Injury Counselor- Claims

Lockton•Denver, CO

About The Position

The Injury Counselor (IC) position serves as an advocate for injured workers, coordinating daily claim activities to reduce claim costs from day one. The role aims to improve the quality of workers' compensation claim handling practices and ensure consistency for all injuries. The IC facilitates the effective flow of claims information to all parties by working collaboratively with the injured employee, managers, human resources, physicians, safety personnel, and the claims adjuster. Immediate and ongoing contact with injured workers provides reassurance, answers questions, identifies concerns, promotes the benefits of transitional duty and occupational physicians, and establishes the IC as a resource throughout the workers' compensation process. The IC's activities are designed to reduce both the human and financial costs of workers' compensation claims by minimizing delays, ensuring timely medical treatment, reducing lost time through return-to-work programs, decreasing the frequency of litigated claims, and improving organizational culture and employee retention.

Requirements

Motivated self-starter with willingness to learn and ability to work independently
Strong verbal and written communication skills
Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to make decisions in accordance with department standards
Must be trustworthy and can handle highly confidential information with the utmost care and discretion
Ability to multi-task and track the status of assigned claims to successful and timely completion
Ability to organize and prioritize a heavy workload to meet deadlines
Computer and Internet proficiency
Ability to speak Spanish
Legally able to work in the United States

Nice To Haves

Customer service experience preferred
Previous experience with Workers’ Compensation a plus but not required
Associates degree or equivalent education and/or work experience preferred but not required

Responsibilities

Initiate contact with injured employee immediately upon notification of injury and maintain communication throughout the life of the claim
Serve as a sounding board for the injured worker and respond to questions about workers’ compensation benefits
Facilitate the resolution of claims by acting as liaison between the injured worker, adjusters and all other parties involved in the claim management process
Ensure that medical treatment is provided as efficiently and effectively as possible to the injured worker
Contact the treating physician following the injured employee’s appointment to obtain diagnosis, work restrictions, and treatment plan
Review employees’ diagnosis and next steps with medical treatment, including diagnostic testing or specialist referral
Facilitate transitional duty program and coordinate accommodation process
Communicate with the claim adjuster, sharing information to ensure appropriate handling of each claim
Demonstrate clear recognition of legal issues; ensure that they are elevated to the appropriate person based on the complexity of the situation
Establish claim escalation criteria and escalate accordingly when criteria present
Monitor claim for utilization of nurse case management and escalate accordingly
Build and maintain effective relationships while learning and becoming a part of the organization’s culture
Exhibit a high level of competence and performance in written and verbal communications
Communications should be timely, concise, and accurate
Accurately document related information into claims management system