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Recent Articles
- Need for Integrated Proactive Approach to Managing DisabilityPosted on January 22, 2012
- Michael J. Fox an InspirationPosted on November 9, 2011
- Soft Skills of a Good Claim ManagerPosted on October 21, 2011
- Ask a Claims Expert – Rehabilitation ProgramsPosted on October 20, 2011
- Managing Psychiatric DisabilitiesPosted on October 18, 2011
22Jan2012
Need for Integrated Proactive Approach to Managing Disability
"EARLY INTERVENTION" For decades insurance companies have promoted how they incorporate an "Early Intervention" approach to managing disability claims, yet there has been no tried and true approach or process that I am aware of which has been been continuously and effectively incorporated on every claim. I'm not saying that there haven't been advances made in proactively managing claims. Moreover, from a claims perspective we have advanced in our knowledge of introducing and utilizing skilled resources such as Medical consultants and specialized rehabilitation consultants to assist us with our understanding of the disability and developing appropriate return to work plans wherever possible. Forty years ago the majority of disability claims received were primarily comprised of
Read MoreLeave a Comment09Nov2011
Michael J. Fox an Inspiration
Just listened to Michael J. Fox this morning at the OHA Health Achieve Conference in Toronto. His words were inspirational and very informative. With a family member recently being diagnosed with Parkinsons' Disease, his presentation was well documented by the press as noted: THE CANADIAN PRESS TORONTO - Although Michael J. Fox turned 50 this year, the boyish actor who charmed audiences in "Family Ties" and "Back to the Future" says his battle to find a cure for Parkinson's disease keeps him young and too busy to feel ill. The Emmy Award-winning star told roughly 2,000 people gathered at a North American health conference Tuesday that his condition appears to have plateaued and that once-severe episodes of Dyskinesia — a movement disorder that causes him involuntary tremors
Read MoreLeave a Comment21Oct2011
Soft Skills of a Good Claim Manager
SOFT SKILLS ARE WHAT MAKES A FIRST-RATE DISABILITY CASE MANAGER. “I am very happy with the way my claim has been handled!” As an outside consultant who gets it straight from the claimant’s mouth, I often hear many comments like this about the people who are making the decisions on their claims. One interesting aspect of my job as a Field Representative is that I deal with many different adjudicators from various companies. Not only do I get some perspective on the adjudicators’ habits and abilities myself, I also quite frequently get unsolicited comments and feedback from the claimants. These comments are mostly positive ones. Negative comments (which I really don’t want to dwell upon) are usually as a result of poor contact and communication with the claimant. I
Read MoreLeave a Comment20Oct2011
Ask a Claims Expert – Rehabilitation Programs
Q) As a recent newcomer to the adjudication world, I would appreciate if you could share any advice you may have with respect to when you should request and/or initiate a Rehabilitation program. Answer from ELAINE HOBBS, CCRC, President of Hobbsability: Qualified vocational rehabilitation counsellors use established protocols and procedures to help their clients return-to-work. We always start with attempting to return clients to work with their pre-disability employers. If this is not an option, the counsellor then looks at helping clients return-to-work with new employers: working closely with the clients to help them see the skills and interests they have to offer new employers, combined with adjustment and vocational counselling. Most insurance clients are able to
Read MoreLeave a Comment18Oct2011
Do’s and Dont’s of Disability Case Management
Effective and proactive claims management is a critical aspect of an insurer's overall success. Here are some common mistakes to avoid and tips to stay ahead of the game. 1. Know you file! This might seem obvious to the reader but knowing your file’s information inside out is the key to proactive case management. In my years as a disability claims reviewer, I’ve come across numerous files where it was apparent the adjudicator either did not have the “big picture” or overlooked important medical and non-medical information that would lead to what became missed investigations. One tip, especially for complex claims or files with lots of information is to draw a “timeline” and chronologically document the milestone events of the claim such as: Date of first symptoms, last day
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