Workers' Compensation Disability Management Program
The Workers' Compensation Management Bureau (WCMB) has been charged with developing programs designed to enhance the safety of all work environments, assist our injured workers in their healing process and ensure that all injured State of Montana employees receive the best care possible and are returned to work absolutely as soon as possible following on-the-job injuries. This will improve the well-being of all employees and provide for an efficient workers' compensation program. WCMB assists employees and agencies in ensuring a safe working environment, in reduction of on-the-job injuries and accidents in the workplace, and assists employees who are injured in returning to meaningful and productive work as soon as possible.
The Department of Administration will serve as a central resource for agencies in working to enhance existing safety, loss-prevention, and return to work activities as well as creating access to these activities for agencies which do not currently have them in place. The Department will work with our workers' compensation insurer, Montana State Fund, to coordinate between our self-insured health programs and workers compensation coverage.
Goals and Objectives
The State of Montana, through WCMB, will ensure we meet the following goals:
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Reduce the incidence of occupational injury and illness among state government;
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Reduce the incidence of workers' compensation wage-loss claims for state government;
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Reduce workers' compensation premiums for state agencies;
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Enhance productivity within agencies by reducing the amount of time workers are separated from their jobs due to occupational injury or illness;
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Improve the safety of the physical work environment within State government in compliance with the Montana Safety Culture Act;
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Provide a central data and financial management repository for workers' compensation information within State government; and
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Function as the central point for negotiation and management of workers' compensation coverage through the insurance carrier, Montana State Fund.
Putting a Face on Safety and Disability Management
In September 2006, Mr. Richard Pimentel, a nationally renowned expert on workers' compensation related disability management, job recruitment, and job retention, spoke to State employees to discuss "Putting a Face on Safety and Disability Management"
Mr. Pimentel delivered a message of caring for employee's safety and returning the employee to work after an injury with humor and a great deal of first-hand knowledge. He was one of the major authors of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Please click on the link below to view this new approach and hear Mr. Pimentel's entertaining presentation.
September 8, 2006 Presentation (Requires Quicktime )
Copies of the video may be checked out from the Department of Administration, Health Care & Benefits Division. Please call 406-444-2044 to make arrangements.
Read more information about the Workers' Compensation Disability Management Program by accessing the links below:
Direct all questions related to Workers' Compensation to Lance Zanto , 444-5689
