Boca Raton, FL – NCCI recently interviewed professionals from multiple insurers that write workers’ compensation insurance to gain their perspectives on what makes a successful RTW program, and has released the first of two new reports highlighting RTW strategies.
Helping an injured employee recover and return to work (RTW) safely is a fundamental component of a healthy workers’ compensation (WC) system. A successful RTW program and post-injury outcome may include many facets, such as developing a strategic plan before an accident occurs and establishing connections between the injured employee and their workplace throughout the entire WC journey. These actions can benefit everyone—from the injured employee and their family to their employer and insurer.
WC insurance is designed to provide medical and indemnity benefits to workers with injuries arising out of and during their course of employment. Providing appropriate medical treatment to enable the injured worker to heal and return to work post-injury is a fundamental WC feature. Depending on the injury, some injured workers may heal quickly and be able to return to their original job without physical restrictions. But what if there are physical restrictions due to the injury?
One important tool that an employer can provide that may help address this situation is a transitional RTW program. A medical provider ultimately determines if and when an injured worker can return to work, perhaps with certain restrictions. In some cases, the injured worker cannot return to their prior job but can return to work and successfully perform another or a similar job referred to as a modified or light-duty position. The industry refers to this concept as a transitional RTW program.
A successful transitional RTW program looks for all parties involved in the WC process to benefit. The injured worker can return to their employer in a productive position, pending a full RTW at their prior position. This engagement may be very helpful to the mental well-being of the injured worker and reduce stress on their immediate family. The employer can benefit with the return of the injured employee, demonstrating its support for the employee as well as the employee’s coworkers. In addition, the insurer can benefit by helping reduce costs for the employer and to the WC system.
The new report shares their stories and summarizes various components, experiences, and examples of ingenuity that have helped enable successful RTW programs within their organizations.
Read the free report: Return-to-Work Post-Injury—Insurer Perspectives (PDF)
Source: NCCI