Return to W ork Program Good for You, Your Employees Your Bottom Line

1. Return to Work Program Good for You, Your Employees Your Bottom Line Mike Keenan CHST Grace / Mayer Insurance

2. What is a Return to Work Program • Formal Process to help injured employees return to work as quickly and as safely as possible. • May include • Modification of normal duties • Transitional duties • Reduced hours • Change in position

3. Benefits of a RTW for Employers • Helps to control direct and indirect costs • Reduces training costs for replacement employees • Maintain Production Schedule • Improves employee moral • Reduces negative impact on OSHA DART Rate • Reduces the opportunity for Work Comp Fraud • Med only Claims reduced by 70% on E Mod

4. Benefits of RTW for employees • Employees heals up quicker when engaged in daily operations • Employees feel valued • * Provide meaningful and productive duties • Keeps employees doing the same or similar duties. • Stay in the routine • Prevents interruption and reduction of paychecks and benefits

5. Med only Claims • NCCI Mod rating • Can be reduced by Experience Rating Adjustment • Nebraska is and ERA state • Iowa became ERA state Oct. 1 2011 • 70% Credit for each loss that is med only (No Lost Time)

6. Let’s Compare an $8,000 claim • ERA • $8,000 x 30% = $2,400 • Mod impact of 0.03 • $5,400 premium impact over 3 years • Med only status of this one claim saves 8 mod points and $12,600 in premium over 3 years • No ERA • $8,000 Loss • Mod impact of .11 • $18,000 premium impact over 3 years

7. Essential Elements of RTW • Formal written plan • Good communication • Consistently implemented

8. Formal Written Plan • Statement of management commitment to RTW • Policy communicated in writing to all employees • Policy communicated to treating physician /clinic • Written Job descriptions • Responsibilities • Employer • Employee • Medical Provider

9. Communication • Starts when policy is implemented • At the time of the accident or injury • Nebraska Form 50 • Contract with Occupational Medicine providers if possible • Post injury • Release form from doctor • Restrictions • RTW meeting • Employee, Supervisor, HR, Safety Director • Must agree to and stick to restrictions • Safety sensitive positions / medications • Supervisors and co-workers • Release to full duty

13. Consistently implemented • RTW applies to all employees • Documentation of each case • Caution to supervisors • Follow restrictions • Don’t allow injured employee to modify restrictions • Don’t pick and chose employees • Don’t discuss injury specifics with other employees

14. Benefits Return to Work Program • Employer • Controls Direct and indirect costs • Reduces impact on OSHA DART Rate • Reduces disruption in the labor force • Reduces Insurance Costs • Employee • Stays in the routine • Heal quicker • Less negative financial impact • Less disruption • Bottom Line • Positive affect on productivity • Reduces the negative financial affect of claims on insurance

15. Thank You • Mike Keenan CHST • Grace Mayer Insurance • (402) 829-1078 • mkeenan@gracemayer.com