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Being prepared with the right home health care insurance will help you develop a strong system in your company. It’s important to have a tight process so everything is clear and understood. When opening your own home healthcare agency there are many opportunities for risk. As an employer, you take on the extra risk of being unable to supervise your employees.
Workers comp insurance
Workers‘ compensation is insurance that provides benefits and medical care for workers who are injured or become ill as a result of their job. Many caregivers could end up in a situation trying to care for somebody but becoming injured. This makes it an important asset to have.
Disability insurance
This insures the beneficiary’s earned income against the risk that a disability creates a barrier for a worker to complete the core functions of their work. People are 3 times more likely to become disabled than die before the age of 65- so it makes sense to consider this type of insurance.
Professional Liability Insurance
This is liability insurance which helps protect service-providing individuals and companies. This protects them against financial losses from lawsuits filed against them by their clients. Even the best healthcare providers can come into contact with a dissatisfied client
General Liability Insurance
This covers any instance of lawsuits and injury damages. With this in mind, there’s a lot of things that General Liability insurance doesn’t cover. Damage to your property, Employee injuries, Employment disputes, Damage to your vehicle’s, and professional mistakes.
These 4 options are something that one should consider for home health care insurance. Preparedness and awareness are also the best things you can do for your company. Still need help? For more informationbook a 5-minute call with a risk advisoror call 914-357-8444.
Terms You Should Know When Building A Workers Compensation Cost Containment Program
There is a wide variety of workers compensation insurance terms anyone should be familiar with. Here are a few basic workers compensation claims terms to help you manage your workers compensation cost containment program.
Average Daily Wage (ADW) Average daily earnings of an employee before an injury. Use to calculate benefits payments in situations where AWW would not provide an accurate reflection of actual wages.
Average Weekly Wage (AWW) Average weekly earnings of an employee before an injury, which is used as a basis for determining weekly benefits payments.
Date of Injury (DOI) Date when injury or illness occurred or, in the case of repetitive exposure injuries or illness, when it first became apparent that symptoms were work related.
Independent Medical Examination (IME) Requested by an employer or insurer to serve as an objective evaluation of an injured employee’s condition. Use IMEs in situations where the findings of an employee’s self-selected doctor needs verification.
Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) Point in an injured employee’s treatment when recovery has reached a plateau with no reasonable expectation of continued improvement.
Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) Benefits paid to an employee who has suffered compensable work-related injury or illness to one or more parts of the body. Most states have a preset payment schedule (Schedule of Injuries) based on specific body parts or conditions.
Permanent Total Disability (PTD) Benefits paid to employees who face lifelong total disability from compensable work-related injury or illness.
Social Security Disability Benefits (SSDI) Benefits paid to disabled individuals through the Social Security Administration, separate from workers’ compensation. Most state workers’ compensation statutes regulate whether an individual can receive both benefits at the same time. If both benefits are awarded, there are limits in place to ensure that an individual cannot receive more money than they are entitled to from either program independently.
Statewide Average Weekly Wage (SAWW) Average wages paid to workers in a set jurisdiction for a period of time, used to set the maximum and minimum for workers’ compensation benefits paid out to injured workers.
Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) Benefits paid to an injured worker who is temporarily unable to fulfill the full requirements of their job but is able to perform at a reduced level. Benefits paid in such instances are based on possible pay differences between the regular and temporary position.
Temporary Total Disability (TTD) Benefits paid to employees who are totally unable to work for a period of time but will make a full recovery. Though TTD payments stop when the employee is cleared to return to work, they may be eligible for TPD benefits if they still face some work restrictions.
The feed back we get most is ; yes this is helpful but we just don’t have the time to follow up on all our workers compensation claims. We hear ya! Our Comp Care program will do that for you as well as more. CLICK HERE if you want to know how.
Here are some basics as it relates to first responder drivers. Although we know much of this instinctually. Formalizing some basic risk management techniques for those who drive an ambulance or ambulette can help low your insurance costs. Further keeping these basics top of mind for your employees who operate the vehicle help keep them focused.
Why is this Important?
Emergency vehicle drivers are an essential component in saving the lives of others, as they are responsible for driving the truck that carries all equipment and personnel needed to assist those in need. First responder safety is important because if drivers cannot successfully get the vehicle to an emergency scene, personnel cannot help civilians and/or protect property.
In order to deliver both personnel and equipment, drivers must always have safety at top of mind. In addition, emergency vehicle drivers must use a high standard of care for the general public who are also using the road by trying to reduce the risk of injury to others.
Here’s another good reason. Standardizing risk management procedures like this saves you money on your insurance program. If you need help figuring this important component out CLICK HERE to speak to a Risk Advisor to get a quote on Ambulance Insurance Programor Ambuellete Insurance Program.
Standardize Your Vehicle Inspections :
Before entering the vehicle and starting it up, walk around the entire truck to make sure that all equipment is secured, all compartment doors are securely shut and all obstructions are safely moved out of the way. We suggest the inspection should not be random but standardized through a checklist that driver is required to complete at the beginning of every shift; no exceptions. Example of items that you might include on your checklist.
Inspect all four sides and the top of the vehicle.
Verify clearance on the right and rear of the vehicle with the person riding in the officer position. This check should be done before moving in both emergency and non-emergency situations.
Verify all lights are in working order.
Verify all blinkers and hazards are in working order.
If your vehicle is equipped with sirens, verify they work.
Tire Pressure @ proper level?
Tire tread at acceptable measurement.
Under carriage satisfactory, nothing loose or dragging?
Check “dummy lights”
Brakes in working order?
Windows clear, un obstructed or damaged?
Door locks functional; Doors is working order.
Once in the vehicle, wear your safety belt.
Responding to Emergencies :
When responding to an emergency follow company policy :
Turn on all audible and visual warning devices.
Recognize that warning device are only a request for the right-of-way as opposed to a guarantee that you have the rule of the road.
Be aware of how close you are to other vehicles and pedestrians, and make sure to allow a safe following distance. Specifically, allow one second of response time.
No drinking beverages or eating food in route. Obvious I know…yet….
Cell phones away.
Stay focused and remain calm. There are a lot of lives at stake as you maneuver your thousand pounds plus vehicle through a challenging environment.
Limit distractions, conversations e.t.c. focus on the mission at hand.
Non-emergency Response Situations :
When responding to a non-emergency, follow all normal motor vehicle regulations without using your audible or visible devices.
End of Shift :
There should be a checklist similar to the beginning of shift where you can record your observations of the performance of the vehicle. Further there should a mechanism in place corporately whereby any issues get logged in to a list or system and are reviewed constantly for execution until closed. Remember it’s not s system until you close the loop.
First responders also need to take precautions in hose loading, vehicle rollovers, backing up and intersections. If you want to know more details about how one should take these precautions, PRESS HERE for more information or contact a Risk Advisor today!
One of the main parts of a solid safety program is to promote better communication between employees and management. We believe safety committees are one of the most cost effective, high yielding solutions for safety challenged organizations. Hopefully we can make a case for your organization to start one even if educations hasn’t yet become expensive. Here are some considerations when starting a safety committee.
A well-developed safety committee serves as a two-way channel of communication promoting safety awareness keeping safety top of mind and to better improve operations protocols which will lead to better efficiencies and outcomes throughout the workplace which complete the virtuous circle of lowering costs and engaging your employees.
This article will focus on considerations when starting a safety committee, how to sell the idea to management and who to invite. This will be one of 3 articles on starting a safety committee.
Selling Management On Starting A Safety Committee :
Safety Meeting Considerations
Contingent on your role in the organization whether it be safety manager, supervisor, C.F.O. , HR Director your goals are the same. Safety pays huge dividends in terms of costs, productivity, and quality. We always found it extremely helpful when consulting with upper management to speak in the language they understand best; COST ! Our first objective is to study historical data to dollarize the problem for management as that is what they understand best. Chances are if you are reading this and thinking of building a safety committee something is driving that. That something is usually employee injury claims.
There is a great tool OSHA has that helps businesses understand the high cost of employee injuries. It’s called SAFETY PAYS. Here are some other considerations:
Order all loss runs for all lines of insurance over the last 5 years and execute a loss pic. This is a profitability ratio correlating the insurance premiums paid in versus claims incurred. Anything over 50% you’re getting surcharged on that particular line of insurance.
What’s your EMR (Experience Modification Rating on your workers compensation policy. If it’ 1.00 or higher your at a competitive disadvantage to your toughest peers and competitors. Know what the lowest possible modification factor is for your business and set that as a goal. The difference between the lowest EMR and your EMR is an opportunity cost.
How much does your company spend in fines, legal fees and deductibles over the last 3 to 5 years? That’s money and resources that could be utilized elsewhere.
I think you get where we are going. Once you can demonstrate to management what your cost over runs are you will have their attention. Their next question SHOULD be, what do you suggest? If it’s not your probably at the wrong company as they are chasing the wrong rabbit which is usually top line growth at the expense of healthy profit. If you need help dollarizing your challenge contact a Risk Advisor. We make the business case for safety to corporate boards and C suite everyday. We are happy to help with this challenge at no cost to you. You can also download our free E – Book THE SECRETS TO LOWERING YOUR WORKERS COMPENSATION COSTS.
SAFETY COMMITTEE APPROVED! NOW WHAT? :
Careful what you wish for right? No worries trying something is better than keep getting a punch in the face of your P&L.
START HERE :
Build a list of potential employees that have the following characteristics.
High achievers / Over Achievers.
Leaders in their peer group, or at least well respected.
Line employees and not supervisors (more on this later).
Could or should be recognized.
Rotate membership so that members exposed to Safety & Health Committee issues are “circulated” back into the workforce and others are brought in. Always have it merit-based as you want folks to aspire to be on the committee.
Make a splashy announcement.
Make it so an invitation to this committee is a privilege and recognition for good work, attendance, attitude whatever you find important. This accomplishes two things. It rewards and recognizes the folks that are your high valued employees. Further, it should motivate the folks that were not selected to make the list next time. We also suggest that gift cards, time off, or some other low-cost rewards accompany membership to the committee. It doesn’t have to be big, just something like an exchange of value for their input.
Be smart about when you set the meetings.
Be cognizant of their schedules and your workflow needs. Meetings should be fairly short and concise. They should also not be too often. You could start once a month to get some traction then go to quarterly once you feel like you’re in a groove. We find the optimal time is once every month or two months.
Build structure around the meetings.
Open with a review of last meetings pending, open up to new incidents or items that have come to the companies attention. Have some great questions for the participants. Have reports and K.R.I’s to review so we can track progress. What’s critical here is that your role is to be facilitator NOT to call these folks in the room to hear you tell them what you think. Draw them out. There are no bad ideas…thank everyone for sharing. Recognize their ideas and opinions as everyone wants acknoledgement. Be positive, emphasize pockets of success. Treat failings and opportunities for improvements.
There is great free software to help you organize and structure your meetings and committees.
We suggest a tool like ASANA. It’s fabulously collaborative and FREE. It’s so important to be succinct and efficient in your meetings and to set up action plans and delegate task items to members for the next meeting. One of the reasons a lot of committees fail is there is no follow up, action plan or loop closure. This becomes obvious to everyone that no progress is being made. Having a tool like Asana that helps everyone stay on point and moving forward is critical.
Some Additional Safety Committee Considerations :
Conduct Safety/Housekeeping inspection(s) of one or more departments as part of each meeting.
Review and update safety rules and safe operating procedures.
Review accidents and “near miss” incidents reported since the last meeting. Suggest means for preventing future occurrences using the % Why’s.
Convey, review and comment on safety suggestions submitted by Employees (pick top 3 to install)
Create, Plan and carry out various safety promotion activities (such as contests, award programs, etc.) consistent with your goals.
Create & promote safety awareness among all employees through safe attitudes and day-to-day interactions.
Review the safety impacts of equipment/facility changes and multi-shift operations.
Track previous initiatives to find pockets of success to expand on. Lose the initiatives that aren’t achieving your goals to prevent mission creep.
Take great notes, assign tasks and follow up on tasks completed for the next meeting. Log the minutes somewhere and make sure to share with senior management and other committee members. This is important work and is an organization imperative. Not sharing the minutes puts the committee and it’s work out in left field. Instead, management should emphasize and back it. Nothing could be worse than management either not being aware of the committee’s suggestions or worse. Glossing over their suggestions and implementing nothing. That is despondent leading ultimately to frustration and committee failure. If senior management is not fully committed to the backing and supporting the safety committee everyone is wasting their time.
Our next article in the series focuses on building the right K.R.I’s and other tools to help guide your important work. If you have suggestions for us on this article you may email directly at info@metropolitanrisk.com. Put in the subject line “Safety Committee Article 1”. We hope you found this article helpful.
Employers can provide their employees a return to work evaluation form to give to their physician when the employee suffers a work-related injury. The form can facilitate communication between the treating physician and employer as to the employee’s status and capabilities. Many employers miss this step.
We encourage employers to send the physician the employee’s current job description AND a job description for a alternative duty position for which the injured employee might be eligible.
What is the importance of a return to work evaluation form?
It’s difficult to action plan the claim and get the employee back to work when there is no clear understanding of the employee’s injury AND job duties. This form along with the job description helps establish the base line so all stakeholders can work in concert. This will get the employee back in some productive capacity.
Why should an employer provide this evaluation form?
If an employee is injured, they may not be able to perform their original duties. This return to work evaluation form helps the employer create accommodations enabling the employee to come back to work at the best of their ability.
A frequent (and very costly) mistake employers make is bringing the worker back too fast without having them medically cleared to perform their duties. We recently had an employer tell us their worker was injured playing softball for his recreational team on his own time. The employer never noted the incident formally in their employment records creating an incident. Further they never had the employee medically evaluated to see how severe the injury may have been. Nor did they have the employee medically cleared to come back in the same capacity. Instead he took a day off, came back to work too early. Sadly, he threw his back out on the job further, exacerbating the injury. Had the employer properly recorded the incident and had the employee fill out an injury form this would not have become a comp claim.
The original injury was non-compensable as it did not occur at work. It became compensable when he returned to work too early and made the injury worse. Following proper procedures and utilizing a return to work evaluation form would have gone a long way in preventing this type of situation from occurring.
What’s the impact on your workers compensation premiums by using a return to work evaluation form?
It creates a formal process around employee injuries that accomplishes several cost savings benefits:
Prevents employees from coming back to work too soon. This saves you from driving up injury rates and costs as the injuries usually become worse.
Facilitates very productive communication between treating physician, injured employee and your company’s HR staff person.
The goal after every employee injury is to get them back to work in SOME capacity as quickly as possible. This cuts down on the ultimate cost of the claim. Too often we see employers simply file the workers comp claim with their carrier then walk away and go back to their regular scheduled programming. Then their experience modification factor gets re-calculated which may result in significant workers compensation premium surcharges.
Can employees abuse the return to work evaluation form?
Employees can abuse this only if the employer allows it to happen.
If the employer:
Meets with injured employee every 10 days to check in on their healing progress
Makes it clear that the accommodations aren’t temporary
Allows open communication to provide the best accommodations and transition phase possible
Follows up with the physician
There should be no possible chance that the employee would abuse the return to work evaluation form. Truthfully, we see far more abuse when employers have no form and no process for getting the worker back on duty.
Want an example of a solid Return To Work Evaluation Form ? Click here
Virtually every business with employees is required to have workers compensation insurance, as this is mandated by state law contingent on where your company operates it’s business. It can be difficult to know what workers comp class codes for adult day care business should be used when first applying for a workers compensation policy.
These are the most commonly used Adult Day Care workers comp class codes that are commonly used in New Jersey and New York:
Workers Comp Codes for Adult Day Care facilities in New Jersey:
Code 8868 – Professional Employees & Clerical
This classification has a lower rate and includes your office and medical staff such as administration, bookkeepers, nurses, therapists, and social workers.
Code 9106 – Non-Professional Employees & Drivers
This classification has a higher rate and includes all of your other employees such as aids and drivers.
Keep in mind that in New Jersey adult day care and senior care facilities provide much more skilled nursing and medical care than do adult day care facilities in states like New York. When selecting which codes to use be mindful of the skilled care versus unskilled care component. There is a significant workers compensation premium cost difference between these two classes of employees. Make sure you spend time on coding the employees correctly.
Workers Comp Codes for Adult Day Care facilities in New York:
This classification typically has a lower rate includes virtually all your employees except for drivers.
Code 7380 – Drivers and Helpers NOC—Commercial
This classification has a higher rate and would typically be reserved only for your drivers.
These are the codes that typically are used and generate the bulk of the premium. However, there may be clerical codes for employees that only work clerical functions. There may be Executive Officer codes used for the owners or directors of the facilities. These are good to use for those folks as typically their payroll is capped to a maximum amount. This will vary by state. To truly understand how these codes are used and deployed you must refer to your state’s workers compensation rating boards rules and regulations. There each code has a description for how it’s applied. Similarly to the above example in New Jersey be mindful of the skilled versus non skilled medical component.
Careful about shifting payroll from one class code to another purely because it’s cheaper. In certain states like NY they come down hard on companies that unwittingly evade rates through code shifting. They consider that insurance fraud, which may be a felony in states like NY. So definitely stay away from that!
Finally, in New York you might be eligible for the Safe Patient Handling Credit which is an additional 2.5% off the premium.
If you have questions or simply want more information, call a Risk Advisor @ (914) 488-4164.
