Jim Harris
Vice President, Analytics & Reporting
By Jim Harris
Unmanaged medical costs have always been a potential sinkhole for workers compensation claims. As risk managers in charge of workers comp programs strive to optimize medical costs and improve outcomes for injured workers, they must formulate a medical management approach that will yield the best results for their unique set of injuries and work conditions.
In today’s age of sophisticated technology, data analytics may hold the key. As information is gathered in the claims process, data analytics can help reveal the trajectory of a case. The more information that is collected and assessed through the life of the claim, the better a data model can predict where a case is headed. For this to happen, however, all the appropriate data elements must come together—claims, bill review, utilization review, case management, and pharmacy benefits—to get a complete picture.