Things Insurance Agents can do to Manage Workers’ Compensation Claims

Businesses need to manage workers’ compensation claims. Organizations with managed compensation claims have lower costs and lower rates of loss in work time. As an agent, you can play a vital role in handling workers’ compensation claims. You can help your clients minimize recovery time for their employees and reduce the financial costs as well.

Here are some of the ways how you, as an agent, can make a difference for the employers in managing the claims.

• You can help clients by connecting them with a physician. The injured employees are often sent to a personal doctor or a nearby hospital which might lead to higher costs for the company. It can also mean a delayed return to work.
  Connecting your clients with a physician can help in reducing the workers’ compensation costs. Furthermore, you can also help the employer identify appropriate doctors with expertise who have an understanding of the business of the clients.
• Employers might be unaware of the technical insurance jargons. You can provide the necessary details on the insurance terms. You can also help their clients understand the insurance language and workers’ compensation.
• You can demonstrate their value to the clients by becoming an active intermediary between the insurance company and the employers. Agents understand the issues of both the insurance companies and employers. They are in the best position to ensure competitive insurance policy offerings.
• Agents can also help the employers develop a back-to-work program. Back to work programs help the employees to return to their work after the recovery. It sends a message to the employees that the organization values them. Moreover, it also reduces the cost of workers’ compensation claims caused due to delayed return to work.
• Forecasting and planning for the injuries that can take place in the organization might lead to lower workers’ compensation. You can help employers in this process. You can help them in analyzing the previous records and planning for the future. Agents and employers together can take proactive steps. You can identify the problem areas and take necessary steps.
• Classification of the employees affects the workers’ compensation costs. The rates for workers’ compensation insurance reflect the occupational risk at the workplace. With a wide range of job classifications available, employees are more likely to make a mistake. Insurance agents are responsible for finding such errors and correcting them for the employees. Agents can help employers in understanding the classification system of their employees to minimize their compensation costs.
• An organization can develop a safety program with the help of agents. Such safety programs can focus on the types of workers’ compensation claims that may come up in the future. Safety programs will reduce the chances of injuries and workers’ compensation claims.