Surveying Workers’ Comp Claims Leaders To Deliver Actionable Data

Like most industries, the workers’ compensation industry has hurdles that challenge growth and operational effectiveness. Now, a number of workers’ comp executives have come together to produce an operational assessment tool to help industry claims leaders.

The research will focus on specific day-to-day operational hurdles that claims organizations experience, as opposed to the industry’s overall state of affairs, cost drivers or jurisdictional comparisons. The purpose of the 2013 Workers’ Compensation Benchmarking Study – surveying claims leaders throughout June – is to provide actionable data around these industry-wide challenges:

• Prioritizing Core Competencies
• Measuring Best Practices
• Incentivizing Operational Excellence
• Training & Retaining Staff
• Assessing the Impact of Technology & Data
• Evaluating Medical Management Performance

The survey is open to management-level leaders who oversee workers’ compensation claims operations from organizations such as insurance carriers, employers, third party administrators, government entities, and risk pools. Claims leaders who take the survey will receive a copy of the report.

The study’s project organizer, Rising Medical Solutions saw a gap in available research about how claims organizations were dealing with daily operational challenges. “When we talked to others, they saw the same gap and were receptive to a community conversation,” says Rising’s CEO Jason Beans.

Recognizing the need for unbiased research, the study is being guided by Independent Project Researcher, Denise Algire of Risk Navigation Group and more than a dozen claims and industry executives on the Study’s Advisory Council, including:

• Gale Vogler, director, managed care, Acuity Insurance
• Raymond Jacobsen, managing director, AON Benfield
• Fred Boothe, vice president of claims services, BrickStreet Insurance
• James Masingill, vice president, claim operations, Markel FirstComp Insurance
• Tom McCauley, owner & consultant, Networks by Design
• Laura Crowe, risk management director, Presbyterian Healthcare Services
• Cathy Vines, director, healthcare cost containment strategy, SCF Arizona
• Tim Gallagher, director, managed care services, Tower Group Companies
• Joe McLaughlin, senior vice president, sales & marketing, TRISTAR Insurance Group
• Tim Mondon, senior vice president, bill review, Zenith Insurance

“Critical to the success of any study is creating a framework that will produce compelling and impartial data,” says Algire. “Working with the advisory council has produced insightful Study focus areas that will support claims executives with meaningful information for their leadership role.”

Claims leaders who want to participate in the Workers’ Compensation Benchmarking Study can take the survey by clicking here. The study report will be published in the Fall 2013.

Source: Rising Medical Solutions