Work-related injuries cost hospitals in many ways —  temporary staffing, employee fatigue, lower productivity and increased costs. OHA’s programs offer hospitals options for cost-saving group ratings and participation in proven safety improvement initiatives.

Workers’ Compensation Benchmarking 

OHA’s Workers Compensation Benchmarking program is recognized by members as a primary source for educational events and peer-to-peer sharing of safety management best practices. With the focus on workplace safety, Ohio hospitals have posted average injury rates below the national average.

The program has helped numerous hospitals focus on worker safety by examining the costs and volumes of claims and comparing their data to other participating hospitals.

OHA partners with Sedgwick in developing and facilitating the benchmarking program. As the leading third-party administrator in Ohio, Sedgwick has dedicated health care consultants to provide best practices for preventing injury.

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Value for Members

• Five-year evaluation of workplace injury rates and costs
• Comprehensive report of benchmarking findings
• In-depth anonymous data comparison with other Ohio hospitals
• One-on-one web-based consultation
• ​Annual workshop on the latest injury prevention strategies

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One Flat Fee

All services are available to OHA member hospitals for a flat fee of $300 per facility for new members, and $250 per facility for renewing members.

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Group Rating & Consulting Services

OHA partners with Sedgwick to deliver significant cost savings and consulting services to members. Sedgwick integrates safety prevention and risk control with aggressive claims management to deliver a significant return on investment.

OHA and Sedgwick analyze a hospital’s detailed experience data to determine the best workers’ compensation premium-saving program for each organization.

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Program Options

Ohio employers each year have the option to participate in either the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Group Experience Rating Program or the BWC Group Retrospective Rating Program. The BWC assigns each employer updated rates every year, so a company that did not qualify previously may now be eligible as a result of an improved claims history.

Group ratings provide employers with an opportunity to significantly reduce their workers’ compensation premiums — while increasing safety awareness and risk management strategies.

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Traditional Group Experience Rating

A group experience rating allows employers to group together to achieve lower premium rates than they could individually — and with Sedgwick Managed Care Ohio, we have formed our group based on eligibility requirements. From a rate-making perspective, the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation looks at each participating hospital (and other members of the group) as if it were one large employer, and this allows group participants to receive a credit and pay a lower rate than their individual rate.

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Group Retrospective Rating

This is a performance-driven program where participating hospitals earn premium rebates (or assessments) based on the level of claims incurred during the policy year, as well as the effectiveness of their workplace safety and cost control efforts. A group retrospective rating provides the potential for rebates as high as 70% and can be a great alternative for companies unable to qualify for a traditional group experience rating.

Return on investment for participating hospitals is almost 1,200%. While a group retrospective rating provides the potential for premium savings, participating hospitals do share a pre-determined level of risk with other plan participants.

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Retrospective Rating

By assuming a portion of the risk of workers’ compensation claims losses, a retrospective-rated employer can receive a possible reduction in premiums in return. The greater the assumed risk, the greater the potential reduction in premiums. Hospitals can customize their retrospective rating plan to control the amount of risk assumed and the potential savings by selecting the maximum premium and claims costs they are willing to pay. Hospitals with a consistent claims history and proven safety practices benefit the most from retrospective rating.

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Deductible Program

A deductible program offers an up-front discount on premium rates, in exchange for accepting the financial obligation of a specified deductible amount of any new claim incurred. Established to create incentives for promoting workplace safety and proactive claims management, this program offers deductible options ranging from $500 to $200,000 per claim.

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100% Experience Modifier CAP

Under this program, hospitals with an increased experience modifier will have those increases capped at 100% — double the prior year’s modifier. This is designed to limit the potential increase caused by claims activity.

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Self Insurance

A cost-saving option for some employers is self insurance. Self-insured hospitals administer their own workers’ compensation claims and abide by BWC and Industrial Commission regulations to provide accurate and timely compensation payments and benefits to their injured employees. Since they pay benefits directly to their injured employees and service providers, self-insured hospitals don’t pay BWC workers’ compensation premiums. To be granted self-insurance, hospitals must meet several requirements — including workforce size, financial stability and other criteria.

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BWC Destination: Excellence Programs

Destination: Excellence is a bundle of Ohio BWC programs that can help hospitals improve workplace safety, enhance injured worker care and save money on workers’ compensation costs. Destination: Excellence’s options encourage hospitals to use our valuable complimentary safety services and implement strategies that can prevent accidents and help injured workers recover faster.

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No-Cost Savings Analysis 

OHA partner Sedgwick offers member hospitals a no-cost, no-obligation analysis comparing current hospital workers’ compensation expenses with savings options through the group program and other initiatives.

Request a Cost Analysis