Every employer that has Ohio state-funded workers’ compensation coverage has a Managed Care Organization (MCO) assigned to its policy. However, the medical focus of an MCO’s core function can make it difficult to truly grasp its role in the workers’ compensation system, and evaluate its effectiveness for the employers it serves. We are about to see a flurry of activity in the workers’ compensation service industry related to Ohio employers’ MCO selection, so it makes sense to take a step back to gather some insight into MCOs and how they operate, says Lance Watkins, vice president of client services at CompManagement Health Systems.
What is an MCO and what does it do?
MCOs originated in the Ohio workers’ compensation system in 1997 as a result of the Health Partnership Program (HPP). MCOs are responsible for helping injured employees return to work in a timely and safe manner. They coordinate key details relating to the First Report of Injury (FROI), manage and authorize medical treatment and pay medical bills, as well as organize return to work with the injured worker, employer and the treating medical providers. MCOs are paid directly by the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) from a portion of the premiums paid by Ohio employers. They are paid based on the activity (FROIs, bills, active employers and active claims) and receive an incentive based on return-to-work metrics. No money exchanges hands between an MCO and its client companies, and no contract exists between the two.
What is open enrollment?
Open enrollment occurs biannually, falling on the even years, and provides employers with the opportunity to change MCOs if they choose to do so. Employers have the opportunity to either select an MCO or have one randomly assigned by the BWC. To stay with their current MCO, an employer does not need to do anything. Open enrollment is generally four weeks in length and typically occurs during the month of May. The 2012 open enrollment period is scheduled for April 30 through May 25.
What differentiates one MCO from another?
There are larger MCOs managing premiums upwards of a few hundred million dollars and smaller MCOs managing premiums in the tens of millions of dollars. There are provider-based MCOs and also those with partner companies that are large third party administrators working with several trade associations. All MCOs have the same responsibilities and the BWC produces a report card every year that focuses on three key factors:
* Degree of Disability Management (DoDM) — an efficiency metric of return-to-work;
* FROI Turnaround — measures the efficiency of an MCO in processing an initial injury; and
* FROI Timing — measures the overall processing of a FROI from the date of injury to the date the FROI is reported to BWC.
DoDM takes into consideration an injured worker’s current diagnoses, as well as the type of job duties that the injured worker performs. For example, an employee with a back injury who works in an office setting should have an earlier return-to-work expectation than an employee with a similar injury who is a construction worker. For comparison purposes, a higher DoDM score demonstrates a quicker relative return-to-work achieved by the MCO.
What factors should an employer take into consideration when selecting an MCO?
An employer might want to determine if the MCO it is considering has experience working with other employers in the field in which it operates. For example, a school district might want to look at an MCO that has many school districts among its clients. Industry experience can come into play when managing return-to-work expectations.
Performance should also be a key factor in selecting an MCO. DoDM is important, as the only published return-to-work measurement the BWC uses to analyze an MCO’s performance. Another key factor is whether an MCO can meet the employer’s individual needs. Is the MCO flexible enough to meet that employer’s expectations? Is it big enough to handle larger employers? Can it provide the personalized attention that the client may be requesting? Are the MCO’s reporting capabilities sophisticated enough to help an employer recognize trends that provide opportunities to improve its overall workers’ compensation experience?
What else should an employer ask when selecting an MCO?
BWC manages MCOs very closely and can penalize MCOs that fail to meet performance standards. One question that can be asked of an employer’s current or prospective MCO is whether they have been placed ‘at capacity’ during the past year or two. Capacity is a form of penalty that BWC will apply to an MCO for failing to meet specific contractual metrics. This penalty entails not being able to take on new clients during the period of time that the MCO remains at capacity. Financial penalties can also be applied against an MCO for missing certain performance metrics. Employers should request information on whether the MCO has had any financial penalties over the past few years.
Many MCOs like to take information from BWC and tweak it in a fashion that might tell a more flattering story. Some may call these MCO marketing myths. A common myth used by some MCOs involves the manipulation of return-to-work statistics to focus only on specific claim types, suggesting inflated success rates. Employers should be aware of these creative statistics and make certain that they fully assess an MCO’s capabilities before making the decision to stay with their current MCO or to select a new MCO.
Also, many trade associations partner with or endorse an MCO that they believe provides the best services for their members. Before making a selection, employers may want to reach out to their trade association and ask which MCO they would recommend.
Lance Watkins is vice president of client services at CompManagement Health Systems. He has 19 years of experience in the workers’ compensation industry. Reach him at (614) 526-2524 or [email protected].
Insights Workers’ Compensation is brought to you by CompManagement Health Systems
