The Reality of the Biggest Myth Regarding Your Third Party Administrator

MYTH: The best way to reduce workers’ compensation costs is to change insurance companies or TPAs.

REALITY: Wrong! The best way to reduce workers compensation costs is to build a better relationship with your current claims administrator. The major cause of discontent between carriers and the insureds is lack of communication which causes a perception that something is being done improperly.

For example, in several situations a company believed nurse case management was too expensive; however, upon audit by our medical advisor, the nurse case management service should be used MORE, HOWEVER should be brought in earlier.

It wasn’t effective when it was used (thus seemed expensive and wasteful) because it was used too late in the process.

3 Ideas to Build a Better TPA Relationship

• Start to build a better relationship by becoming more informed about the services your claims administrator offers. Hold a Vendor Day, and invite your TPA in with every one of their services – leave none out. Ask for samples of reports and deliverables so you can understand the product and will know when to request services. Have them bring brochures prior to Vendor Day, and read the brochures so you can ask knowledgeable questions during about the services.

  Invite your adjusters to visit your workplace, so they know what your company does, the types of jobs and skills required of the employees. They can then visualize exactly how an injury occurred easier than if they’d never been to your work place. They can see the possible transitional duty tasks, and perhaps suggest a few more. They can even have coffee in the lunch room and be introduced to a few employees who come in. Make them feel like part of the team.

There are times when switching TPAs is the right decision. However, try working out the problems FIRST, or you may end up with the same grass in a different pasture.

Michael Stack, CEO of Amaxx LLC, is an expert in workers’ compensation cost containment systems and provides education, training, and consulting to help employers reduce their workers’ compensation costs by 20% to 50%. He is co-author of the #1 selling comprehensive training guide “Your Ultimate Guide to Mastering Workers’ Comp Costs: Reduce Costs 20% to 50%.” Stack is the creator of Injury Management Results (IMR) software and founder of Amaxx Workers’ Comp Training Center. WC Mastery Training teaching injury management best practices such as return to work, communication, claims best practices, medical management, and working with vendors. IMR software simplifies the implementation of these best practices for employers and ties results to a Critical Metrics Dashboard.

Contact: mstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.

Workers’ Comp Roundup Blog: http://blog.reduceyourworkerscomp.com/

Injury Management Results (IMR) Software: https://imrsoftware.com/

©2024 Amaxx LLC. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.

Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker, attorney, or qualified professional.