National Underwriter has launched a national award program to recognize companies that do an outstanding job managing their workers compensation risksboth to lower costs and get people back on the job as quickly as possible. Risk managers and their workers' comp staff, as well as brokers and insurers, are welcome to submit nominations, with instructions below.

The NU Award For Excellence In Workers Compensation Risk Management is being run in cooperation with the Workers Compensation Educational Conference (for which NU puts together a national trends program) and the Florida Workers Compensation Institute (which runs the WCEC).

A representative from the risk management departments of three company finalists will win a trip to Orlando to attend the WCEC from Aug. 12-15, where the winner will receive a trophy, while the remaining two finalists are given a plaque for an Honorable Mention at a special ceremony on Aug. 13.

The workers comp risk management programs of all three company finalists will be individually profiled in the Aug. 13 edition of NU magazine.

In addition, the finalists will discuss their award-winning programs at a special NU Roundtable on Aug. 14 during the WCEC national trends program. Highlights of the discussion, moderated by yours truly, will be printed in a special section in our Oct. 8 edition.

All three finalists will receive national recognition for their award-winning programs and have a unique opportunity to raise their profiles within their respective companies and industriesas well as their professionwhile serving as role models for their peers.

We look forward to hearing from anyone within a companys risk management department who helps coordinate workers comp programs. Risk managersas well as any of their subordinates responsible for workers compare invited to submit applications.

In addition, agents and brokers as well as insurance carriers are welcome to nominate worthy candidates for the award. To nominate a candidate, e-mail sfriedman@nuco.com (subject line: WC RM Award Nomination) and describe in 1,000 words or less why the companys risk management program for workers comp is worthy of consideration. Include a contact name at the nominated firm. NU will get in touch with the company, tell them who nominated them, and ask if they are interested in filling out an application.

Completed entries are due by April 13. Entry and nomination details appear below.

The winner and two honorable mentions will be chosen in a two-stage process. NU senior editors screen the initial entries and pick the top-three candidates. All three will be winners in their own right, being flown to Orlando for the award ceremony and having their programs profiled in NU. The winner will be chosen by a Blue Ribbon Panel of judges from the industry.

Applicants for the award program will be asked to fill out a short company profile and submit an essay of 5,000 words or less on “How My Company Stands Out Managing Workers Comp Risks. (For further details on what to cover in the essay, see the entry form below. Click on the print option below to get a hard copy of all the instructions, and cut and paste the entry form into an e-mail.)

Entries must include some statistical benchmarks quantifying the impact of the risk management program on the companys workers comp experience. (Again, more details are in the entry form).

In addition, while not required, if you have any hard-copy materials to illustrate your workers comp risk management approach, you may mail copies to the judges for their review. Such material might include a safety manual, training video, supervisor instructions, or any other item that supports your submission.

Please keep in mind that all proprietary information will be kept confidential and is being collected for judging purposes only.

If you have any questions about the award program, e-mail me at sfriedman@nuco.com.

See the entry instructions below. Good luck!

NU AWARD ENTRY FORM
(Due By April 13, 2007)

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:
An entrant must be a risk manager or someone who works in a risk management department of a U.S. company, responsible at least in part for the firms workers compensation program.

An entrant must fill out all of the company profile information in the application.

Entries must submit an essay of 5,000 words or less on “How My Company Stands Out Managing Workers Compensation Risks. (Further details about the essay appear below.)

Entries must include a list of statistical benchmarks quantifying the impact of the risk management program on the companys workers comp experience (details below).

Entries must be received by National Underwriter via e-mail no later than April 13, 2007.

FOR THE ESSAY: (Attach as a Word file to your entry e-mail)
Among the points you should address in your essay of 5,000 words or less:

What makes your organization stand out in terms of workers' comp risk management? What makes your program unique?

What is your organizations top workers comp concern, and what are you doing to address it?

Detail your loss control and safety programs. What changes have been implemented to improve your loss experience?

How do you work with your insurer, broker, safety consultant or third-party claims administrator to limit the frequency of workers' comp claims, as well as control severity costs for those claims that are filed?

Talk about how your program handles case management in conjunction with nurses, Human Resources, a TPA, insurer or any other party partnering with you to get injured employees back to work.

How do you manage return-to-work programs? How often do you communicate with injured employees? What efforts do you make to expedite their return to the job, even with light-duty?

What do you do to make the injured worker feel wanted and needed back on the job? How do you make sure morale is maintained among those out with injuries, as well as those picking up the slack for missing, injured workers?

What steps do you take to manage medical care expenses? How about drug costs?

How do you handle claims management? What protocols are in place with your insurer or third-party administrator to make sure claims are adjusted fairly and within a reasonable time?

What steps do you take to protect the privacy and dignity of claimants? How does your program handle any grievances that arise with injured employees over their treatment by the company, insurer or third-party administrator while they are recovering from their injuries?

What kinds of fraud prevention efforts do you undertake?

How are you handling the emerging exposures of the new American workforce, whether in terms of dealing with older workers, or those who speak English as a second language (or perhaps not at all)? How do you deal with those with non-work-related health risks that could result in work-related claims, such as obesity, drug or alcohol abuse, workplace violence, injured soldiers returning from war, etc.?

Do you employ alternative risk-transfer mechanisms to better control your workers' comp exposures, such as captives, self-insured retentions and the like? If so, how do you manage such programs, and quantify the impact.

Is your organization active in lobbying for reforms of local workers' comp laws to get a better handle on costs?

How to you handle litigation management if lawsuits are filed?

What case studies or “war stories” might you share to illustrate your unique and effective approach to workers' comp risk management?

Demonstrate your reliability and consistencyhow you walk the walk rather than just talk the talk.

Discuss how you sell your workers comp risk management ideas to other departments and senior managers, and secure their support and continuing cooperation.

STATISTICAL DOCUMENTATION: (Attach as a Word file to your entry e-mail)
To help the judges get a better sense of the impact of your workers comp risk management approach, please note how you quantify the results of your program in an addendum to your essay. What benchmarks does your department use to measure your progress and success?

In other words, please share with us any in-house statistics that might help prove you worthy of national recognition.

For example, you may document the impact of your workers comp risk management program by quantifying improvements in:

Frequency rate of claims

Severity level of claims

WC Experience Modification Rate

Ratio of lost-time claims to medical-only claims

Percentage of litigated and/or disputed claims.

OSHA DART (Days Away, Restricted or Transitional Duty) Rates

WC loss costs per $1,000 of annual payroll.

Any other statistical benchmark which helps your department quantify where you stand in relation to your own past experience, as well as that of your industry peers.

Please note that all proprietary information will be kept confidential, and is being collected for judging purposes only–although finalists may be asked for permission to share some of the information for their NU profiles.

ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION: (Note on your entry e-mail whether any additional material is being shipped.)
While not required, if you have any hard copy materials to illustrate your workers comp risk management approach, you may mail three copies of each item to the judges for their review.

Such material may include a safety manual, training video, supervisor instructions, or any other item that might support your submission.

If you plan to send in hard copy to support your submission, you must still e-mail a copy of the completed entry form, as instructed, noting that supporting material is in the mail. However, include a printout of your completed entry form with your hard copy material.

Mail any hard copy supporting material to:
Sam Friedman
Editor In Chief
National Underwriter
33-41 Newark StreetSecond Floor
Hoboken, N.J. 07030
Attn: WC/RM Award Program

COMPANY PROFILE:
(Cut & Paste Into Your Entry E-mail)

Company's Name: _______________________________

Entrants Name: _________________________

Entrants Title: __________________________

Address: ___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________

Entrants Phone Number: _____________________

Entrants E-Mail Address: ______________________

Type Of Industry: (list more than one if applicable): ______________________________

Total Number of U.S. Employees: ___________________

Companywide Revenue: ____________________________

Number Of States In Which Company Has Employees Covered By WC: __________________

If operation is multistate, cite the five top states with the most company employees (with percentage of total employees in each): ___________________

Workers Comp Insurance Carrier: ________________________

Services (if any) Provided By Carriers Other Than Insurance Policy: ___________________________

Workers Comp Broker (by firm, not name of account representative) __________________________

Alternative Market Facilities (Captiveincluding domicile, Self-Insured Retention, etc.) ____________________

Third-Party Administrator: ____________________________

Safety & Loss Control Consultant: ________________________

STATISTICAL DOCUMENTATION (Attached as Word File on your entry e-mail): _______________________________________________________

NOTE BELOW WHETHER ANY HARD-COPY SUPPORTING MATERIAL IS BEING MAILED TO NU? ITEMIZE DOCUMENTS BEING SENT:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

ENTRIES MUST BE E-MAILED TO:
Sam Friedman
Editor In Chief
National Underwriter
sfriedman@nuco.com
(Subject Line: NU WC RM Award Entry. Ask for Mr. Friedman to confirm receipt. If no confirmation comes via e-mail, you may call him at 201-526-1237 to confirm.)

Entries are due by April 13, 2007. For any questions, contact NU Editor-In-Chief Sam Friedman at sfriedman@nuco.com or at 201-526-1237.

Good luck!

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