Workers Comp Android Apps – Journey Down The Rabbit Hole Again

September 3, 2020 By JL Risk Management Consultants

Workers Comp Android Apps – Giving It One Last Try

Three years ago, a gentleman contacted me by phone. He was very patient in explaining Workers Comp Android Apps were going to fade away as most smartphones can handle accessing the website directly. An App was likely not going to assist in providing useful information.

picture of workers comp android apps phones

Wikimedia Commons – License Google Samsung

I decided to reprise the annual review in 2019. With the COVID-19 crisis, I thought, for some strange reason, a few apps may have been created and published on the Google Playstore. I was partially correct.

The Apple iTunes Store has never really had any workers comp apps. I used to write an article on just the iTunes store that was short and deficient in any app analysis.

Workers Comp Android Apps Found in 2020 Playstore

I used the term Workers Compensation and Workers Compensation insurance as search terms. The same list appeared with both search terms. I installed each one and sampled each one – most required a Username and Password.

You can see the search results here.

Lynx Workers’ Compensation Insurance Quotes – a nationwide application process to secure workers’ compensation insurance by inputting basic info, need to know your current class codes to receive a quote.
New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF) – Where Is My Check? – this would be the one that I had thought all insurance carriers would provide as an app- saving the ubiquitous injured employee phone call. Countless hours are spent still today looking up weekly TTD or TPD checks that have not yet arrived. The Postal Service has experienced many delays since and due to the Coronavirus. With adjusters working remotely, many carriers and TPAs should supply this app at a minimum.
Sullivan on Workers Comp – Subscription Service for California – The standard for great California Workers Comp Law Info and Analysis – likely worth the monthly subscription price
New York Workers Comp Board (NYSWCB) – Online Hearings – another great app – virtual Workers Comp hearings right on the smartphone.
New York Workers Comp Insurance Fund (NYSIF)– Contact the Underwriter – this app provided the Underwriter information. I could not tell if you could contact the underwriter on the app.

Two Smartphones Workers Comp Android Apps in Pink background

Wikimedia Commons – pestoverde

Yes, smartphones can log directly into websites without using an app. However, with just one click of a Google Android app, I can access solid information directly from the provider’s website.

One can see that the NYSIF provided two well thought out apps – kudos to them.

Even though the apps may not be used that often, the Workers Comp Android apps would function as great advertising to at least be available on the store – even though the apps may already be provided on the websites.

Google, Apple, and any of the above apps have their copyrights preserved.

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Workers’ Compensation Android iPhone Apps – The Search Returns

May 9, 2019 By JL Risk Management Consultants

Workers’ Compensation Android iPhone Apps Usually Disappoint

My search for Workers’ Compensation Android iPhone apps usually leaves me saying, “Why so few?”

My searches came up with a few selections in 2015, 2016, and 2017. Last year my search for Workers’ Compensation Android Ipphone apps surprised me. The search ended with almost no apps for 2018. Why?

Wish me luck as I jump in the rabbit hole again. I will report the findings to you shortly.

Using the Search term workers compensation – The following is a screenshot of the results.

Workers' Compensation Android iPhone Google Playstore

My old rules used over the last few years:

The app had to have at least 10 ratings
The user ratings had to be 4 stars and above
The app could not be advertising for a service
The app had to work – yes, some did not work

Most of the worker’s compensation apps today never make the four above rules. Let us go with the Playstore search algorithm to find Android apps.

The first one is RoadCash. The app tracks the miles traveled and the medical appointment for travel reimbursement for the injured employee. This app appeared in the search results many years ago.

According to the website:

RoadCash(c) helps workers to claim reimbursement for travel costs incurred due to work-related injuries and health issues. When on workers compensation transportation expenses to the physician, physical therapist, hospital, and pharmacy becomes very expensive. RoadCash eliminates the paperwork and bureaucracy in the travel reimbursement process bringing fairness and justice to millions of injured workers in need.

The app works and performs the task of travel reimbursement.

The second one is Normandy Insurance (c). The app purports to provide you with a quick quote for workers compensation premiums with a few inputs. Most workers’ compensation insurance quotes require a few more inputs. The app was updated yesterday (May 8th, 2019). At least Normandy updates their Android App. Most apps are very outdated. The app borders on advertising. It does return a result, so I listed it.

From their app page:

Let us take the guesswork out of calculating premiums on Workers’ Compensation policies. The Normandy workers’ comp rater calculates premium discounts, safety and drug-free credits, debits and credits for experience modifications and increased limits. With a few data elements, Normandy’s workers’ comp rater will provide you with an accurate Workers’ Comp premium that you can email or text to yourself, or your client. All rates are updated as they change, so you have up-to-date information at all times. Our app highlights the class codes we write in green so you know what you should send to Normandy to get quoted! Spend more time with your customers and less on calculating your quote with this mobile version of Normandy’s newest resource.

The third one that deserves mention is the NYSIF (New York Self Insured Fund) Check (c) app. Late or missing workers compensation check questions generate a large number of phone calls and emails from injured employees. The android app seems very simple. NYSIF updated the app recently.

From their app page:

Quickly learn the status of your workers’ compensation or disability benefits check by entering the
* Claim number
* Last four digits of claimant’s Social Security Number
* Claimant’s date of birth
Receive information about the benefit payment and/or the NYSIF case manager for the claim.

I cannot check to see if the app works. One would assume it must work. If an injured worker accesses their check status, the adjuster’s workload would see a drop. The NYSIF should advertise this app heavily.

iTunes or iPhone Apps

The iTunes store contained no workers’ compensation apps. I possibly did not perform the right search for them. If you have any workers’ compensation Android iPhone apps, please contact me or comment below.

If you have an Android app that does not appear on the search, your company may want to include it as free advertising for the largest collection of apps on earth. If your app appeared in the search and I did not mention it, please let me know.

Copyrights in this article – iPhone, iTunes >Apple Corp., Google Playstore, Android>Google, Inc., Apps>High Road 5, LLC, New York State Insurance Fund, Normandy Insurance Company.

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Workers Compensation Medical Software vs My Semi Annual App Search

June 28, 2018 By JL Risk Management Consultants

Workers Compensation Medical Software Companies Say – How About Us?

Workers Compensation medical software companies have been chatting with us by email, calls, LinkedIn, comments, etc. over the past few weeks. As you may know I have written a number of articles on the lack of workers compensation technology including apps for iPhones and Android phones.

picture of boy looking at workers compensation medical software binoculars

Wikimedia License Jrod2

I searched for technological advances at the NWCDC conferences over the past few years. I discovered a few companies that were on the cutting edge including a genetic pharmaceutical company and two online doctor visit providers.

In fact, I have called the Android/Iphone searches “going into the rabbit hole.” << a tip of the hat to Charles Dickens.

Workers Compensation medical software company owners and their marketers have informed me directly or indirectly that I may have overlooked them. I am not and will not endorse any companies. However, I will refer back to the article where I set out the rules I was using to find the Workers Comp apps. If not, the credibility of my searches would have been less than zero.

For 2018 Android searches –

Be free
Not be a veiled advertisement
Have at least 10 votes on the ratings – this prevents the app providers from rating themselves highly. – this is a new requirement
Have at least 3 stars or higher rating – this is a new requirement
Have some useful function – (that it actually worked)
Be closely related to Workers Comp
Appear in the Google Playstore – some websites provide apps that are not in the Playstore. A great marketing idea would be to put them in the Playstore as blatant advertising. Some recommended apps no longer appear in the Playstore.

The rules were not very picky. #3 in the above list kept the providers from rating themselves highly and not the app users.

For 2018 Iphone (Apple iStore ) apps , the same rules applied to my searches. The one astonishing discovery noted was the lack of workers compensation apps for iPhones.

I appreciated the contacts from various software companies – actually medical treatment platforms. This means that my searches will bear more fruit in the future – at least (hopefully) from workers compensation medical software companies.

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Best Workers Comp App 2018 – Slim Pickings Android or ITunes

January 11, 2018 By JL Risk Management Consultants

Best 2018 Workers Comp App in Slim Field

The Best Workers Comp App found this and last week was Nova Medical Center’s App. Was it an outstanding app? No, but it made the grade in all of the applicable categories. The main difference between Nova’s app and the rest were that at least 10 users had rated the Android App. As I commented on yesterday, no ITunes Store Apps really addressed Workers Comp whatsoever.

The largest surprise for me consists of two things:

The Workers Comp Apps compared to a desert for anything useful
Even more surprising, there are fewer ones this year than in the past.

My technology concerns were voiced in prior articles over the years including trying to find tech advances at the various NWCDC (National Workers Comp and Disability Conference) gatherings in Las Vegas and New Orleans.

Nova’s MC app basically provides directions to their nearest medical center along with a report function. The app has a rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars.

The two screenshots of the app are below.

Screenshot Nova Medical Best Workers Comp app 2018

SM Rights Nova Medical Centers Inc

2020 Update – most Workers’ Compensation providers have moved towards using part of their websites as smartphones and networks have advanced enough to provide their info directly in the websites. I was contacted by an insurance web developer in mid-2019 to advised me to look at the websites more frequently.

I would be glad to review any from companies that do not list their app in Google PlayStore or the ITunes store. Somewhere out there more Best Workers Comp Apps have to exist.

©J&L Risk Management Inc Copyright Notice

Apple ITunes Store Apps – Another Workers Comp Rabbit Hole Trip

January 10, 2018 By JL Risk Management Consultants

Apple ITunes Store Apps Barren Territory For Workers Comp

The Apple ITunes Store Apps for Workers Comp search resulted from my yearly search for Google PlayStore Apps.

picture dutch apple itunes store apps rabbit

Public Use License – Sahrazad

The names ITunes and Playstore do not bolster my confidence in finding any business apps. I also checked them on my semi-smartphone to see if my search outcomes would have changed the results.

Unfortunately, the app results did not improve. My Google PlayStore 2018 results can be found here.

Workers Compensation showed little results. Workers Comp as a search term was a little better. Hey, who knew three rap artists made songs and two albums with the name Workers Comp. Results can be found here.

A few books and podcasts are available for purchase. One noticeable attribute that differs between the PlayStore and the Itunes Apps is the availability or more free apps in the Playstore.

Advantage Healthcare Systems possessed the best Itunes app. Their Workers Comp medical terminology app was also offered in the PlayStore selections. A Texas Worker Comp attorney also provided a free information apps. There were hundreds of those in Google PlayStore.

Wikimedia – Google.

Overall, one has to ask why more Google Android Apps were developed than Apple ITune Store Apps? The development costs might have been a very large factor.

In fact,more Android Apps existed in the prior year searches. ITunes had about the same number as 2017. Once again, many Workers Comp providers have their own Apps available – for example if an employer has a TPA (Third Party Administrator) arrangement, the TPA’s software will usually allow limited smartphone access.

Then again, the number of even direct app providers may have shrunk as did the number of apps in the two big smartphone app stores.

Hopefully, 2019 will show better results. The circumference of the rabbit hole is shrinking, yet becoming deeper to crawl into for apps.

If you know of any Google Playstore or Apple ITunes stor apps that I have not mentioned, please comment below or send an email over with a link to that app.

Google Playstore, Apple ITunes, and Advantage Healthcare Systems are registered trademarks of their respective companies.

©J&L Risk Management Inc Copyright Notice

2018 Android Workers Comp Apps – My Search Had Surprising Results

January 5, 2018 By JL Risk Management Consultants

2018 Android Workers Comp Apps – Another Trip Into The Rabbit Hole

My 2018 Android Workers Comp Apps search was performed using a laptop, not a smartphone. The rabbit hole reference, of course, is from Alice in Wonderland(c).

Pubic Use License Granted

The laptop use made what could be a very difficult smartphone task much easier. The search I used can be found here. Many apps from claimant attorneys appeared in my various searches.

The rules used were the app had to :

Be free
Not be a veiled advertisement
Have at least 10 votes on the ratings – this prevents the app providers from rating themselves highly. – this is a new requirement
Have at least 3 stars or higher rating – this is a new requirement
Have some useful function – (that it actually worked)
Be closely related to Workers Comp
Appear in the Google Playstore – some websites provide apps that are not in the Playstore. A great marketing idea would be to put them in the Playstore as blatant advertising. Some recommended apps no longer appear in the Playstore.

The Playstore moniker kind of dilutes a business-type app search.

The apps that fit the rules were:

WC Policy Verification from NCCI – a former app recommendation winner
NovaMC (Nova Medical Centers) – greatly improved over the last few years

Some of the apps that were reviewed before this year were:

MyMatrixx Mobile
EMC Smart Mod
MyCare Corvel
Coventry Connect

Injured 2018 Android Workers Comp Apps frame

Wikimedia Commons – Memasa

I did not include the prior 4 apps as they did not have enough ratings.

A few new apps that looked interesting were:

Road Cash – A way for injured employees to tally and request travel reimbursement- reduce headaches for adjusters?
Zenjuries – updates everyone involved in WC claims process – goal is to no isolate injured employee – has templates to help inured employee understand the care of their injured body part

Let me have the envelope please, and the winner is…..(hint – it is in orange)

I will cover the winner next week.

The surprise is the lack of good apps – the year is 2018, can we have some apps please? This goes to my lack of technology concerns in the Workers Comp arena for the past 10 years.

The previous app articles are listed below:

Original app search-2014

Follow up article – 2014

All app articles on one page

Next week, I will also cover any Apple Istore apps

All companies mentioned reserve their rightful copy and screen rights. (c)(r)(s)

Google Play Store And My Annual Search for Work Comp Apps – Not Good

December 14, 2016 By JL Risk Management Consultants

Google Play Store Has No New WC Apps for 2016 – 2017

The Google Play Store (where Android Apps live) was my last hope for a humongous leap in my continuous search for technology in WC. One again, as expected, I was more than disappointed.

Semi-rant alert!!!

Wikimedia Commons – Google

I decided to have my 3rd cup of coffee (do not tell my doctor) for the day and to jump down the rabbit hole again into the wonderland better known as app land not Lapland – the home of reindeer.

My two searches for Workers Comp Android Apps and yes, even in the Apple ITunes Store left me wanting or repulsed – glass half full or half empty. The links actually have the search built in just in case you did not want to type anything in the search boxes.

Follow the two links if you dare. Read the headline on this one if you do not wish to follow the path of my trek to disappointment. Yes, there are no new Workers Comp apps in either of the largest repositories for apps on earth.

Surprisingly at the NWCDC Conference a few weeks ago, I did find two advances in WC technology. They were both medical device companies.

Wikipedia – Perhelion at de.wikipedia

BTW, a big shout out to IWalkFree. The lady was breaking down her display at the NWCDC and took my name and email address down on a post-it and actually got back with me within a week. Wow, now that is great marketing. I have now mentioned the company three times in this very popular WC blog and all she did was take my email address down and get back with me.

Speaking of marketing, when I mentioned my conundrum to some of the NWCDC vendors (the ones with the signs hanging from the ceiling) about apps, I was told that the apps can be found on their respective websites. For great marketing, see the above IWalkFree note. If you have an app and want to market your business why not put the app on the Google Play Store and ITunes as a way to market to millions of people a day? Excuse, me I was on the edge of a rant – warned you.

The two good apps from the previous searches were the NCCI Coverage Verification and Sedgwick James‘s app. Other than that, I am still waiting on a good Workers Comp app that is available to the public. Employers Mutual Casualty and CorVel had apps that performed fairly well in 2015.

If I missed an app on either one of the app stores, please point them out. If you are a marketer for a Workers Comp related company, please send me a link to your app. I would love to see it. You may possibly want to upload it to ITunes or the Google Play Store.