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R&R Insurance Blog

Workers Compensation Audit Noncompliance Charge | Effective January 1, 2017

Posted by the knowledge brokers

Work-Comp-Audit-Noncompliance-Charge.jpgThe Wisconsin Compensation Rating Bureau is now requiring a mandatory audit noncompliance charge (ANC). Effective January 1, 2017 any insured who does not comply with a workers compensation audit will be billed an additional two times the estimated workers compensation premium.

 

For Example:

$50,000 Estimated Annual Premium

+$100,000 Audit Noncompliance Charge

_______________________________________

$150,000 Total Amount Due

 

The intent of the charge is to provide uniformity in assessing a penalty. It is also an incentive for insureds to cooperate with the premium audit as required by the policy contract. Improved compliance with the audit process will lead to increased accuracy, as well as ensure rate accuracy and sufficiency.

  • The ANC is not a premium surcharge. It is premium and is subject to premium tax.
  • The ANC endorsement is not optional and is mandatory on all Wisconsin workers compensation insurance policies.
  • The ANC endorsement will be treated the same as the WI Law Endorsement and the WI Cancellation and Non-renewal endorsement.
  • There are no changes to the Wisconsin cancellation rate. Current term policies cannot be cancelled for nonpayment of the audit bill.

While compliance with the work comp audit has always been important, 2017 will prove to be more important than ever. For additional information on the ANC, contact a Knowledge Broker at R&R Insurance.

Topics: Workers Compensation, Work Comp, audit, Work Comp Audit

New Audit Tool Now Available Through R&R's Risk Management Center

Posted by R&R Insurance

Audit-Track.jpgIs your organization looking for a way to streamline the audit process for safety and compliance? Do you struggle to create and maintain audits, surveys or questionnaires?

R&R’s Risk Management Center offers an easy-to-use, web-based solution to help manage the audit process from start to finish.

The Audit Track® provides your organization with the tools you need to proactively manage workplace safety, employee training, IIPP/APP safety program development, and OSHA compliance tracking, reporting and analysis. The tool also allows managers to oversee safety audit, inspection and compliance reporting needs, as well as confirmation that all tasks are assigned, completed and recorded – ensuring your workplace remains safe and compliant.

Completely customizable to your organization, the Audit Track® allows you to:

  • Create custom audits for your organization or department
  • Deploy in the field on any major mobile device
  • Assign to any employee and track tasks, activities and results
  • Access summary and detailed reports based on your criteria
  • Track, achieve and demonstrate regulatory compliance
  • Target and resolve revealed issues before they become incidents
  • Proactively manage your workplace
  • Set field audits and surveys to your unique reoccurrence
  • Make automated auditing an integral part of your safety strategy
  • Keep all Safety Audits, Inspections, Self Assessments and other workplace checklists up-to-date

For more information on R&R’s Risk Management Center and the Audit Track®, visit www.myknowledgebroker.com/RMC or email Safety@rrins.com.

Topics: OSHA Compliance, Safety, Risk Management Center, audit, Compliance

Workers Comp Audit Paperwork | New Updates Beginning Jan 1st, 2017

Posted by Debbie Madsen

Once your Workers Compensation policy has expired, you can exppaperwork.jpgect to be contacted by your carrier. You will be receiving either a letter or a phone call, asking for your actual payroll numbers so that they can “true up” your premium.

Despite the importance of the audit process, many policyholders simply ignore this request due to the seemingly cumbersome nature of audit paperwork. Although most carriers handle this situation differently, when this happens the carrier is then forced to arbitrarily assign a final payroll, which is generally not to the policyholders favor.

However, this process will all change on January 1, 2017 when the WCRB (Wisconsin Compensation Rating Bureau) will mandate that every carrier add an endorsement charge to your Workers Compensation policy called “Audit Noncompliance Charge” or ANC. 

The intent of this endorsement is to create uniformity in how carriers arbitrarily assign payroll in the absence of actual payroll data. As of January 1, 2017 the charge will be 2 times your estimated premium. This will be very costly for those policyholders who choose not to return the audit paperwork. Therefore, while it has always been important to complete the audit paperwork, starting January 1st it will now be even more critical.   

For more information on the changes to Workers Compensation policies coming in 2017, contact a Knowledge Broker.

Topics: Workers Compensation, audit, WCRB

Understanding Premium Audits and How they Benefit Your Business

Posted by Helena Morganbesser

Premium AuditsFor many business owners, premium audit paperwork, auditors, or phone calls to complete an audit occur annually. For those business owners with employees, this is a guarantee. Every year, like clockwork, you will be required to report your employee payroll to your Workers Compensation insurer. And if the audit isn’t complied with, the carrier maintains the right to increase the payroll on your insurance and charge additional premium for it.

 

So why does an audit have to be completed every year? In order to understand this, it is important to know what exactly an audit is. When you purchase coverage, especially Workers Compensation, you are providing an estimate as to the annual wage you think you may pay an employee, or your gross sales for that time period for General Liability coverage. Your premium for the year is then based on that estimate. When the policy term ends and the audit is completed, it is an evaluation of the estimated payroll vs. what was actually paid out, or the estimated gross sales vs. actual. So if the estimate at the beginning of the year was higher than the audited figures, you may be eligible to receive a refund. And if the estimate was a slightly low, additional premium will be charged accordingly.

 

The audit process helps insurance carriers determine the final premium for your policy based on actual exposures. It also helps the carrier determine that your business is classified correctly – taking into account all of your exposures and operations. In addition, it may help determine any potential gaps in your coverage for additional operations or exposures that may have come up throughout the year. It is a service that helps guarantee you only pay the premium you should be paying. The premium audit process is also a condition of the policy when you agree to purchase it – you give the insurance carrier the right to examine your books and records for audit purposes.

 

Whether it is a physical audit, a phone call, or paperwork to complete, the audit is designed not only to benefit the insurance carrier, but the client as well. Being charged fairly for your coverage is important and making sure that you are protected adequately is vital for the success of your business.

 

For more information on the premium audit process, contact a knowledge broker at R&R.

Topics: commercial audit, audit, Business Insurance

Phase II HIPAA Audits Occurring in 2015

Posted by the knowledge brokers

HiPAA 2The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has proposed to ramp up their Phase II HIPAA audits at some point in 2015. Unlike the initial pilot Phase I audits, the second round will require compliance from the chosen health care account, as well as be expanded to include their “Business Associates.” Business Associates being subcontractors of health care organizations that have business agreements with the selected entity.

These audits will affect between 550-800 covered entities and their associated business partners chosen at random through the National Provider Identifier database.

What will the OCR be looking for?

  • Risk analysis and risk management policies
  • Content and timeliness of breach notifications
  • Notice of privacy practices
  • Individual access
  • Training procedures
  • Device and media controls
  • Transmission security (Encryption)

The OCR will use the Phase II Audit findings to identify technical assistance that it should develop for covered entities and business associates. In circumstances where an audit reveals a serious compliance concern, OCR may initiate a compliance review of the audited organization that could lead to civil money penalties.

If you are a health care organization or have a Business Agreement with a health care organization, this may be a good time to review your Network Security Liability coverage with your insurance agent.

 

Contact our knowledge brokers for more information!

Topics: Healthcare, HIPAA, audit, Compliance, health care, HIPAA audit