Not Just Claims, But People

Open communication among all parties involved in Workers' Comp claims has been growing in cost-control importance over the last few years, says Maureen McCarthy, senior vice president and manager of Workers' Comp and managed care at Liberty Mutual.

The carrier directs its claims specialists to treat the affected employee as a human being as opposed to a claim, she adds, and to appreciate each person's unique condition and communicate that information through its agents and brokers to the employers and treating physicians.

“The way that case managers have to look at each Workers' Comp claim has changed dramatically,” McCarthy says. Now more than ever, case managers are making a concerted effort to communicate a worker's status among all the stakeholders as each case progresses.

In doing so, she notes, claims workers are developing a better understanding of high-risk medical conditions and treatments.