• Home
    • Workers Comp Audit Stress Reducer
  • About Us
    • Cutting Workers Comp Costs – About Our Company
    • President – James J Moore, AIC, MBA, ChFC, ARM
    • OSHA Risk Manager – Glen DuLac
  • Work Comp Consultants
  • Free Info
    • Definitions
    • Free Speech
  • Testimonials
  • FAQ
  • Free Manuals
  • Six Secrets
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

J&L Risk Management Consultants

Work Comp expert witness reserve reviews premium audits for employers

icons
Call us today! 1-800-813-1386
WORKERS' COMPENSATION REFUNDS POSSIBLE.
Home » Blog

Pennsylvania Employers – Workers Comp Premium Refunds Possible

February 14, 2019 By JL Risk Management Consultants Leave a Comment

Pennsylvania Employers – Left In Limbo On Workers Comp Premiums  

Pennsylvania employers likely experienced overcharges on recent workers comp policies and audits.   

pennsylvania employers state flag

A previous article was published on who is to blame when the rating bureaus make a mistake.  Pennsylvania recently experienced system-wide workers comp premium overcharges due to a carrier misreporting their data to the PCRB (Pennsylvania Compensation Rating Bureau).  

When a very large carrier in a certain state does not report the proper insurance rating data, then all employers data incurs a ripple-effect of inaccuracy.  In fact, the overcharge was estimated at $250,000,000.  

The main question in 2018 was – Did the PCRB have the proper data safeguards in place to catch when a carrier accidentally misreports their data?  My main question was – will Pennsylvania employers receive their proper premium refunds?   The premium overcharges were beyond obvious. 

If an employer’s workers compensation experience rating information is incorrect, then the company did not pay the correct premium. 

My question for 2019 was – Did the workers comp carriers refund the overcharges to Pennsylvania employers?  My question was answered in two parts.  

Two Questions For Pennsylvania Insureds

Two questions that I thought should be asked by Pennsylvania policyholders are:

  1. Did the proper insurance authorities order an immediate refund?  No, in fact the Insurance Commissioner Jessica Altman said that “carriers should do the right thing.”  I have not seen to date where any carrier had produced a press release on refunds to employers.  
  2. What did any carriers do to correct the mistake?   SWIF – The State Workers Compensation Insurance Fund published a press release of sorts by writing a letter to the Commissioner Altman adjusting the Loss Cost Multipliers to lessen the affect of the overcharges.    One has to congratulate SWIF on their proactive stance.  However, the LCM’s affect the future – what about the overcharges that Pennsylvania employers incurred in their past policies?  

Should Pennsylvania employers contact their carriers and agents?  Yes, but make sure that you have your “ducks in a row.”  Never contact your carrier with a grievance on overcharges without the proper numbers down on paper.   That type of contact has backfired on many unprepared employers in the past. 

Pennsylvania employers – feel free to contact me with questions. 

Filed Under: Pennsylvania, Work Comp Premium Overcharges

Workers Comp Premium Auditor Does Not Know My Final Bill Amount?

February 13, 2019 By JL Risk Management Consultants Leave a Comment

Workers Comp Premium Auditor Billing Question From LinkedIn 

Recently, one of our devout employer article readers posed a workers comp premium auditor question to me through LinkedIn.  By the way, my LinkedIn profile is located here.   You can follow me on LinkedIn for posts and newsletter updates. 

workers comp premium audit bill picture

Public Use License Missouri History Museum

The LinkedIn reader wanted to know – I just called/emailed my workers comp premium auditor about our final bill.   She was in six weeks ago to do our final premium audit for the year.   She said that she had no idea on the final premium audit bill amount.   I am flabbergasted.   She did the audit, but cannot discuss the bill – why?   Was that not her job? 

Answer – I do not want to disappoint, but she correctly answered your inquiry.   The job of the premium auditor almost always does not include anything to do with the billing of the final premium audit.   The final tally comes from a totally different department – the premium audit billing department.  

The premium auditor’s main job consists of reviewing your company records to come to a final audit amount – not the final bill.   If there was something inaccurate on the premium audit itself, then you can dispute it within the rules of your policy.   A premium audit dispute can correct what you may think is inaccurate with your bill.   

The work comp premium auditor’s job stops just short of calculating your final bill.  However, the final bill does come directly from the premium auditor’s work.   The main information that you should request from the premium auditor is the auditor’s workpapers.   The workpapers usually show step-by-step of how your premium audit was conducted.    You do have a right to ask for the workpapers.   

The premium auditor WILL NOT be able to provide you with a final bill.  Your company will usually receive a premium audit adjustment statement along with the audit.   The workpapers usually are not included with the premium audit statement (PAS).  

Phone calls are not recommended if you have a dispute or question or your bill amount.   Email or write your questions to the address or email address on the Premium Audit Bill or Statement.  Why do I not recommend phone calls?  Your dispute rights are not preserved with a phone call. 

 

Filed Under: Premium Auditor

Workers Compensation Fraud In New Jersey – Video Says It All

February 6, 2019 By JL Risk Management Consultants Leave a Comment

Workers Compensation Fraud – New Jersey Man Caught on Video

Workers Compensation fraud appears very rarely in the articles on this blog.  (Why?)   The subject remains one of the most overused and overwritten subjects since I first started in the business in the last part of the 1980s.  

workers comp fraud picture french shell game

Wikimedia License – FaceMePLS

The Workers Compensation newswires and blogospheres lit up the scoreboard with a video obtained by CBS News.  The video- see the end of the article for link shows a very feeble attempt at workers compensation fraud by an employee.  

As you may already know, three types of workers compensation fraud are the most prevalent:

  1. Employer – finding  illegal methods to not pay for the company’s workers comp risks
  2. Employee – intentionally filing for benefits not owed 
  3. Provider – billing for services not provided to the injured employee 

Many years ago, a study was conducted – by a now-defunct carrier – that covered the elements of fraud.   Three percent of claims started with an element of workers compensation fraud.  As the claim progresses, the likelihood the same claim contains an element of fraud increases to 30%.   

An assumption would be that the element of fraud could be from one of the three listed above, and not caused just  by the injured employee. 

One of the areas that Predictive Analyses made at least a few inroads was in the area of fraud detection at the beginning of a claim.   I had seen some success identifying certain factors that pointed towards a claim that could have workers comp fraud.   

No big breaking news stories were published on fraud detection using Predictive Analytics.   An experienced workers compensation adjuster, to me, can be the best detector of fraud during a claim.   Every adjuster (medical only and lot time) possess an innate ability to know when a claim heads off the rails.  

One of my pet peeves on workers compensation fraud detection came from a list I was provided by my employer 25 years ago.   The list contained a few suggestions as to what claimants might have an ulterior motive in filing a claim.    

The list contained – has a PO Box.  After having my credit card numbers stolen in the 1990’s out of my residential mailbox and multiple accounts opened using the ill-begotten info, I have used a PO Box for at least 25 years for credit card fraud avoidance.   

I do not think there exists one bellwether on whether a claim will have some fraudulent element.   One that used to concern me when I was handling a full claims count was injured the first day of beginning a job.    My opinion was changed somewhat after learning how much The Learning Curve affected a new employee. 

OK, so the link to the video is here.   The man in the video has been charged with but not convicted of workers comp fraud. 

 

©J&L Risk Management Inc Copyright Notice

Filed Under: fraud

Medical Only Claims Adjusting – One Super Critical Task To Consider

February 1, 2019 By JL Risk Management Consultants

Medical Only Claims Adjusting – Where Small Claims Can Turn To Crises 

Most Medical Only Claims Adjusting sections in a claims processing manual consist of a very few pages.  Lost time adjusting takes up the majority of a TPA or insurance carrier claims manual.   

medical only claims adjusting picture large wave breaking

Wikimedia Public Use License Broken Inaglory

The Medical Only claims adjusting section may or may not cover what is just as important as any Lost time adjusting task.   The recognizing, converting, and immediately handling of a medical only claim that has become serious has wrecked more than a few employer’s loss histories.  

If a small claim festers lacking any administration/adjusting,  the claim will likely end up being a non-investigated, expensive, out of control mess.   Some claim systems will catch a small % of these claims.  Those systems are few and far between.   

How are small claims that are turning into uncontrollable claims discovered?   The usual ways involve:

  • Twilight Zone Phone Call 
  • Employee is denied an unauthorized treatment by medical provider
  • Employee’s newly hired attorney sends in representation notice
  • Employee calls into claims department to complain about no TTD checks
  • Claims reserves peg at higher than normal level for a  medical only claim 
  • Claim stays open for months/years 
  • Claim is reopened and then re-closed multiple times to pay bills over a long period 

Most medical only claims adjusting staffs and lost time adjusters could add on many more items to this list . 

Some claim departments required a recorded interview on even medical only claims.  This sickening requirement caused these claim departments to become overloaded in pending recorded statements.    Most claim departments which required recorded statements on all claims changed the task to a recorded statement on all lost time claims and serious medical only claims. 

Over the years, I have met and supervised great medical only claims adjusters that had a gut feeling when a claim was souring and going to be more costly than just a small amount of medical bills paid in the first few weeks. 

Employer Role

I then discovered one of the techniques of these great medical only claims adjusters.  They had established great two-way communications between themselves and the insured.  The adjusters had a great open door policy for the employer to call them if they noticed anything suspicious or extraordinary occurring on even the smallest workers compensation claim. 

Even if your company does not have this type of communication and relationship with your medical only adjusters, go ahead and start on it today.  If you see anything strange on a medical bill, or if a large medical bill is received on a medical only, let the medical only claims adjusting staff knows about it immediately.   

If the employee has an unexplained absence after reporting a medical only claim, get in touch with the medical only adjuster as soon as possible. 

Email your medical only claims adjuster instead of calling in most cases.   The email will allow the adjuster time to pull up the file and then discuss it with the lost time adjuster or medical only claims adjusting supervisor. 

 

©J&L Risk Management Inc Copyright Notice

Filed Under: Medical Only Claims

PEO Data Session – NCCI Data Conference Earlier This Month

February 1, 2019 By JL Risk Management Consultants

PEO Data Session – Great Info from NCCI Data Conference 

The PEO Data class from the NCCI Data Conference provided a treasure trove of great info nuggets.   The Data Reporting Conference remains of the best sources of great info on workers compensation.   Check it out here.    

PEO data workshop picture meeting room

Public Use License – Meeting Rooms 4

The session of PEO Data Reporting covers 77 pages of info from the class manual.   I will point out a few nuggets of information.  I recommend downloading the complete PEO Data Reporting manual by clicking here.    The manual may require a few minutes to download – please be patient. 

Page 3 of the NCCI PEO data presentation contains the NAIC definition of a PEO.  

A business entity that enters into agreements with other businesses, whether under a formal contract or otherwise, under which the PEO assumes or shares employment responsibilities for all or a significant number of worksite employees of the other business, regardless of the terminology used by the parties to describe the relationship. This does not include a business entity that recruits and hires its own employees, assigns them on a temporary basis, and customarily attempts to reassign them when finished with an assignment.

The important part of the definition – what a PEO is not.  

Sometimes an employer will mistake a PEO for an ASO or an HRO.    I will not cover the definitions of each type of organization.   The main concept to remember is to READ THE CONTRACT very carefully.   We had assisted at least two companies that thought they were in a PEO when they were actually in an ASO agreement.  An ASO is usually not responsible for obtaining Workers Compensation through the ASO.    ASO’s and HRO’s are not undesirable companies.  Make sure your company ends up with the company you contracted for services. 

Check out Page 6-states that do not require a PEO to register or regulates their operation. 

The material on pages 6 – 11 covers critical terms:

  • Master Coordinated Policies  (MCP) 
  • Master Policy
  • Client Direct Purchase 

Each state has its own set of rules on allowable types of PEO operational structures.    The allowed structure should be reviewed very carefully before signing on with a PEO.  Why? – Under a PEO, would your company have an individualized E-Mod or would your company assume the PEO’s Mod?  The PEO’s Mod is almost always preferable. 

I recommend reading all 77 pages.    No one including myself or NCCI is saying that PEO’s are high-risk or an unwanted risk management technique.  In fact, a properly handled PEO agreement can save a large amount of premiums.  

So, go ahead and download the PEO data reporting workshop manual.   

©J&L Risk Management Inc Copyright Notice

Filed Under: NCCI Conferences, PEO

Report Medical Only Claims To Carrier – Saves Later Headaches

January 24, 2019 By JL Risk Management Consultants

Report Medical Only Claims – The Devil Is In The Delay 

Should I report my medical only claims to the carrier?   

picture file medical only claims devil

Public Use License – Frank Vincentz

Our newsletter and blog readers ask us this question as often as any other workers comp question.    The other related question – Will my premiums increase if I report medical only claims?   

Our answer is –  Not reporting medical only claims will increase your premiums in the long run.   A side note – most states give a 70% discount  to the effect on your E-Mod when you report your medical only claims.  

Claims Festering 

Claims festering was coined by me approximately 10 years ago.  When an employer decides to become the adjuster on small claims, the scenario proceeds along in this fashion:

  1. An innocuous accident occurs resulting in a small injury 
  2. The employer does not report the claim to their insurance carrier
  3. The injured employee keeps treating and the employer pays the bill or reports it to their health insurer 
  4. The claim slowly grows and becomes more serious with little or no oversight – festering like a boil 
  5. The injured employee now has incurred multi-thousands in non-fee scheduled bills 
  6.  Now, after running up a large claim, the employee starts to miss time from work
  7. The employer decides to report it to their carrier or TPA (self insureds)
  8. The carrier cannot investigate  a claim until the first report is filed
  9. The claims staff becomes frustrated as they likely have received Twilight Zone phone calls
  10. Your reputation has been eroded with your carrier – Oh, it is ABC Widgets, they always report claims late
  11. The adjuster cranks up the reserves much higher than usual due to unseen bills and for the risk of a non-adjusted claim
  12. Claims adjuster now has to play catch up  
  13. The claim is out of control – get out the checkbook 

The same scenario occurs with a self insured except you do not wreck your E-Mod, you wreck your budget for claims payments.  

Six Keys for Savings 

Reporting claims timely remains one of our most highly recommended keys for cutting workers comp costs.   My advice is to report any claim where the employee has to stop work due to an injury.  If the injured employee receives medical treatment, then they had to stop work and seek out medical care. 

With online reporting, filing a first report of injury is now easier and faster.  I can still remember when the fax machine hummed from incoming claims. 

The bottom line – report medical only claims to your carrier.  

©J&L Risk Management Inc Copyright Notice

Filed Under: Medical Only Claims, Medical Only Festering

Workers Comp Bad Faith – Adjusters Look Back Over Their Shoulders?

January 24, 2019 By JL Risk Management Consultants

Workers Comp Bad Faith – The Rarely Discussed Possibility 

For many years, Workers Comp bad faith remains one of those rarely-discussed topics due to many factors.   The subject rears its ugly head for what seems approximately twice per year.   The worn-out catchphrase is “sent a chill over the industry.”  

picture workers comp bad faith dragon

Public Use License Wikimedia

The reason I published this article originated with me reading an article this week containing that very phrase.     My good friend Kevin Quinley was interviewed for the article.   The article covered an automobile adjuster’s handling of a claim in Washington.  See the  Keodalah Decision

The workers compensation claimant bar has been pursuing bad claims handling as a tort for over 50 years.   Yes, there have been some successes in this area.   

Workers Comp Board Jurisdiction

The Workers Comp Board or Industrial Commission usually retains the authority over claims handling issues.   If one looks at the current Appellate Court cases, the judge usually remands the case back to the lower court – usually the Appeals level within the respective workers compensation board or commission. 

Approximately 20 years ago, an adjuster was found to have altered claims forms after obtaining signatures from the employer and employee.   The changes to the forms occurred due to the adjuster wanting the claims agreement forms to be approved by the workers compensation commission.   The adjuster even admitted altering the agreement forms.   What happened to the case?   The Court of Appeals remanded the case back to the Full Commission as they were deemed to have jurisdiction. 

Exclusive Remedy

Exclusive remedy has always kept most claims issues within the board or commission’s authority.   If one cannot sue their employer can they also not sue their adjuster? 

Exclusive remedy is one of the underpinnings of how Workers Compensation insurance survives to this day.   Exclusive remedy means that an injured claimant cannot sue his employer as a liability matter.  Likewise, the employer cannot sue the employee for contributory negligence. 

Structured Environment 

Workers comp, overall, operates in a very structured environment.   For example, making an offer to settle on a property or auto liability claim has many unknowns as to value.  Offering too low (low balling) can be a path to a bad faith claim. 

Workers comp bad faith remains a very structured environment. All the variable are pre-calculated from the Average Weekly Wage to a fee-schedule medical bill.   

The great unknown of Workers Compensation barely exists from the way a First Report of Injury is filed to the settlement approval process. 

Starve Them Out

The iciest my veins had ever felt reviewing a claim that I had taken over from a terminated adjuster was this phrase:

I am going to sit on this one and starve them out to get a quick, cheap settlement.   Oh, yes that was documented in the file and could not be removed by anyone.  

The file was not yet settled – back TTD and medical bill payments were inked that day along with a fine for late payment.  That, to me, remains my crowning example of going down the path towards a massive bad faith claim. 

Bottom Line

Even though the above passages point to a safe harbor while handling workers comp claims, no adjuster should ever think they are immune to a workers comp bad faith action against them. 

©J&L Risk Management Inc Copyright Notice

Filed Under: bad faith

Workers Comp Premium Savings Generated With Website Updates

January 17, 2019 By JL Risk Management Consultants

Workers Comp Premium Savings – Keep Your Website Updated 

How can workers comp premiums savings come from updating your website?   One of our clients from last year had let their website sit for a few years without updating it.   What happened caused me to write this article.  

workers comp premium savings picture stop sign

Public Use License

During a workers comp premium audit, a premium auditor pulled up a page that said they were taking on jobs in a certain field.  The company had not performed this type of work for over seven years.    However, the website included a whole page dedicated to a higher risk service offering than the company was presently performing for clients. 

This situation popped up many times over the last few years.   I wrote an article concerning updating web pages a few years ago.  If one thinks of your company’s website as a calling card and brochure, then what services that you include in your website easily compares to the days gone past.   

You handed out brochures and business cards that concisely listed your services.  The web pages of your website , including the long-forgotten underneath pages that no one (except possibly a wily premium auditor) ever sees when looking over your products or services.  

Whenever a new client signs on with us, the first place we look to see what they do has always been their website.  A parallel comparison is when you look at someone’s LinkedIn after they give you their business card.   

Your company website can generate workers comp premium savings.  If you have an old outdated website, here is a list of people that may construe your company to be something it is not:

  • Underwriter
  • Broker/Agent
  • Premium Auditor 
  • Rating Bureau agent
  • Consultant (such as J&L) 
  • Any other party in the Workers Comp arena 

J&L’s website needs updating, too. The glass houses and stones euphemism applies to us.   I am sure you have seen websites that need updates.  Some can be very obvious. 

Check the pages on your website:

  • About Us
  • Services Offered
  • What we do 
  • Our other services – a real Workers Comp Savings edit is necessary if it is incorrect. 
  • Our employees 

Any web page that describes your operations needs to be exactly what you do  for your marketing purposes and for Workers Comp premium savings. 

©J&L Risk Management Inc Copyright Notice

 

Filed Under: premium recovery, premium refunds

WCRI 2019 Annual Conference – Data In the Desert

January 17, 2019 By JL Risk Management Consultants

WCRI 2019 Annual Conference Not In Boston This Year 

The WCRI 2019 Annual Conference will be informative as always.  Interestingly enough, the conference has moved from Boston to Renaissance Phoenix Downtown.   

picture WCRI annual conference 2019 desert sunset

Public Use License good free photos Yiana Cheng

The conferences usually span 1.5 days  as this year – Thursday, February 28 – Friday, March 1, 2019.  

The theme this year is:   

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS TO IMPROVE INJURED WORKERS’ OUTCOMES

Check here for the agenda

The second day morning conference is one of my favorites  (being a data wonk) – 

According to WCRI: 

STATE OF THE STATES: SELECTIVE FINDINGS

This session will discuss some of the latest findings and trends seen across WCRI’s core benchmark studies, including WCRI’s 18-State CompScope™ Benchmarks reports, a multistate benchmarking program that measures the performance of a growing number of state workers’ compensation systems.

This session will be helpful to stakeholders and public officials who are looking to better manage change and control costs while improving outcomes of injured workers.

WCRI usually presents some of the yet to be released data  such as the outstanding studies on Workers Outcomes and Attorney Representation variances among the states.  

The fees are reasonable for the information that you take home.   I have spoken with many interesting stakeholders at the WCRI’s annual conferences over the years.    The crowd is an eclectic mix.    

The current companies/organizations that have registered are:

  • American Contractors Insurance Group
  • Adva-Net
  • Ahold Delhaize USA
  • AIG
  • Amerisure
  • Ametros Financial
  • Aon
  • ARAWC
  • Arizona Counties Insurance Pool
  • Arizona Industrial Commission
  • AWPRx, LLC
  • Bardavon Health Innovations
  • Bimbo Bakeries
  • Broadspire
  • Brooks Rehabilitation
  • Business Insurance
  • Carisk Partners
  • CNA Insurance
  • California Self-Insurers’ Security Fund
  • California Workers Compensation Rating Bureau
  • Care Bridge International, Inc.
  • ChronWell
  • Cincinnati Insurance Co.
  • Claims Bureau USA
  • CLARA analytics
  • Colorado Division of Workers Compensation
  • Conduent, Inc.
  • Construction Industry Service Corporation
  • CorVel
  • Coventry Workers Compensation Services
  • David Deitz & Associates, LLC
  • Definiti Comp Solutions
  • Eastern Alliance Insurance Group
  • Eberle Vivian
  • EMC Insurance
  • Equian
  • Everest National Insurance Company
  • Exam Works
  • Express Scripts
  • Gallagher Bassett
  • Genex Services, LLC
  • Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation
  • Goodman McGuffey LLP
  • Health Strategy Associates LLC
  • Healthesystems
  • Helmsman Management Services
  • HomeCare Connect
  • HOMELINK
  • Horizon Casualty Services, Inc.
  • Indiana AFL-CIO
  • Indiana Compensation Rating Bureau
  • Industrial Commission of Arizona
  • Insight
  • Institute For Work & Health
  • International Union of Elevator Constructors
  • Kentucky Employers’ Mutual Insurance
  • Kaiser Permanente
  • Liberty Mutual Insurance
  • Lockton
  • Marriot International, Inc.
  • Marsh
  • Massachusetts Department of Public Health
  • Medcor
  • MedMedtrics
  • MedRisk
  • Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Insurers Assn. (MWCIA)
  • Missouri Employers Mutual
  • Mitchell
  • Mitsui Sumitomo Marine Management
  • MKCM
  • Montana Department of Labor & Industry
  • MTI America
  • myMatrixx
  • Neurointernational
  • NJM Insurance Group
  • Nordstrom
  • Nova Medical Centers
  • OEHN
  • Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Dept. of Labor
  • One Call
  • OnSite Physio
  • Optum
  • Oregon Workers Compensation Division
  • Origami Risk
  • Paradigm Outcomes
  • Pennsylvania Compensation Rating Bureau
  • Penn National Insurance
  • Pinnacol Assurance
  • PMA Companies
  • Publix Super Markets, Inc.
  • QBE North America
  • QTC Management, Inc.
  • R3 Continuum
  • Rucka, O’Boyle, Lombardo & McKenna
  • Safety National
  • Sedgwick
  • SFM Mutual Insurance Company
  • Shelter Island Risk Services
  • Southern California Edison
  • SPNet
  • Stanford University
  • Starbucks Coffee Company
  • State of Idaho Industrial Commission
  • Tennessee AFL-CIO
  • Texas Mutual Insurance Co.
  • The Cheesecake Factory
  • The Hanover Insurance Group
  • The Hartford
  • The Home Depot
  • The PMA Group
  • Therapy Direct
  • Travelers Insurance
  • Trilogy Health Solutions
  • United Airlines
  • United Heartland
  • Upjohn Institute
  • UPS
  • Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
  • Wisconsin Compensation Rating Bureau
  • Workers’ Compensation Trust
  • York Risk Services Group
  • Zenith Insurance Company
  • Zurich North America

The usual attendees each year are:

  • Employers
  • Risk managers
  • Public officials
  • Labor representatives
  • Insurers
  • Researchers
  • Claims managers
  • Legislative staff
  • Lawyers
  • Brokers
  • Actuaries
  • Consultants
  • Third-party administrators
  • Government affairs representatives
  • Workers’ compensation service providers

I have blogged the conference live for quite a few years.   If you decided to attend,  I will be up in the press row.  Please stop by and say Hello.  See you at the WCRI 2019 Annual Conference. 

 

©J&L Risk Management Inc Copyright Notice

 

Filed Under: WCRI Annual Conference

NY Daily News Workers Comp Watch – Ocasio Cortez Says Woops!

January 14, 2019 By JL Risk Management Consultants

US Representative Ocasio Cortez Fined – NY Daily News Workers Comp Article

The NY  Daily News Workers Comp article has been circulated around the blogosphere for mostly political means.  Many of my fellow Workers Compensation bloggers publish articles that are politically-based.   I try to avoid that as much as possible.

picture of ny daily news workers comp hummer traffic ticket

Wikimedia Commons – Specious

The article by Kenneth Loveth was the original source.  

How could an article on forgetting to  pay your workers compensation premium bill not jump off the page?  Even a young Congresswoman that many consider a champion of the people (Socialist?) can forget to provide her campaign workers with the most basic of necessary benefits.   

The NY  Daily News workers comp article pointed out that she had forgotten to pay Workers Comp premiums for her campaign workers covering the month of April 2018.  

Did she receive any special forgiveness for her campaign’s oversight?   She definitely did not receive any special treatment.   The New York Workers Compensation Board fined her $1,500 for going without coverage.   What would have happened if one of her workers seriously injured themselves on the job?  

Of course, Ocasio Cortez was excoriated by both Democrat and Republican pundits.  This situation, unfortunately rears its ugly head in the PR arena.  

Tina Fey paid a similar fine when she neglected to cover her workers a few years ago.  The same thing occurred as in this case.  However, Ms. Fey was originally fined $79,000.  The NY Workers Comp Board then realized she might have had at least partially adequate coverage. 

Ms. Fey and the Board agreed that her fine should have been reduced  to an unreported amount.   

Both situations show two things:

  • Not paying your workers comp premiums will catch with you eventually
  • The NY Board shows no favoritism or mercy – pay premiums or pay a fine

We receive at least a call or email once per week where an employer has let their Workers Compensation lapse.   J&L Risk Management Consultants cannot fix an unpaid premium bill even if some of it was disputable.  

The bottom line  – do not forget to pay your workers comp premiums or your company may end up creating a column for the NY  Daily News Workers Comp. 

 

©J&L Risk Management Inc Copyright Notice

Filed Under: Fines Penalties Tagged With: ocasio-cortez, tina fey
Next Page »

Email Subscription

Search this website:

work comp expert witnessWork Comp Expert ReservesWork Comp Claim File Audit ExpertWork Comp Expert WitnessWork Comp ConsultantRecommended Workers Comp Premium AuditorWorkers Comp Auditor Loss Run XModworkers compensation refund specialistWorkers comp premium audit expertworkers comp expert auditor8810 class codework comp claim reviewsRecommended workers comp NCCI WCIRB blogger

About Me

My Photo
James J Moore
Raleigh, NC, United States

James founded a Workers' Compensation consulting firm, J&L Risk Mgmt Consultants, Inc. in 1996. J&L's mission is to reduce our clients’ Workers Compensation premiums by using time-tested techniques. J&L’s claims, premium, reserve and Experience Mod reviews have saved employers over $9.8 million in earned premiums over the last three years. J&L has saved numerous companies from bankruptcy proceedings as a result of insurance overpayments.

James has over 27 years of experience in insurance claims, audit, and underwriting, specializing in Workers' Compensation. He has supervised, and managed the administration of Workers’ Compensation claims, and underwriting in over 45 states. His professional experience includes being the Director of Risk Management for the North Carolina School Boards Association. He created a very successful Workers’ Compensation Injury Rehabilitation Unit for school personnel.

James's educational background, which centered on computer technology, culminated in earning a Masters of Business Administration (MBA); an Associate in Claims designation (AIC); and an Associate in Risk Management designation (ARM). He is a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and a licensed financial advisor. The NC Department of Insurance has certified him as an insurance instructor. He also possesses a Bachelors’ Degree in Actuarial Science.

LexisNexis has twice recognized his blog as one of the Top 25 Blogs on Workers’ Compensation. J&L has been listed in AM Best’s Preferred Providers Directory for Insurance Experts – Workers Compensation for over eight years. He recently won the prestigious Baucom Shine Lifetime Achievement Award for his volunteer contributions to the area of risk management and safety. James was recently named as an instructor for the prestigious Insurance Academy.

James is on the Board of Directors and Treasurer of the North Carolina Mid-State Safety Council. He has published two manuals on Workers’ Compensation and three different claims processing manuals. He has also written and has been quoted in numerous articles on reducing Workers’ Compensation costs for public and private employers. James publishes a weekly newsletter with 7,000 readers.

He currently possess press credentials and am invited to various national Workers Compensation conferences as a reporter.

James's articles or interviews on Workers’ Compensation have appeared in the following publications or websites: • Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) • Entrepreneur Magazine • Bloomberg Business News • WorkCompCentral.com • Claims Magazine • Risk & Insurance Magazine • Insurance Journal • Workers Compensation.com • LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites • Various trade publications

 

Recent Posts

  • Pennsylvania Employers – Workers Comp Premium Refunds Possible
  • Workers Comp Premium Auditor Does Not Know My Final Bill Amount?
  • Workers Compensation Fraud In New Jersey – Video Says It All
  • Medical Only Claims Adjusting – One Super Critical Task To Consider
  • PEO Data Session – NCCI Data Conference Earlier This Month
  • Report Medical Only Claims To Carrier – Saves Later Headaches
  • Workers Comp Bad Faith – Adjusters Look Back Over Their Shoulders?
  • Workers Comp Premium Savings Generated With Website Updates
  • WCRI 2019 Annual Conference – Data In the Desert
  • NY Daily News Workers Comp Watch – Ocasio Cortez Says Woops!

Archives

  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
J&L Risk Management Consultants, Inc.
8366 Six Forks Road, Suite 101
Raleigh, NC 27615
(800) 813-1386
▲Return to top of page
Copyright © 2019 J&L Risk Management Consultants, Inc.

Website Design by Redwood [ Design - Print - Web ]