WC: Trick or treat?

Until recently I hadn't given much thought as to why children go "trick or treating" for Halloween, other than the obvious aim of collecting as much candy as possible.  Since information is only a few short clicks away, I did a bit of research.

It turns out it's all about extortion.  Give me a treat or I'll play a trick on you.  So, here we have homeowners offering up a sweet treat to avoid being punished by a gang of guised kids.  Where am I going with this?

RTW, of course.

Employers may be able to ward off negative reactions of injured workers (tricks) by providing their workers with some treats.  In this case, prompt reporting of claims, open and frequent communication, and accommodating modified duty restrictions. 

Do you fear that an employee may be dressing up like an injured worker?  Implement a RTW program to provide them with modified duty work. Let your employees know that you care about their recovery and by using work as therapy, they can recover even faster.  There's no trick to that, it's pure logic.

For those of you who celebrate it, have a safe, trick-free, and happy Halloween!

Helping injured employees recover faster while helping your community!

We are pleased to announce our strategic partnership with two not-for-profit placement coordination firms.  Eastern has partnered with Re-EmployAbility, Inc. and Transitional Work Solutions to provide yet another innovative solution to RTW challenges. 

We realize that even when employers are on board with offering modified duty to their injured employees, locating suitable work can sometimes be a challenge.  We see this new tool as a temporary solution in cases where employers can accommodate medium duty (for example), but are unable to provide work that is within the proscribed sedentary restrictions.  This is where our strategic partners come in.  They help locate suitable work with a local not-for-profit organization where the recovering employee can volunteer their time, while being compensated by their pre-injury employer.  The employee receives the psycho-social and physical benefits of volunteer work, while the community benefits as well.  The injured employee recuperates while making the transition back to work with their pre-injury employer. While it is not a 'fix-all' solution, we're very excited to add this resource to our collection of RTW tools.

Interested in learning more about our not-for-profit partners?  You can learn more about Re-EmployAbility, Inc.'s Transition2Work program and Transitional Work Solutions by visiting their websites, or ask your Eastern Claim Representative about it today! 

Stay tuned for more information regarding this exciting new tool!

Why are so many lost time days occurring when they aren't medically neccessary?

The adage "every little bit helps" is extremely relevant in today's economy.  It reminds me of one particular bank who marketed the savings concept of "rounding up" your debit card purchase to the next dollar.  Those cents would be deposited directly into your savings account.  Think about how many times you swipe your debit card and enter your PIN, and then consider how quickly those small deposits add up.  It's the same idea as putting your pocket change into a piggy bank.  Here's another example – do you remember the movie Office Space?  The plot surrounds a group of disgruntled workers who devise a plan to embezzle money from their employer by installing an accounting software virus to divert fractions of pennies (repeatedly, over time) into a bank account.

Think about potential savings in terms of hours and days lost due to medically unnecessary disability.  Every little bit helps. 

When you consider most lost time cases, the IW is typically out of work until they can be evaluated by a doctor.  Not a big deal, as this usually happens on the same day.  But, what if the occupational health clinic states the IW is totally disabled until the IW can be seen by a specialist? 

Return to Wellness Perspectives from a WC Underwriter

As part of our ongoing Return to Wellness Perspectives series, we're continuing to interview Eastern team members from various departments regarding to get their take on RTW and WC.  This week, Anne Gennusa draws upon nearly a decade of underwriting experience to provide us with input on the importance of RTW to an underwriter.  Anne works in Eastern's Franklin, Tennessee office and writes business for our Custom underwriting unit.

Q:  For those blog followers who aren’t in the insurance industry, briefly tell us what the primary responsibilities of an underwriter are?

A:  Underwriters review accounts submitted by agents. We work to understand the operations of every potential client and analyze the possible insurance risks. At that point, underwriters determine if we can take on the risk profitably and at what terms and conditions.  

Q:  Why is an Eastern Alliance underwriter concerned with RTW?