Business News: Helmsman Management, MedRisk and Midwest Employers

Liberty Mutual’s wholly-owned third-party administrator, Helmsman Management Services, announced that it has closed on a deal to acquire Eberle Vivian Inc., a workers’ compensation claims administrator that serves the Pacific Northwest.

Eberle Vivian, based in Kent, Wash., will continue as a brand working as an operating unit of Helmsman, said President and Chief Executive Officer David Dwortz. President Lisa Eberle will continue to lead operations at the firm.

Boston-based Liberty announced its intention to acquire Eberle Vivian in October. It did not disclose terms of the deal.

Eberle said her company will continue providing “boutique” claims services to its clients, while taking advantage of Helmsman’s expertise in medical management, data analysis and customer support.

MedRisk has acquired Select Provider Networks Inc., a specialty network of physical and occupational therapists to the workers’ compensation industry.

Founded in 2008 by Select Medical, SPNet offers payers a national network of physical therapy providers that includes a peer-to-peer utilization management system. The company is based in Birmingham, Ala.

SPNet will retain its name and operate independently, MedRisk said. SPNet’s President Greg Nichols will continue to lead the company.

The purchase price was not disclosed.

MedRisk, based in King of Prussia, Pa., operates a network of 272,000 physical rehabilitation providers that serve 500,000 injured workers each year.

Midwest Employers Casualty, a unit of W.R. Berkley Corp., said it has updated its XCEL Analytics platform and models, which help identify and analyze emerging large-loss workers’ compensation claims.

The latest version includes a revised severity ranking and new alerts that provide additional visibility and depth to claim detail reports, the company said. The company said artificial intelligence has been added to the product to integrate more data into the process for better predictions.

Midwest Employers said the update adds nearly a dozen new alerts that customers can view in their personalized dashboard. Alerts offer suggested interventions based on issues identified in the claim treatment pattern, using the supplied data, shortening the time it takes to intervene, the carrier said.

President Tim Galvin said Midwest Employers is the first excess workers’ compensation insurance provider to launch a predictive analytics platform. “The more our clients know, and the earlier they know it, the better they can manage each claim to the best possible outcome,” he said in a statement.

XCEL Analytics reports are available online for all open claims, from third-party administrators with established data feeds, and can be easily integrated into an existing claim review process, the company said.