossible to properly manage the claims, and give great customer service to the injured worker. Companies are realizing that if you give adjusters the right caseloads, the litigation decreases, and the claims have better outcomes.  

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION NEEDS A NAME CHANGE: The name Workers’ Compensation should be rebranded as Workers’ Recovery. This simple word change could shift the focus to recovery instead of compensation, and possible disability, due to having an impairment from the claim. There are times when the word disability, can cause injured workers to spiral down, due to the stigma that they feel from that word.  Some risk managers are renaming their workers’ compensation programs as workers’ recovery programs. The state of Washington has revamped their Vocational Rehabilitation Program, and renamed it Vocational Recovery. By changing the word, we can possibly change the mindset, and the outcome.     

HOW DO WE PREPARE FOR THE UPCOMING RETIREMENT TSUNAMI?  Several professionals in the industry are retiring, or planning to retire in the next 5-10 years. It is critical to have a plan in place, to find the next generation of professionals for our industry.  In order to attract and retain new talent, the mindset needs to change. The 9am-5pm model needs to change. The new generations that we are trying to attract upon graduation, want to feel they are making a difference in the work that they do. They also want flexibility in their work schedule, and the location of where they work. The industry needs to be positive about the virtual world, and embrace new trends, and new technologies.  States need to review their statutes that require physical in- state locations, so the talent pool can be expanded. The industry is heavily regulated, and changes occur very slowly.  Change can be messy, and failures may occur, but those are opportunities to find out what works. In order to move the needle, the mindset of “this is the way we have always done it,” will need to be replaced with “how do we make it better?” Finding new professionals will be much easier, when they can see that our industry is not about “adjusting claims for injured workers,” but is an “industry that restores broken lives.”