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Better Communication = Reduced Claims Costs

A new study by Watson Wyatt proves what we intuitively know: organizations that communicate effectively with employees outperform those that don’t. Companies with the most effective communication programs returned 57% more to shareholders than companies with the least effective communications.

This principle is easily applied to the issues in managing Workers’ Compensation cases. When an injury occurs in the workplace and there is uncertainty how to handle it, delays occur and the management of the injury is often left to the medical provider and insurance company, while the employer focuses on the issues of getting the work done.

In turn, the medical provider may not offer a comprehensive work related exam, have little understanding of your business and consider Workers’ Comp cases low priority, poorly paid work. Little communication occurs between the medical provider and the employer and there are no treatment guidelines in the care of the injured worker. Paperwork delays, inadequate information sharing and phone tag result in lost time and increased costs and a poorly served employee.

The result: A medically unnecessary disability and increased workers compensation costs.