UI Integrity / Improper Payments Joint Federal/State Task Force

1. UI Integrity / Improper PaymentsJoint Federal/State Task Force State Presentation: NORTH DAKOTA October 18, 2011

2. Areas of National Focus: • Benefit Year Earnings (BYE): Root Causes Identified: • Agency Causes • Insufficient resources • Claimant Causes • Unreported/Under Reported Earnings • Misunderstanding as to how and when to report • Untimely responses to inquiries • Employer Causes • Wrong period reported • Incorrect reporting of employee information • Untimely responses to inquiries

3. Areas of National Focus: • Benefit Year Earnings (BYE): Planned action(s) to address: • Increase education to claimants and employers • Modify existing processes to increase clarity to external customers • Rewrite Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System • Improve methods to acquire information more timely • Converse with DOL regarding increased access to NDNH data warehouse • Apply for funding to receive and create effective tools (ie: trend reports) 3

4. Areas of National Focus: • Benefit Year Earnings (BYE): Principal milestones: • Implement Updated Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System • Create measuring and reporting tools • Analysis of data to determine patterns • Increased access to NDNH data warehouse The resulting milestones listed above will be integrated into continuous improvement plans, activities and presentations 4

5. Areas of National Focus: • Separations (SEPs): Root Causes Identified: • Agency Causes • Timely establishment of issues • Insufficient fact finding • Reversals / remands of initial determinations • Claimant Causes • Misrepresentation of facts • Incomplete/missing information • Untimely responses • Misunderstanding of direction • Employer Causes • Incomplete/missing information • Untimely or no responses 5

6. Areas of National Focus: • Separations: • Planned action(s) to address: • Enhance employer web application for notice of claim response(s) as IT and agency resources allow • Increase education methods to employers/claimants • Continued training of staff • Implement system edit checks for inconsistency in reporting • Implement SIDES 6

7. Areas of National Focus: • Separations: • Principal milestones: • Implementation of IVR updates • Implementation of SIDES • Implementation of internal & external reporting tools • Sufficiently informed external customers 7

8. Areas of National Focus: • Work Search Issues: Root Causes Identified: • Agency Causes • Work search indicator improperly set • Lack of valid work search verification (Resolved) • Claimant Causes • Misunderstanding of a valid work search • Improperly reporting work searches • Inadequate work search information 8

9. Areas of National Focus: • Work Search Issues : • Planned action(s) to address: • Implement timely work search verification process (Completed) • Increase communication to claimant on the definition of a valid work search 9

10. Areas of National Focus: • Work Search Issues : • Principal milestones: • Implementation of IVR updates • Decrease in work search issues 10

11. Everybody Owns Integrity • Strategies to Support Owning UI Integrity: • Encourage every staff member • Create integrity task force • Invite communication between departments and units • Encourage staff to provide feedback

12. Everybody Owns Integrity • Strategies to Support Owning UI Integrity: • Develop processes • Increase tracking systems • Increase analysis of data • Prioritize IT resources

13. Everybody Owns Integrity • Strategies to Support Owning UI Integrity: • Maintain management oversight • Provide progress reports • Enhance partnerships with Workforce Administration, local offices, and external agencies • Continuous Improvement philosophy and planning

14. Communications • Communications Strategies: • To claimants and employers • Increase electronic media communication methods • Improve existing communication methods • Provide frequent reminders • Clarify verbal and written direction self-help tools • Educate and remind employers of cost control benefits associated with accurate and timely reporting / responses

15. Communications • Communications Strategies, Continued: • To state UI staff • Provide periodic feedback meetings • Provide progress reports • Training of UI staff • Integrate integrity initiative with staff performance measures • To the public • Newsletters • Claimant Guide / Employer Guide updates and website updates • Self help tutorials • Public forums • Provide periodic updates to JSND Advisory Council

16. Oh, and…You Gotta See This! • Killer App: Separation Category • Description of Issue – Increase the quality and timeliness of communication between the agency and our employers while streamlining the process to reduce costs • Add the following functionality to JSND employer internet application • Employers can elect to receive electronic notification / reminders of items that need their attention • Separation information – fact finding letters • Cross match inquires • Work search verifications • Quarterly wage / payment reporting • Tax due notification • Delinquent report / credit / debit notifications • Employers not utilizing SIDES can respond online to fact finding letters • Provide online “to do” calendar of task due dates • Provide hyperlinks to documents or reporting tools requiring action

17. Killer App • Description of Solution: • Enhance our current employer internet application to incorporate items listed on the previous slide. • Anticipated Results: • Electronic notification / reminders are expected to reduce the rate of appeal reversals by increasing the quality of responses as well as the rate of response • Reminders can be sent to an e-mail address or as text to a cell phone. • A reduction in employer and agency cost through reduced postage, consumables, and staff time • Bonus - Additional costs reductions for employer and JSND as any correspondence can be sent electronically.

18. Killer App • Anticipated Results Cont’d • Online responses will improve the timeliness and quality of information received • Questions can be marked as mandatory, with edits requiring completion • Responses would be sent real time to the issue management system used by adjudication staff • Visual “to do” list provides a monthly view by day listing all tasks (with links) that an employer needs to complete • The “to do” view is expected to increase employer understanding of requirements as well as provide for better response rates and timeliness

19. Killer App • Anticipated Results Cont’d • Allowing employers to respond to cross match and work search verification inquiries online is expected to: • Result in a higher response rate • Better quality response • More timely response • Future ability to integrate the response with ourbenefits system • Automatically set issues and send appropriate fact finding inquiries

20. Oh, and…You Gotta See This! • Killer App: • Cost / Benefit explanation: • Many of these enhancements would result in an increase in the timeliness of issue detection with enhanced quality responses • Real time online response capability coupled with electronic notification is expected to result in: • Increased response rates • More timely issue detection • Improved quality responses • Less manual intervention by staff • Online responses do not require staff intervention • Response is sent directly to the issue management system and EDMS system • Result is a decrease in administrative time / costs due to the streamlining • All of these enhancements work together to improve the integrity of the UI program, both by minimizing overpayments and by lowering administration costs

21. Summary and Q&A “Integrity: Own It!” • Questions? • State Contact for follow-up: Patrick Brown: pjbrown@nd.gov Phone: 701/328-1680