Short L&D sessions to help self-insurers compliance

Always seeking to put its clients first, the HIMS Group has opened its weekly Learning & Development (L&D) sessions to self-insurers licensed in NSW, the information is presented in short bites so that it’s not a big imposition on the attendees’ time.

Hosted by Gem Riegels-Morgan, Technical Manager/Consultant at HIMS Group, the sessions respond to SIRA’s directives that self-insurers must be cognisant of the latest workers’ compensation changes in NSW.

The weekly L&D sessions held every Wednesday via Zoom address SIRA’s Standards of Practice and claims management expectations. In addition, HIMS Medical Officer Dr David Wilcox presents clinical topics to help case managers keep up with current medical matters.

Chris Douglas, HIMS General manager said “Late last year, the HIMS team in NSW and Victoria were getting together to focus the spotlight on the SIRA standards. We decided it was a great opportunity to open the information sessions up to all our NSW clients and other self-insurers too. 

“Many case managers within the smaller Self-Insurers are hard pressed to keep up to date with all the changes and across some 33 standards. The L&D sessions have been an opportunity to discuss each standard of practice one at a time, how they relate to case managers activities and ways for keeping procedures up to date with the changes required by SIRA”

“When SIRA sends update to self-insurers, we cover this in the weekly forum. For example, SIRA recently clarified some coding for the nature of the injury and updated the process for COVID-related claims. The communique also addressed the importance of coding an injury correctly and reporting how and why it occurred. We flag these with all participants during the weekly L&D session.”

Initially, Gem ran the sessions with the HIMS team for three months, and then we decided to invite clients and others onto the Zoom calls. “The external component of the sessions lasts for between 15 and 45 minutes depending on the complexity of the standard we are addressing, or the clinical subject David is addressing,” Chris explained.

“David has addressed a raft of subjects from defining pain, to hernias, eye issues and a whole range of different injuries, how they should be treated and how they can relate to return-to-work activities.

 “The sessions are about maintaining a focus on claims management and ensuring the SIRA expectations aren’t lost in day-to-day claims management.” More complex topics may warrant a separate presentation by a specialist in the field.

Valuable feedback from clients

Better still, the feedback from the session participants has been glowing. “Recently, we covered off two standards of practice on surveillance and factual investigations. Some participants weren’t fully aware of what these standards involved,” said Chris.

“Investigations and surveillance are irregular practices, and you might go for months without being required to investigate someone. So, our session aimed to make our clients aware of these standards and ways to manage these processes that only pop up from time to time.”

To join the weekly Learning & Development (L&D) sessions contact us today on 02 8378 2121 or email: team@HimsGroup.com.au

C-suite executives urged to consider switching their firms to self-insurance to save big on workers compensation

Key facts:

·       Self-insurance is saving employers between 30-50% on the annual cost of providing worker’s compensation.

·       Many of HIMS’ clients were operating on premiums of between $3-12 million, and by switching to self-insurance immediately improved cash flow and productivity.

·       HIMS is a self-insurance specialist for firms with payrolls over $20mil +.

SYDNEY, NSW, 31 May 2021: According to self-insurance leader, Health & Injury Management Solutions (HIMS), major companies that have switched to self-insurance over the last four years are saving between 30-50% on the annual cost of providing worker’s compensation. 

Mr Chris Douglas, Director of HIMS Group Australia, said “In the 1930’s a new licensing regime in New South Wales was introduced that permitted employers to self-insure their workers’ compensation obligations. The compliance regime was very thorough and potentially expensive to maintain and so was generally only viable for very large employers.

“Earlier in the 1920’s South Australia precipitated a shift to allow self-insurance and then across Australia as other jurisdictions followed suit, with the Commonwealth scheme becoming available to certain employers in YEAR.

“Businesses who remain shackled to the traditional workers’ compensation schemes continue to experience ever increasing premiums for worker’s compensation insurance. Many of our clients were operating on premiums of between $3-12 million, so by self-insuring their workers’ compensation, they immediately made direct savings by not paying an annual premium, which improved cash flow.”

Why consider switching to self-insurance of workers compensation? 

Self-insurance enables an organisation to manage its liabilities and control workers compensation costs more efficiently than participating in an insured compensation scheme. Moreover, instead of paying a premium and adjustment each year, the claims costs in a self-insured program develop over time.

“As a self-insurer, an organisation can manage its claims more efficiently, as it understands the workplace and employees better than an insurance company. This provides C-suite executives such as CFOs, CEOs and HR leaders within an organisation with budgeting consistency and improved bottom line results” Mr Douglas said.

 

“If an employee is injured, the employer can promptly offer suitable duties because claims and injury management services are integrated into the business. In comparison, a representative from an insurance company may not be as well placed to discuss suitable employment alternatives for an injured worker.”

Additionally, self-insurance presents a potential human resources dividend in a more contented and committed workforce.

“Employees often appreciate that an employer with a self-insurance program is taking a direct interest in their health and wellbeing outcomes.

Why work with a self-insurance advisory and claims management service? 

A self-insurance advisory service such as HIMS manages personal injury claims by working very closely with its clients.

“We understand that your employees are your most valuable resource and that a positive workforce depends on employees knowing that they will be cared for by experienced and compassionate people when they are injured at work.

We focus on getting people well and back to work and this helps protect the bottom line.” 

“For over 20 years, our team members have been helping Australian businesses become self-insured and manage their workers’ compensation claims,” said Mr Douglas.

With offices across Australia, the HIMS Group provides the complete self-insurance solution that enables managers and executive leaders to focus on their core businesses, whether it’s manufacturing, financial services, telecommunications, healthcare, logistics, construction, retail sales or food retailing.

“We provide self-insurance feasibility assessment, licensing application support, regulatory communication and claims management.”

Early intervention is crucial to improving employee’s health to allow them to return to work and everyday life. According to Mr Douglas, the HIMS National Injury Hotline, together with its dedicated medical provider and imaging services networks, and in-house medical specialist, are all key tools which help HIMS clients to achieve early and durable return to work outcomes.

“Our focus is on helping our clients meet their regulatory obligations as self-insurers, providing advice and managing claims on their behalf.”

 

To find out more about switching to self-insurance, contact HIMS Group (02) 8378 2121

Quality data analytics is crucial to successful self-insurance

Data analytics examines large amounts of data, also called “data sets”, to unearth hidden patterns, correlations, and other insights within a business. With today’s technology, it’s possible for self-insurers to analyse data and get answers from it almost instantaneously, which usually translates into significant savings by mitigating risks and keeping workers safely employed. 

Data specialist Steve Bell, Founder and Director of Crucial Data & Analytics, says data analytics is not simply about moving data around on a screen to produce pretty charts. “It’s about the insights the data provides and its impact on business decision making that is the key to data analytics. Anyone can code, and anyone can create charts, however, to be truly effective you need to understand business fundamentals and the impacts data driven decisions have on efficiency.”

Currently, Steve and his team are producing monthly reports for HIMS Group’s self-insurance clients, change and return-to-work tracking and key performance indicators. “We do monthly dashboard reporting to ensure clients are on top of their self-insurance requirements both from a regulatory perspective and business operational perspective.”

For those self-insurers not embracing the power of data analytics, Steve advises “they really need to take advantage of the information they are already gathering otherwise a lot is being left on the table.” 

“Data analytics provides a huge competitive advantage when you know that you can have a direct impact on the costs of self-insurance simply by having the data looked at properly.”

Three streams of data and data innovation

Even in 2021, Steve says there are self-insurers who are not using data analytics, while some are using platforms that are too complex. “We chart a straightforward path, and for HIMS, we provide three streams of data.” 

“There’s the financial impact to really understand what the costs are today and where they are trending for the future. There’s the claims management and operational reporting that shows each month how claims are shaping and moving.  While the first two are post event, the third-stream ties in preventative measures helping safety teams to mitigate workplace risks and ensure they never happen again. It’s important to have the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff but even better having a solid fence at the top.”

For example, Crucial Data is integrating the floorplans for the sites of one HIMS client into its reporting. “This enables this client to actually look at where the risks are occurring on the floorplans of their operations, and it’s helping them mitigate the risks,” Bell explained. “We like to push the envelope for clients helping them understand interactions within their day-to-day operations.” 

Addressing pain points with the three streams approach 

Steve Bell says data in the insurance space has always been extremely limited. “In the past, the collation of data has been up to a consultant or internal resource to muster together. 

 

“It wasn’t streamlined. Your HR people used different reporting from the safety team to the finance team, and then ultimately the management reporting. 

“Our approach in collaboration with clients to remove the silo approach for self-insurers and bring together safety, finance and HR in one place, which gives a business more visibility and the opportunity to make decisions much faster.”

Steve Bell adds, “We bring an “all of country” approach to analytics and pull all the jurisdiction data together, which helps management with the decision-making processes. 

“This is perfect for self-insurers who are usually large businesses operating across multiple states.”

Looking ahead, Steve Bell, says it’s still early days for the use of data analytics in the self-insurance space. “We’re on the start of a journey, and we’re finding that with HIMS Group clients, it starts with a small project and then 99% of the time, it snowballs into broader analysis.”

To find out more about how data analytics can assist self-insurers contact Chris Douglas, General Manager HIMS Group on 0438258729 or email: team@HimsGroup.com.au

Self-insurance is an alternative to conventional premiums

Self-insurance is an alternative to conventional premiums

In 1938 Lever Brothers of Balmain (now Unilever) were issued the first Self-insurance in NSW and many employers followed suit after the second World War. This form of licensing was introduced to permit employers to self-insure their workers’ compensation program to improve balance sheet performance, safety and workplace productivity.

 

It was South Australia that precipitated a shift to self-insurance across Australia as other jurisdictions followed suit with an option to self-insure including Comcare eligibility in the last decade. Many businesses who remain shackled to the traditional compensation schemes continue to experience variations in premiums for worker’s compensation that make it hard to set budgets consistently of a three-to-five-year period.

 

Mr Chris Douglas, Managing Director of HIMS Group Australia, said, “Over the last decade, our clients have been consistently saving money and improving their productivity by self-insuring the worker’s compensation programs.

 

“Many of our clients were operating on premiums of several millions of dollars, so by self-insuring their workers’ compensation, they immediately improved cash flow and productivity.” 

 

Why consider switching to self-insurance of workers compensation? 

 

Self-Insurance enables an organisation to manage its liabilities and control workers compensation costs in a more efficient ways than participating in an insured compensation scheme. Moreover, instead of paying a sizeable premium each year, claims costs are incurred over time.

 

As a self-insurer, an organisation can manage its claims more efficiently, as it understands the workplace and employees better than an insurance company. If an employee is injured, the employer can promptly offer suitable duties because claims and injury management services are integrated into the business. In comparison, a representative from an insurance company may not be as well placed to discuss suitable employment alternatives for an injured worker. 

 

Additionally, self-insurance presents a potential human resources dividend in a more contented and committed workforce. Employees often appreciate that an employer with a self-insurance program is taking more interest in their health and wellbeing outcomes.

 

Why work with a self-insurance advisory and claims management service? 

 

A self-insurance advisory service such as HIMS manages personal injury claims by working very closely with our clients; we know their workplaces and culture and we understand that effective management of employee injuries requires a broader focus than legislative compliance. 

 

“For over 20 years, our team has been helping Australian businesses become self-insured and manage their workers’ compensation claims,” said Mr Douglas. 

 

With offices across Australia, the HIMS Group provides the complete self-insurance solution that enables managers and leaders to focus on their core businesses, whether it’s manufacturing, financial services, logistics or food processing. “We provide self-insurance feasibility assessment, licensing application support, regulatory communication and claims management,” says Mr Douglas.

 

“We understand that your employees are your most valuable resource and that a positive workforce depends on employees knowing that they will be cared for by experienced and compassionate people if they are injured. We focus on the well-being of both your employees and your bottom line.” 

 

According to Mr Douglas, the HIMS National Injury Hotline, together with its medical provider network, support early intervention; which is crucial to returning employees to work and everyday life.

 

“Our focus is on helping our clients meet their regulatory obligations as self-insurers, providing advice and managing claims on their behalf.”

 

To find out more about the feasibility of a self-insurance solution, contact HIMS Group on 02 8378 2127 or email: team@HimsGroup.com.au

  

One stop for the latest news on workers’ compensation regulations

One stop for news on worker’s compensation regulations and industry updates

Workers’ compensation is a moveable feast, making it challenging for all businesses whether they are self-insuring or paying weighty premiums to a conventional scheme to stay in touch with the latest regulatory changes. 

HIMS Group has therefore taken the bit between the teeth and created a newsfeed service at himsgroup.com.au/news-feeds/ offering the latest regulatory updates. Chris Douglas, Director of HIMS Group Australia, said, “Whether its SIRA, Safework SA, Comcare, Workcover Queensland or any other state or territory regulator, we’ve got you covered.

“Our RSS feed is like a window to the world of workers’ compensation across Australia and can help whether you’re examining changes to handling claims disputes, seeking insights into customer experiences, checking on the indexation of weekly benefits, and much more.” 

According to Chris, the HIMS Newsfeeds will prove particularly beneficial to businesses undertaking national studies of workers’ compensation regulations. 

“For example, we are working with clients that operate as self-insured in some states but have conventional cover in the other jurisdictions. Representatives from these companies could burn hours seeking information or they can visit our website and find the information directly,” he said. 

“Our feed is a much faster way to pivot into the information and updates you need than using a search engine or visiting every regulator’s website.”

To find out more about transitioning to a self-insurance solution, contact HIMS Group on 02 8378 2127 or email: team@HimsGroup.com.au

It pays to stay abreast of changing compliance requirements

It pays to stay abreast of changing compliance requirements

Workers’ compensation regulations can change consistently, making it challenging for overstretched self-insurers to keep up to date and compliant. Therefore, working with a self-insurance advice and claims management service such as the HIMS Group can pay dividends in the long run. 

 

Constantly changing compliance obligations

In the last year alone, there have been several changes in NSW, including the replacement of the Workers’ Compensation Commission by the Personal Injury Commission and the launch of the new Psychological Claims Standard of Practice in February 2021, while COVID-19 initiated a raft of claim amendments. 

“Two years ago, SIRA introduced their Standards of Practice on insurer conduct,” says Gem Riegels-Morgan, Account Manager/Consultant at HIMS Group. “That was a group of 31 standards covering the management of workers’ compensation claims, which has now been extended to 33. In some cases, these required significant changes to claims management practices and documentation.” 

Gem continues, “Every couple of years, there will be a compliance change that will require self-insurers to spend time and resources on understanding and responding to the change. This can be a significant burden, particularly on smaller self-insurers.”

How HIMS assists

The HIMS Group offers a range of services to self-insurers to support them in meeting their compliance obligations. Gem elaborates, “We help them to keep abreast of the changes, understand the changes, and assist them in terms of reviewing their policies and procedures or rewriting standard letters so that they fit the new requirements.”

Besides, Gem Riegels-Morgan warns those self-insurers attempting to manage compliance changes could cost themselves significantly over time by making mistakes. “The Self Insurers Association does a great job providing education and support to the self-insurers in New South Wales, with education sessions every couple of months.

“The training sessions are significant in terms of providing jumping-off points to help self-insurers stay abreast of what’s happening and understanding changes. But in terms of going back to the office and doing the work to make themselves compliant it is another matter.

“So, self-insurers tend to be on their own when it comes to doing that sort of compliance work unless they work with someone like HIMS Group.” 

Gem adds, “Self-insurers don’t have to try and meet their changing compliance obligations alone.

“Trying to stay abreast of all the changes and keeping the company compliant is a massive job. Furthermore, there is the day-to-day job of managing claims and the risk to your company, plus the core functions like making sure injured workers are getting paid and brought back to work effectively.

“Enabling the self-insurance team within an organisation to focus on their core activities is something we can help with by relieving self-insurers of a lot of that compliance burden and helping them to develop their systems and documents to keep them on track.”

To find out more about how HIMS can assist self-insurers to meet their compliance obligations, contact us today on 02 8378 2121 or email: team@HimsGroup.com.au