Comp Quotes | winter 2021

Social Security number removed from 801 and 827 forms

The Workers' Compensation Division has removed the worker's Social Security number (SSN) field from Form 801, Report of job injury or illness; Form 3283, A guide for workers recently hurt on the job; and Form 827, Worker's and health care provider's report for workers' compensation claims. This was done to address the concern that workers might not file claims because they thought a SSN was required.

The SSN is not required for a worker to file a claim. However, SAIF is required to report a worker's SSN to Medicare and the Workers' Compensation Division; therefore, we will still need to obtain the worker's SSN.

The elimination of the SSN field from Form 801 will likely, in most cases, result in additional phone calls and letters from SAIF to our policyholders and workers to obtain the SSN.

We replaced our current Form 801 and Form 3283 on saif.com on January 1. The updated Form 801 is available at saif.com/forms for policyholders to print or download and policyholders will continue to have the option to file a claim online.

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Exclusion of COVID-19 claims from experience rating, merit rating, and claim rating programs

In August 2020, DCBS approved a National Council on Compensation Insurance filing that created an exception to exclude COVID-19 claims with an accident date on or after December 1, 2019, from experience rating and Assigned Risk Plan merit rating calculations. A new unit—the statistical catastrophe code (Code 12)—was created so insurance carriers can separately identify COVID-19 claims in their reported loss data.

The earliest rating effective date that could be impacted by this change is August 16, 2020, and there is currently no proposed end date for this exception. SAIF also filed to exclude COVID-19 claims from SAIF's claim rating program to mirror the changes to the experience rating and merit rating calculations.

These exclusions only apply to the calculation of the experience rating, claim rating, and merit rating. Future exposure to COVID-19 claims may be considered in underwriting decisions, and actual COVID-19 claims will be included in calculating premium adjustments for retrospectively rated policies. Please contact your SAIF agency marketing specialist or underwriter if you have any questions.

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President and CEO Kerry Barnett to retire

After six years at SAIF, CEO Kerry Barnett has announced he will retire on July 1, 2021.

"My time at SAIF has been the most enjoyable and satisfying of my entire career—including this past year, which saw unprecedented challenges," Kerry said. "It's been remarkable to see the company adapt to everything 2020 has thrown at us and emerge stronger than ever."

Kerry said he has long planned to retire around this time and wants to give the board of directors plenty of time to conduct a national search and carefully consider what they're looking for in the next CEO.

Along with Kerry's announcement, Chief Operating Officer Bill Barr also announced he will retire in April 2021. Kerry plans to fill the COO position before he retires to ensure continuity in SAIF's business operations.

"Between its experienced executive team, knowledgeable employees, and agency partners like you, I have no doubt that SAIF is well-positioned for the future," Kerry said. "The truth is that REAL leadership–the kind that solves problems, sets strategy, serves customers, and builds solid, sustainable organizations—is found at ALL levels of SAIF. Our true wealth is that we have tremendous leaders virtually everywhere you look."

Look for a message from Kerry in the next issue of Comp Quotes.

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New group: Citycounty Insurance Services and SAIF

We're excited to announce that SAIF is entering into a group/services agreement with Citycounty Insurance Services (CIS). The CIS board of directors met January 15 and adopted the agreement in principle. Although we have some details yet to be worked out, both parties are moving forward with enthusiasm.

Cities and counties face some of the most difficult workplace safety challenges. To create additional value and help protect the employees of the more than 250 cities and counties in Oregon, Citycounty Insurance Services (CIS) and SAIF are joining forces.

"Combining the extensive expertise of both entities, while allowing us each to focus on what we're best at, will be a win for all cities and counties throughout Oregon," said Kerry Barnett. "Together with CIS, we will create a sustainable workers' compensation program for all Oregon cities and counties who would like to participate, as well as provide stability for the market."

What does this look like?

Although we're still working out many details, the agreement would entail an overarching servicing group where CIS staff would provide safety/health and return-to-work (RTW) services. If approved, a new discount (OGSERP) group within the servicing group would be created for those cities and counties that meet the underwriting eligibility criteria.

Cities and counties currently insured with SAIF or coming to SAIF from CIS would opt into the servicing group. This would provide these entities with the best of both worlds, being insured by SAIF and receiving safety and RTW services from industry-specific experts at CIS.

Beginning July 1, 2021, the partnership will give eligible CIS members a potential workers' comp group discount that has to be validated by NCCI and approved by DCBS. The amount of the potential discount won't be determined until April 2021.

"We are excited about the new opportunities we will have to jointly promote safer workplaces with our partners at SAIF," said Patrick Priest, Executive Director of CIS. 

If you have questions, reach out to your agency marketing specialist (Kim Turner, Pat Morrill, Erika Meier, or Julie Tremblay).

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Payroll report and invoice terms

When SAIF launched our Guidewire policy and billing system, new terminology was also introduced for premium transactions relating to payroll reports and audits. To help you and our policyholders, we've updated the Payments and payroll reporting section on saif.com to define terms in the letters, payroll report forms, and invoices that go out to SAIF policyholders. Please refer to the "Installment and annual pre-pay plan policies" and "Premium reporting policies" tabs under Payroll reporting for additional details.

In addition, we've added the terminology for transactions policyholders see on their invoices (Final Audit-Voluntary, Premium Report, Final Audit-Reconciliation, and Final Audit - Physical) to the online glossary found on saif.com.

If you have additional questions, please contact the SAIF service center or billing department.

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Another successful year for the other states coverage (OSC) program

SAIF's other states coverage (OSC) program allows Oregon employers with operations in other states to obtain workers' compensation insurance through us. (Read about how to qualify for OSC.)

Since we're authorized only to write workers' comp insurance in Oregon, we partner with a fronting carrier and fronting agent to make this coverage available in any nonmonopolistic state. Our OSC program and partnership with Zurich is now in its 11th year of operation and provides an important service that many of our appointed agents find very useful.

The program had another successful year in 2020, despite all the obstacles of the pandemic. We added 217 new policies last year totaling more than $1.1 million in premium. California exposures continue to drive much of the OSC book, but we have policies in all 49 other states.

We took an in-depth look at all aspects of the program during 2020, and came to a consensus that we want to grow the program into 2021 and beyond. We continue the work of overseeing the claims aspect with our dedicated OSC Claims Coordinator, Tammy Ames. Even though Zurich manages the claims, Tammy is involved "behind the scenes" in many cases.

We'll also continue to perform safety service work. If you have a policyholder in another state who might need safety work done, please don't hesitate to ask us. And remember, our dedicated OSC workgroup remains ready to answer your questions, complete upcoming renewals, and assist you in writing new OSC business.

To submit business for our OSC program, submit a completed ACORD application and supporting documents. You can submit ACORD apps and documentation to the OSC workgroup at oscworkgroup@saif.com.

Thank you all for your continued support of OSC. If you have questions or want to discuss any aspect of the program further, feel free to reach out to Brian Fast at brifas@saif.com or 503.373.8374.

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Introducing: HR resources for your business

SAIF is partnering with Barran Liebman Attorneys  to help policyholders better understand a broad range of HR topics, from recruiting to performance conversations to policy development. 

The e-learning modules, short videos, and downloadable materials created by Barran Liebman attorney Chris Morgan train employers on common HR issues without having to attend an in-person training or pick up a phone. The resources are free and SAIF policyholders have easy access to supplemental materials. 

Resource topics are:

• Recruiting
• Applications
• Interviews
• Coaching and performance
• Rules and procedures
• Incident documentation
• Policy and handbook revisions
• Working remotely
• Social media in the workplace
• Violence-free workplace training
• Workplace harassment policies
• I-9 compliance 

We're also offering a webinar series on safely reopening and operating a business during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To see them, visit our new HR resources for your business. A handful are available now for viewing and the rest are scheduled to be rolled out in the coming months.

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News in brief

• In our last issue we introduced Agent University, created to get new agents quickly up to speed with workers' comp and with submitting business to SAIF. The link is now live. saif.com/agentuniversity

• Drivers who lease their trucks have new coverage requirements.

• Save the dates for the 2021 Workers' Comp Seminar virtual series
  Due to the pandemic, we'll be holding the Workers' Comp Seminar virtually over a three-week series in the spring. Please hold April 28, May 5, and May 12 (8:30 - 10:30 a.m. each day). Registration information will be emailed in March.