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Is IBNR (Incurred But Not Reported) Legal How Is It Calculated?

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IBNR – Incurred But Not Reported Is An Estimate

(Incurred But Not Reported) IBNR confused many in the WC community.  When a policy of insurance is written it will typically cover a defined (often 12 month) period from inception of the policy. When the policy is sold, a premium is paid by the insured party to the insurer.

Graphic Magnifying IBNR Glass Book
Wikimedia Commons – David Vignoni

The number and cost of claims that will arise from the policy are unknown and unknowable amounts at inception. Indeed, at expiration of the policy there can be a high degree of uncertainty as to what the cost of claims will ultimately be. There might be some information available on incurred claims amounts but this can often be zero.

This uncertainty is one of the reasons that no policy statistics are reported to the rating bureaus until the UniStat Date.

The insurer will conduct a reserving exercise with a view to assessing what this ultimate cost will be. This enables them to assess the profitability of the business that they have written and are planning to write in the future.

Actuaries usually calculate the IBNR figure on policy or group of policies.

The sum of IBNR losses plus reported losses yields an estimate of the total eventual liabilities the insurer will cover, known as ultimate losses.

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James J Moore - Workers Comp Expert

Raleigh, NC, United States

About The Author...

James founded a Workers’ Compensation consulting firm, J&L Risk Management 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

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