Month: June 2018

Many employers use independent contractors to reduce the cost of their workers’ compensation insurance. However, simply calling a worker an independent contractor does not make them so and mistakes identifying them as such can be expensive. If your client hires a contractor without an effective Independent Contractor Exemption Certificate (ICEC), their wages will be added to their policy at audit and premium charged in full.  Also, all losses resulting from the injury of these workers will count towards adverse experience on their work comp policy and increase their work comp policy at renewal. The unexpected expense can be tragic. You can help your policyholder avoid unplanned liability by advising them to carefully handle how they hire and supervise independent contractors. To qualify as an independent contractor in Montana, a worker must be:

• Free from control or direction.
• Engaged in their own independently established business, occupation, trade or profession.
• Hold an effective ICEC.

The Montana Supreme Court has stated the following four factors are indicators of control in a working relationship:

1. Evidence of control, including the right to control their daily activities.
2. Furnishing of the worker tools and equipment for the work.
3. Paying for the work in ways that show an employer/employee relationship.
4. Have the right to fire at will (without contractual liability).

Independent Contractor Exemptions Owners of a business that consider themselves independent contractors MUST either have workers’ compensation coverage on themselves or obtain an Independent Contractor Exemption Certificate. When approved, the ICEC exempts an individual from both workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance. A sole proprietor, working member of a partnership, member managed limited liability company or manager managed limited liability company (construction industry) may apply for the exemption. For more information about Independent Contractors and the ICEC go to the Montana Department of Labor website here.

Customer Service has always been important at Montana State Fund. It’s one of our core competencies and has been part of our mission statement for years. Just as we’re refreshing our brand, we’re also refreshing our strategy on customer service.  Our focus now is the Customer Experience, or CX as it’s commonly known. The distinction between Customer Service and CX lies in looking beyond individual transactions, and instead concentrate on the customer’s entire journey with us. Exceptional service means providing superior guidance and assistance each time we interact with the customer, whether verbally, in writing, though advertising, or on our website. An exceptional Customer Experience is all of those touchpoints put together from the customer’s very first encounter with us to their very last – their end to end journey. Montana State Fund introduced the concept of CX last fall with a week-long celebration. The theme of our celebration was The Customer Experience – Together We Complete the Puzzle. The goal of the week was to help MSF staff recognize the role we all have in the CX puzzle.  The celebration focused on education of the foundations of service, with a different theme each day, including quizzes and prizes.  We also had interesting and motivational signage throughout the building, as well as fun games and rewards, all in keeping with the theme.  It was a great week with long lasting take away moments.  However, our focus on CX didn’t end there. Current efforts to increase CX include:

• Focus on ease of doing business
• Emphasize our competitive place in the market
• The Policy Billing and Replacement Initiative (PBRI)
• MSF brand refresh
• Changing the vernacular during every day interactions with staff and strategic partners to highlight and embrace the term Customer Experience and what it means

Additional ideas MSF is researching include:

• CX onboarding for new employees
• Classroom and online CX training
• Leadership CX training
• Making the week-long celebration an annual event

At Montana State Fund we understand all of us impact our customers’ experience. We also understand our customers are all around us: from our co-workers, to our policyholders and injured employees, to our strategic partners in agency offices all over the state. We look forward to the opportunity to work with you to strengthen your, and your client’s, Customer Experience!

For the last eighteen months, we have been collecting your ideas on how to find a better way to work together. We have used those suggestions to guide our efforts to improve the ease of doing business with Montana State Fund. This is a summary of MSF’s newest procedures resulting from that work. Secretary of State Registration

• Quotes can now be created without verification of registration with Secretary of State.
• Policies without registration can be bound as either a sole proprietorship or partnership.
• Unfortunately, all other policies must be registered for enrollment. If the policyholder is not a viable approved business, it is difficult to collect unpaid premium after default.

WOS – Waiver of Subrogation

• Our questionnaire is no longer required nor are there additional questions.  We have simplified the process to require only minimal information.  The only information required is entity name, mailing address and the effective date of the waiver.

CCA – Construction Credit Application

• We no longer require an owner’s signature. Any authorized signature will now be accepted.
• Our CSSs will now call for clarification on applications where information is needed.
• We have created a dispute resolution process if the dispute is received within 60 days of determination.

Prior Policy

• Quotes can now be issued with prior unreconciled policies; enrollment will still require reconciliation.

Reinstatements

• We now allow 2 reinstatements (versus one) within policy year.
• We will automatically reinstate a policy if overdue premium or payroll reports are received within 5 days of cancellation. Under these circumstances, we will reinstate an unlimited number of times (and they don’t count towards your 2 reinstatement limit above.)

Rate Tier Exception (effective 7/1/18)

• Rate Tier Exceptions are now possible for policies as low as $5,000.
• In order to qualify for this consideration, the account must have 3 years of continuous overage.
• It must be experience rated.
• The account premium must be at least $5,000 as calculated by MSF3 rate tier.
• If the account qualifies, MSF will manually calculate the rate tier. The exception can only lower the rate tier. Information submitted for consideration that increases the rate tier will be ignored.

Montana State Fund is pleased to host our annual CSR – CSS Conference. This two-day event is a wonderful opportunity for our Customer Service Specialists and our agency Customer Service Representatives to learn and share from one another.  Day 1 – Monday, October 1, 2018   9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Workers’ Comp 101 (Location – Montana State Fund)   11:30 a.m. Welcome Lunch (Location – Great Northern Hotel)   12:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Continuing Education (Location – Great Northern Hotel) * Common Class Code Misconceptions * Policy and Renewal Essentials * MSF’s New Policy and Billing System Preview * MSF’s Rebrand and the Customer Experience   6:00 p.m. Dinner at the Great Northern Hotel   Day 2 – Tuesday, October 2, 2018   7:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast (Location – Great Northern Hotel)   8:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Continuing Education (Location – Great Northern Hotel)  * Ethics * Workers’ Comp Claims * Cyber Security * Safety in the Workplace We look forward to another productive conference.  If you have questions, please contact Heather Domme (406) 495-5455

It was the culmination of nearly a year, but on April 30, MSF employees kicked off our brand refresh celebration. With the kick off came a refreshed mission, vision, guiding values and logo. These new elements were created by our employees, for our employees and customers. The new brand refresh is the promise that we make and the reflection of everything we do, everything we say, how we say it and how we do it. It’s our reputation, both in the services we provide and as an employer. It will serve as a guide for the decisions we make, and for our own behaviors as individuals, as teams and as an organization. Our Mission We partner with employers and their employees to care for those injured on the job and we champion a culture of workplace safety for our fellow Montanans. Our Vision To be an indispensable partner in achieving a safer, healthier and more prosperous Montana. Our Six Guiding Values Do what’s right Deliver with heart Focus on what matters Succeed together Find a better way Take the long view In addition, we refreshed our logo. We replaced the teal color with fresh blues, and highlighted the word Montana in our name. We also eliminated the diamond that formerly surrounded the SF, which now gives it a freer flowing feel. We hope to have all of our forms, online materials etc. updated with our new look and feel by December 31, 2018. In the meantime, if you have any materials that use our old logo, we are happy to update them for your or we can send you the appropriate formatted logos. Please contact Heather Domme with your changes. We are excited about this brand refresh and look forward to continuing our partnership with you to make Montana a safer, healthier and more prosperous to place live. Because everything we do together, does more.