Examine your own MCO needs
After you read the report card, consider your own needs. No matter your business, your industry, even your financial standing as the economy continues to recover, your MCO needs are likely similar, if not identical, to those needs of thousands of other businesses across the state.
First, if an employee is injured while working, you want your MCO to help get him or her to return to work as soon as possible. If the employee misses less time, you miss fewer work hours – or work days, weeks or months.
"If somebody gets injured and the MCO is able to get that injured worker back to work quickly and safely, it’s going to help the employer control future premium increases," Poach says. "And by getting injured workers back to work quickly and safely, the MCOs can help employers control their lost productivity, as well."
Second, you want your MCO to help you save some chunk of money, either thanks to discounts now or those reduced premiums later. Because the BWC pays each MCO a certain percentage of the premium, the cost you pay is often fixed. But you always want some sort of savings.
"There are MCOs who have provider networks as part of the health partnership program, and many MCOs offer a discount below BWC schedule for fee services that are rendered within their provider network," Poach says. "So it’s important that employers understand whether or not their MCOs offer those discounts and to what extent or degree those discounts fall below the bureau fee schedule."
And third, you want to be satisfied.
"One of the things that some employers overlook in looking at their MCO is finding one that truly understands them as a company," Conger says. "We’re all kind of in this puzzle together."
