Eastern Alliance Insurance Group Review - Additional Resources

Where else can you go for help and information? As your workers’ compensation carrier, Eastern Alliance Insurance Group (EAIG) provides you with answers to some of the most common questions Injured Workers have about their claim, and a glossary of commonly-used insurance terms.

INJURED WORKER BROCHURE

Want a pocket-sized guide to ecovery? Request our Injured Worker brochure.

GLOSSARY (PDF) In case you haven’t noticed, workers’ compensation is filled with abbreviations and acronyms. We’re here to help you decode them.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

An often overlooked resource is your state’s workers’ compensation website, which can provide unbiased information regarding workers’ compensation. Click on the state’s name to be redirected to their workers’ compensation website:

• Alabama

• Arkansas

• Delaware

• Florida

• Georgia

• Illinois

• Indiana

• Iowa

• Kentucky

• Louisiana

• Maryland

• Michigan

• Minnesota

• Mississippi

• Missouri

• North Carolina

• New Jersey

• New York

• Ohio

• Pennsylvania

• South Carolina

• Tennessee

• Virginia

• Washington, D.C.

• Wisconsin

• West Virginia

Eastern Alliance Insurance Group Review - Already Have a Claim?

Many employers have questions about what happens after they report a claim. You may also wonder how an ecovery program fits into the claims process.

1.      The claim is reported to Eastern and assigned to a Claim Representative. Prompt reporting is very important to the process! Your claim should be reported immediately so that Eastern can begin managing it appropriately.

2.      The injured worker seeks medical attention and treatment begins; if you have a medical provider panel in place, you may need to have the employee sign an acknowledgement form prior to treatment (except in an emergency situation). Physicians should be informed that the injury is work-related and that you have a Return to Wellness (RTW) program. This way, the treatment plan can be tailored with the goal of restoring productivity and a return to the workplace. All medical bills should be submitted for Eastern’s review.

3.      Eastern initiates a 3-point claim investigation, contacting the injured worker, the employer and the medical provider. This investigation will result in an approval or denial of the claim. Regular contact among all three parties is encouraged and plays an integral role in a successful outcome.

4.      Eastern obtains wage information to determine the amount of weekly wage benefits the injured worker will receive.

5.      Reserves are developed based on disability and medical diagnosis, treatment plan and your ability to offer modified duty.

6.      Eastern investigates any viable subrogation possibilities.

7.      The medical provider addresses the injured worker’s ability to work by reviewing your pre-injury job description and proposed modified duty job description.

8.      You should then utilize the ecovery modified duty task lists and the restrictions provided by the treating physician to develop a modified duty job offer.

9.      The injured worker returns to the workplace, performing modified duty within the physician’s restrictions.

10.  The injured worker continues to recover, receiving the physical, financial and psychological benefits of returning to modified duty. Additional medical treatment continues, as appropriate, and the treating physician periodically re-evaluates the injured worker’s work capabilities.

11.  Your designated Risk Management Consultant reviews the accident information and will make recommendations to prevent future injuries.

12.  The injured worker is either eventually released to his/her pre-injury job without restrictions, or is given permanent restrictions. The outcome is influenced by a variety of factors, including jurisdiction, job availability, the individual details of the claim, and other considerations.

13.  Any additional benefits due are paid and the claim is brought to resolution.

ecovery’s Return to Wellness philosophy is linked to every step of a claim! Modified duty options should be consistently re-evaluated and monitored to achieve the best possible outcome for all parties.

Eastern Alliance Insurance Group Review - Employer Recognition Program

What is the purpose of the Program?

The intention of the program is to acknowledge an employer’s commitment to Return to Wellness and thank them for their dedication. Sometimes the focus is only on employers who do not offer modified duty. The ecovery Recognition Program keeps Return to Wellness in a positive light and provides us with an opportunity to say “thank you” to your clients who embrace the ecovery philosophy, as well as provide additional employee ecovery education.

How does the Program work?

Both agents and Eastern team members can nominate an employer who has demonstrated a commitment to the ecovery and Return to Wellness philosophy by completing the ecovery Employer Recognition Program nomination form on the www.eains.com website. The form is submitted for Eastern’s review, and each quarter, approved nominees will be recognized.

Who should be nominated?

Employers who have demonstrated a commitment to the ecovery and Return to Wellness philosophy through such actions as: implementing and utilizing an ecovery Program, creatively providing opportunities for modified duty, or taking steps to incorporate ecovery into their workplace culture.

What will the employers receive?

Employers will receive a letter of appreciation and a placard to publicly display their commitment to the ecovery philosophy. Recipients will be listed on the ecovery website and blog. They will also receive instructions on how their employees can enter a quarterly drawing for a grand prize.

How do employees enter the drawing?

There will be instructions included in the letter to the recognized employers. The employer should notify Eastern within the provided time frame if they are interested in having their employees participate in the drawing. Eastern will then send the employer cards to distribute to each employee. The cards contain a link the employee can use to enter the drawing upon viewing a brief introduction to ecovery and completing a quick survey.

How often are nominees acknowledged?

At the end of each quarter (March, June, September and December), the person submitting the nomination form will be advised as to the status of the nomination. Employers who have been selected for recognition will receive a phone call from Eastern and will be mailed their recognition materials. The grand prize drawing occurs once per quarter, after which the winner, his/her employer, and the employer’s agent are notified.

Online Security - Best practices to protect your small business from internet threats

No one is excused from cyberattacks. Even your small business could fall victim to one attack or another. With all the important sensitive data you have involving your clients and staffs; the repercussion of a breach can be serious and frightening. For this reason, it is necessary to take precaution, establish rules and measures to use against attacks over the internet.

Here are some of the most important steps every small business should be taking to protect themselves from cyberattacks.

• There are a number of ways files can be lost unexpectedly, this is why it is important to frequently backup data. Save it in a secured remote location in case anything goes badly wrong with your computer.

• Choose the best security software that can:

- catch viruses and Trojan horse programs

- control spam that may contain malicious code or links

- detect financial hacking techniques

Many security software are available on the market. Make sure to install it on every PC and server running and up-to-date.

• Protect your network with a firewall to control internet traffic coming into and flowing out. You need to use a firewall whenever you go online to provide protection from unsafe internet sources.

• Implementing a strong password is the easiest and simplest way you can do to strengthen your protection. You should definitely avoid using your personal data in creating a password and consider setting a password protection policy where you can make user passwords expire after a certain number of days.

• Computers and electronic devices must contain passwords and stored and lock in a safe place. They contain highly sensitive data, thus, securing them is a must. In addition, limit the people who have access to records and ensure that they understand the sensitivity of the data they work with and their role to make it safe and secure.

• Stored paper receipts with personal and financial information shouldn’t be kept for a long time in your cabinet if it is no longer needed. Buy a paper shredder and shred those papers instead.

• Do not underestimate the importance of physical security. Get a surveillance camera and an alarm system to protect your personnel, hardware, and data from physical actions and events that may cause severe loss or damage to your business.

• Establishing IT security policies is essential to a company’s health. It must contain rules and measures that target the prevention and elimination of the common kinds of internet attacks that may threaten the company. Make sure that your employees will understand and follow each guideline and you yourself should set a good example to everyone else in the business.

Eastern Alliance Insurance Group Review - Ecovery: Return to Wellness

Fresh Outlooks for Return to Work Programs

What is ecovery?

ecovery is Eastern’s innovative, holistic program to help return injured workers to wellness and productivity by using work as a therapeutic tool.

How does ecovery help me?

Whether you are an employer, injured worker, medical provider, or producer, ecovery provides you with the resources you need to:

• Promote faster recovery

• Reduce your insurance costs

• Increase productivity

• Improve retention

• Implement a Best Practice for employers

• Promote a culture of commitment to employees’ wellbeing

ecovery focuses on helping employers and injured workers return to wellness after a work-related injury. Unlike basic “Return-to-Work” programs, ecovery addresses the economical, physical, psychological and financial benefits of returning injured employees to productivity after an injury. Our holistic approach focuses on the big picture, not just dollars and cents.