Winter 2005-2006       

 

 

NEWSLETTER

 

Loss Prevention Services

A Wide Range of Programs to Promote Health and Prevent Injury

State Fund believes that effective loss prevention programs can reduce employee injuries, lower the cost of doing business, and maintain productivity. We offer a variety of services to help you provide safe working conditions. Below are some of the custom loss prevention services* that State Fund provides at no extra charge.

Assistance from Safety Professionals

·              Management consultations provided by Certified Safety Professionals (CSP) and Safety Consultants to assist you in analyzing the hazards and needs of your company to help you develop, implement, and promote an effective safety program.

·              Supervisory/Management training covering a wide variety of safety topics to enable employers to create safe work environments for their employees.

·              OSHA Counseling assists in compliance with safety standards that apply to your business. This includes record keeping instruction and advisory inspections with written recommendations.

·              Assistance with the creation of an Injury & Illness Prevention Program (IIPP).

·              Employee training through an ongoing program of safety meetings, covering safety attitudes and employee responsibility, personal protection, machine guarding, housekeeping, and the State Fund Back Program.

Industrial Hygiene Services

·              Our professional Industrial Hygiene staff offers services that may include consultation, research and field surveys for toxic substances and potential environmental hazards, and written reports of findings with suggested control measures.

·              Laboratory services include analyses of air samples or bulk materials provided through contracted commercial labs or State Fund’s own American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) accredited laboratory.

·              Respirator fit testing, noise-level measurements, and ventilation assessments help prevent future claims.

Ergonomics Services

Ergonomics Services are provided by our Certified Industrial Ergonomists (CIE) through offices in Northern and Southern California. CIEs address costly repetitive motion injuries and strains/sprains in both industrial and office settings. An office ergonomics program assists in the prevention of computer-related injuries. Written reports of findings with possible control measures are provided.

·              Other Safety Service State Fund safety seminars provide valuable information on safety and health issues.

·              Quarterly Safety newsletters keep you abreast of industry-related information, new legislation, safety requirements, and effective safety precautions.

·              Our Safety Materials Catalog provides a list of safety-promoting items available to policyholders. The catalog includes a description of posters, pamphlets,  brochures, and safety checklists.

·              State Fund pioneered a Back Program to limit back injuries and reduce the costs associated with back injuries through analysis of specific work activities, employee commitment and training, motivation and evaluation, and claims investigation.

·              State Fund’s Audiovisual Library offers free rentals of safety videos.

·              Custom Media Services and Video Editing features on-location videotaping for safety training and surveys, as well as custom productions developed by State Fund's own video production department.

·              Some services are subject to qualifying criteria. Contact your District Office for more information.

State Fund Implements New Reform Measure

January 24, 2005

SAN FRANCISCO -- PRNewswire via COMTEX -- State Compensation Insurance Fund today announced the establishment of an enhanced Medical Provider Network (MPN) that will assure the provision of rapid access to medical treatment for injured workers. The network expands on State Fund's existing medical network which has reduced medical treatment costs for employers and provided medical care to workers. The expanded network combines the resources and skills of Kaiser Permanente, State Fund's Preferred Provider Network (PPN) and now includes selected member physicians from Blue Cross of California's PPO.

This new network is the latest initiative by State Fund to implement landmark reform legislation enacted by the State Legislature and signed into law last year by Governor Schwarzenegger. The reform legislation permitted, but did not require, insurers to create networks composed of doctors specializing in work-related injuries and doctors with expertise in general areas of medicine.

Approximately 10,300 health care providers at 10,000 facilities are part of State Fund's MPN.

State Fund Vice President Connie Raiche said, "Our Medical Provider Network enhances our ability to provide injured workers with skilled health care providers, as well as primary and specialized care facilities. It also has the potential to reduce costs and bring further rate relief to California employers."

New workers' compensation insurance reform requires that employers and workers' compensation insurers provide information regarding their medical provider networks to all covered employees. State Fund has developed a brochure entitled "Employee's Guide To The State Fund Medical Provider Network" to meet this requirement. State Fund will distribute this brochure to policyholders. For a list of MPN Providers, please visit MEDfinder

ABOUT STATE FUND: Created by the California Legislature in 1914, State Fund is a nonprofit, self-supporting, fairly competitive public enterprise that guarantees a permanent workers' compensation insurance marketplace at cost for California employers. State Fund has acted as both a moderating and stabilizing influence on the workers' compensation market.

State Fund Files an Average 16 Percent Rate Decrease

November 28, 2005

SAN FRANCISCO -- State Compensation Insurance Fund has filed an average rate decrease of 16 percent on new and renewal workers’ compensation policies with an effective date on or after January 1, 2006. This marks the fifth consecutive rate decrease filed by State Fund and represents a cumulative 38 percent rate decrease since January 1, 2004.

Policyholders covered from January 1st through June 30th, 2005 will experience the combined benefit of the 14 percent rate decrease filed effective July 1, 2005 and the January 1, 2006 rate filing, resulting in an average 27.8 percent rate decrease from their expiring policies.

In addition to these rate decreases, the filing also includes an additional 10 percent workplace safety credit that rewards small employers (premium between $1,000 and $75,000 annually) with superior safety records. This credit recognizes the important contributions these smaller safety conscious employers, who are not eligible for State Fund’s merit rating plan, make to the quality of life of their employees and to keeping the cost of insurance down.

James C. Tudor, acting State Fund President, said, “State Fund’s fifth consecutive rate decrease underscores the significant positive effect of reform legislation passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Schwarzenegger. Clearly, the reform measures have halted the escalation of workers’ compensation insurance costs in California.”

“State Fund remains committed to passing on the savings realized from the Governor’s reform legislation to our policyholders,” said Jeanne Cain, Chair of State Fund’s Board of Directors. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: Established by the California Legislature in 1914, State Compensation Insurance Fund guarantees the availability of workers' compensation coverage at cost to all California employers and competes fairly with private carriers. State Fund is a wholly self-supporting non-profit enterprise that serves as a moderating and stabilizing influence on California's workers' compensation insurance system.

 

Required Employer Responsibilities

California law requires that:

“Every employer…shall post and keep posted in a conspicuous location frequented by employees and where (it) may be easily read by employees during the hours of the workday, a notice which shall state the name of (the) current compensation insurance carrier…”

The notice must also contain information regarding employee rights and responsibilities and must”…be posted in both English and Spanish where there are Spanish-speaking employees.”

Additionally, the law requires employers to provide a form on which employees may indicate the name of their personal physician or personal chiropractor.  The form must be provided to new hires either at the time the employee is hired or by the end of the first pay period.

If you would like free copies, in English or Spanish, of the required posting notice, the brochure explaining an employee’s workers’ compensation rights or the physician predesignation form, call State Fund’s toll-free customer service number at 1-877-405-4545.

 

Reporting Work-Related Injuries

State Fund’s Claims Reporting Center (1-888-222-3211) is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for policyholders to report injuries as soon as they occur.  Agents will do the necessary paperwork to get the claim started and refer the injured to the designated physician or provider.

Within 8 hours of any serious illness or injury (requiring hospitalization over 24 hours, other than for medical observation or where there is permanent employee disfiguration) or death occurring in the workplace or in connection with employment, employers must report the incident to the Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

* Some or all articles were reprinted by permission from State Compensation Insurance Fund.