2014 NWCDC

Prepare for Access Issues Now

The ACA has not yet impacted WC claims, but experts expect provider shortages to become a problem.
By: | November 21, 2014

How will the Affordable Care Act impact workers’ comp? Opinions vary, and so does the research, said Bill Wilt, president of Assured Research, at a session entitled “Healthcare Reform: Strategies You Can Apply Now,” presented at the 2014 National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Management Conference & Expo in Las Vegas.

Wilt presented the session jointly with Denise Algire, director, managed care and disability corporate risk for Safeway Inc.

According to the 2014 Workers Compensation Benchmarking Study published by Rising Medical Solutions, 73 percent of respondents said that the ACA had not yet impacted claims.

However, most believe that an impact will eventually be felt. There is significant disagreement over whether that impact will be positive or negative.

A recent RAND Corp. report suggested that higher rates of insurance take-up would result in less fraud by injured employees without health insurance and less embellishment of real claims. In addition, the report suggested that the ACA focus on creating a generally healthier population overall would positively impact workers’ comp costs across the country.

But, Wilt said, he wasn’t sold on RAND’s results. An Assured Research study of the effect of insurance enrollment on workers’ comp loss ratios showed results all over the board, with evidence of the positive correlation RAND suggested in some states, but with flat results in other states.

Curiously, there was evidence of the opposite effect in many states, with higher insurance take-up correlating to higher loss ratios.

The bottom line, though, said Algire, is that whether you think the ACA is a positive or negative thing, it has changed health care, which unarguably will affect workers’ comp. Employers need to be prepared for the fallout.

Where that will be most keenly felt, she said, will be provider shortages. “Prepare for access issues,” said Algire.

Employers’ should be prepared to cultivate partnerships with outcome-focused providers, she said. And to put an emphasis on front-loading care. That means putting the lion’s share of energy and resources into resolving claims at the primary care level, working to resolve them before they require heavy specialist care, which is where provider shortages will most dramatically impact outcomes.

Michelle Kerr is Workers’ Compensation Editor and National Conference Chair for Risk & Insurance. She can be reached at [email protected].

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