In the last newsletter you were introduced to the Activity Prescription Form, its purpose, the key information it conveys, and how the APF is the vehicle by which the doctor coveys the injured worker can or cannot return to their regular job, if wage replacement will be due to the injured worker and what the curative treatment is likely to be.
The APF is the document by which the employer needs to act upon and develop an individualized plan to help the injured worker recover medically and return to work. With that in mind and the coming 04/02/21 Retro & 06/01/21 Experience Modification Rate (future premium) snapshot deadlines fast approaching, it is critical that we behave strategically with every open workers’ compensation claim your organization has. Please take time to ensure your internal claims staff continues to hold injured workers accountable for delivering updated Activity Prescription Forms to them following each doctor visit. Please also make sure that the line of communication between your claim staff representative and each injured worker remains open,
scheduled and healthy itself.
Please empower your claims staff to work with your Risk Finance/CRM representatives to implement mitigating strategies (Kept-On-Salary, even if retroactive, and making light duty job offers, either temporary or permanent) to bring claims to closure. Ensure your internal claims staff reaches out for help as well as assurance that your current claim mitigation strategy is everything that can be done given the ever-changing dynamics of each claim scenario. Make sure every action is being taken to aid recovery, reduce costs and expedite claim closure.
Risk Finance/CRM is here to share our ideas and help you solve problems with any and every step of the workers’ compensation process. We are proud and grateful for the opportunity, so please reach out. AND, mark your calendars for 04/2/21 & 06/1/21 just like you might for the Superbowl, Olympics and/or tax return deadline.
LeadingAge WA / Group Retro tools
