In the past few weeks we have had an overabundance of late injury reporting and felt it necessary to address it. UBIC writes workers’ comp insurance in three states. Each of those three have different laws when it comes to how injuries must be reported.

In Missouri, the employer has 30 days to report the claim to their insurance carrier who in turn must report it into the state within that 30-day window. If this is not completed within the 30-day window, the statute of limitations is extended by one year. Normally, a worker has two years to reopen a claim by law. If the injury is not reported in the 30-day timeframe, it is extended to three years. This can increase the claim cost, impact your experience modification rate, and negatively impact your bottom line. Even if you wish to pay for it out of pocket and it is under the allowable limit, you must still report it.

Nevada requires a 6-day reporting window. If the proper forms are not filled out in the allotted time, a fine can be imposed on the employer for improper/late reporting up to $500.

In Utah, there is a 7-day window that the employer must report the claim and if not, they are subject to a fine up to $500. The claim MUST be filed electronically from your carrier to the state and it does take time to process which means that 7 days is down to about 5 days before we need to start worrying. They also have a law regarding employers paying for claims out of pocket. If that clinic is not approved to do so, there is a potential for fine up to $5,000.

With this information, I hope you can all see the importance of reporting the claims timely to your workers’ comp carrier. The financial impact alone is something that no employer wants to deal with for not reporting a claim and furthermore, if the claims adjuster cannot get it in a timely fashion, we cannot ensure adequate treatment for your injured worker nor can we ensure the treatment prescribed is the best choice.

The claims administrators work for you and to ensure your worker gets the best care for them. Please help them in doing so by reporting your claims timely and providing all the required information. If an adjuster calls or emails you, please respond as quickly as possible. This ensures they can do their job to the best of their ability.

Below is the contact information for our claim’s administration as well as the website for each state and 24-hour hotline number. As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. We are here to help.

S&C Claims

24 Hour Hotline 800-289-4502

Nevada Claims: https://www.sandcclaims.com/state/nevada.html

Utah Claims: https://www.sandcclaims.com/state/utah.html

Missouri Claims: https://www.sandcclaims.com/state/missouri.html