Sue Keener Director of Virginia Office of Workers

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Sue KeenerDirector of VirginiaOffice of
Workers Compensation

• GOVERNOR'S HEALTH POLICY ADVISORS ANNUAL
  CONFERENCE

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Comprehensive Cost Containment Program

• Public private partnership
• 43 million 5 year savings
• 37 reduction in lost time claims

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Helping People,Saving Money

• Controlling medical costs
• Improving service delivery
• Reducing lost-time injuries
• Increasing communication
• Strengthening loss control

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A Different Kind of Partnership

• Single-point contractor
• 10 subcontractors
• Shared office space
• Nurses and medical director
• Integration of medical management with claims
  process

• Discount prescription drug program
• Vocational placement specialists
• Improved technology
• Occupational PPO Network
• Web site www.covwc.com
• Increased loss control staff

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Results That Make A Difference

• Integrated teams
• Reduced caseloads
• Better service
• Technical support
• Web access to claims data by agencies

• Emphasis on safety
• Improved accident investigation
• 24-hour reporting of claims
• Enhanced program management

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Workplace Safety

• 12-credit college certification program
• OSHA training
• Accident prevention seminars
• Annual Safety Day
• Hazard inspections
• Ergonomic assessments
• Agency benchmark reviews
• Training integrated into Human Resource Institute

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A New Strategy

• Governors Executive Order
• Experienced-based premiums to agencies
• Mandatory 10-day reporting of injuries
• Evaluate everyone for return to work
• Analyze agency trends and develop loss control
  goals annually

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Changing Attitudes
Then
Now
Claims adjusters Benefit coordinators Claimant
Injured employee Unproductive
Valuable Unmanaged process Managed process Stay
at home Work as therapy Expensive Cost
effective
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Getting Hurt Doesnt Mean Losing Your Job

• Hundreds of state employees have returned to work
  under the Work As Therapy model
• Agencies required to develop return-to-work
  policies
• Every injured employee evaluated for return to
  work
• Experienced workers retained

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Taking Care of the Employee
Then
Now

• Employees were expendable.
• Workers Compensation costs were out of control.
• 100 fitness required.

• Work as therapy model reduces lost-time claims.
• Public-private partnership has saved 32-plus
  million.
• Nobody is 100.

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Disability ManagementIS
IS NOT

• Claims management or a process coordinated
  through workers compensation

• A proactive process, where early intervention is
  the key

• Traditional vocational rehabilitation process

• It enables both the employee and management to
  have mutual responsibility

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Disability ManagementIS
IS NOT

• A passive response to injury, illness, or
  disability

• Promotes prevention of learned disability

• Controls the personal and economic costs of
  workplace injury and disability

• An expensive approach to controlling injury and
  disability costs

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Returning To Work Requires Constant Communication
WC Benefit Coordinator
Supervisor
Agency Safety
WC Nurse Consultant
Agency HR
Agency HR
Injured Worker
WC Loss Control
Treating Physician
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Continuing To Care

• Injured Worker Conference
• Featuring seminars on
• Skills for returning to work
• Assistive technology
• Benefits
• Traveling with a disability
• Managing chronic pain
• Peer success stories

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Leading With The Heart

• Cultural shift imperative for programs success
• Leading with the heart rather than the checkbook
• No one is 100 percent
• Injured workers remain valuable members of the
  Commonwealths work force

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Cashflow Saving
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Reducing Lost Time Claims by 37

• in lost time claims

Claims where disability exceeds 7 days
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Planting the Seeds of Change

• Close public-private partnership crucial
• Vendor and state committed to innovation
• Experience-based premiums
• Cultural shift
• Caring about the recovery of our employees
• Early return-to-work

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