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How Workers Comp Claims Pandemic Data Is Only 25% Correct

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Workers Comp Claims Pandemic Data – Running With 1/4 In The Tank

I recently brought this up in a Zoom(r) meeting.  A potential client wanted me to assist in building a Workers Comp claims pandemic model.

marine with fuel tank workers comp pandemic claims
Public Domain – US Marine Corp

They were aghast when I said that only approximately 1/4 of the data is in right now on the pandemic if rating bureau data is used for the model.

Simple Workers Comp Claims Pandemic Data Chart

Policy BeginsPolicy EndsPandemic Fraction    Date Reported To Bureau
05/01/201905/01/20201/1211/01/2020
06/01/201906/01/20202/1212/01/2020
07/01/201907/01/20203/1201/01/2021
08/01/201908/01/20204/1202/01/2021
09/01/201909/01/20205/1203/01/2021
10/01/201910/01/20206/1204/01/2021

The date the data is reported to the bureau is called the UNIT STAT date.

Three questions came up in the meeting.

  • Why did I not include the 4/1/19 to 4/1/2020 policy?
  • Why is it 25% when your fraction shows 50%?
  • Why are you using 2019 policies?

My corresponding answers were:

  • I considered the start of the pandemic 04/01/2020. The Workers Comp claims pandemic data should start there.  The policies that covered 04/01/2019 – 04/01/2020 would not cover any pandemic dates.  I could have used 04/02/2019 or 04/03/2019, etc. but the chart would have been massive.
  • The chart could have been continued through today, but the numbers reported to the rating bureau (right column) have not been reported after 04/01/2021.   The policies after 10/20/2020 would have to be included up until today to complete a year of the pandemic (as requested).  So only 50% of 6/12 would be considered as workers comp pandemic data info.
  • These policies partially covered the pandemic months.  As of now, the rating bureaus have received policy data through 10/15/2020 – at the height of the pandemic.

Chart Updates Will Be Needed – End Of Pandemic?

I did not want to go beyond the recent UNISTAT reporting date of 04/01/2021 – the right column.   I am not sure of the exact date that the pandemic will end.  Some scientists say that we are in an endemic now, not a pandemic in the US.

One concept to remember is not all claims were COVID-19 claims.   I was pointing to the effect on the workers comp pandemic data.

 

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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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