Introduction to Experience Rating

Transcription

1 W o r k e r s C o m p e n s a t i o n I n s u r a n c e R a t i n g B u r e a u o f C a l i f o r n i a Introduction to Experience Rating Presented by the Workers Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California Notice The information provided in this webinar was developed by the Workers Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California (WCIRB) solely for the purpose of discussion during this webinar. The WCIRB shall not be liable for any damages, of any kind, whether direct, indirect, incidental, punitive or consequential, arising from the use, inability to use, or reliance upon information provided in this webinar. The Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of California (IIABCal) is acting only as a host for this webinar and the WCIRB is not in any way affiliated with IIABCal Workers Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including, without limitation, photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the Workers Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California (WCIRB), unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal copyright law. Workers Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California, WCIRB, WCIRB California, WCIRB Online, X-Mod Direct, escad and the WCIRB California logo (WCIRB Marks) are registered trademarks or service marks of the WCIRB. WCIRB Marks may not be displayed or used in any manner without the WCIRB s prior written permission. Any permitted copying of this work must maintain any and all trademarks and/or service marks on all copies. To seek permission to use any of the WCIRB Marks or any copyrighted material, please contact the Workers Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California, at customerservice@wcirb.com. 1

2 Purpose To provide a basic introduction to experience rating Agenda Experience rating overview Distributing the cost of workers compensation insurance Ownership considerations Impact on final premium Changes for limited experience modification The Experience Rating Worksheet Frequently Asked Questions References and resources Summary Experience Rating Overview Experience rating Is a state-mandated (California Insurance Code Section 11734) merit rating system that benchmarks the risk of an employer s operations against others in its industry Provides a uniform mechanism to refine the pricing of workers compensation insurance to acknowledge the unique characteristics of each employer s operation Provides a direct financial incentive for employers to reduce accidents 2

3 Experience Rating Overview The industry by which all employers are associated is defined by the Standard Classification* assigned to their business operations. While Standard Classifications include a range of activities considered normal and usual for the industry, there are differences in: Operations (e.g. level of mechanization) Safety practices Salary levels Other characteristics (e.g. size and location) One purpose of an Experience Modification (x-mod) is to account for these differences * Standard Classifications are found in Part 3 of the California Workers Compensation Uniform Statistical Reporting Plan Experience Rating Overview An x-mod is a forecast of future losses Not a recoupment mechanism Not solely a proxy for safety as safety is only one consideration An x-mod is expressed as a percentage Less than 100% reflects better than average losses Over 100% reflects worse than average losses Example: 90% credit x-mod 120% debit x-mod 100% x-mod 3

4 Distributing the Cost of Workers Compensation The experience rating system distributes the cost of workers compensation insurance equitably among employers in an industry classification. For example, if there are two employers in the industry for Classification 4444, Mini Widget Maker and each developed $100,000 in pure premium*: Pool of Workers Compensation Insurance Pure Premium Employer A $100,000 Pure Premium + Employer B $100,000 Pure Premium = $200,000 * Pure Premium is an underlying baseline premium that most insurers use to determine the amount charged to employers. Distributing the Cost of Workers Compensation If Employer A has a favorable loss history compared to Employer B, then Employer B s x-mod would increase to offset the decrease in Employer A s so that the industry modified pure premium remains the same before and after the application of the x-mod. Pool of Workers Compensation Insurance Pure Premium Employer A $100,000 x 80% = $80,000 Modified Pure Premium + Employer B $100,000 x 120% = $120,000 Modified Pure Premium = $200,000 4

5 Ownership Considerations Businesses with majority common ownership Are considered a single employer with the payroll and loss history combined for experience rating Share the same experience modification Even if the businesses are different, operate from different locations and have separate policies The resulting experience modification will be a blended experience modification reflecting all operations X-Mod Effect on Premium FINAL AUDIT BILLING The x-mod is applied to the premium increasing or decreasing the billed premium INSURING COMPANY: WORKERS COMPENSATION INSURANCE R US DATE: 02/02/13 POLICY NO.: PERIOD OF ADJUSTMENT: 01/01/12 TO 01/01/13 ACME FASTENER CO. 123 MAIN ST. BAKERSFIELD, CA CLASSIFICATION OF OPERATIONS CLASS RATE PAYROLL PREMIUM State: CA Rounded to Nearest Rounded to Nearest Dollar Dollar NUT, BOLT OR SCREW MFG $3,871,989 $85,184 SALESPERSONS - OUTSIDE $133,800 $2,007 CLERICAL OFFICE EMPLOYEES -- N.O.C $715,075 $7,151 SUBTOTAL $4,720,864 $94,342 EXPERIENCE MOD 1.25 $23,586 This invoice is based upon information secured by: _ Estimated Payroll Figures X Payroll Auditor TOTAL AUDIT PREMIUM: Earned Premium for Period above: Less Payments: Less Deposit: User Fee: Assessments: $117,928 $117,928 $100,000 $10,000 $0 $0 _ Voluntary Report(s) submitted by Insured PLEASE PAY THIS AMOUNT: $7,928 5

6 X-Mod Effect on Premium Just over 87% of the state s workers compensation insurance premiums are subject to experience rating Only about 20% of California employers are experience rated Most small employers do not qualify Changes for 2015 Limited Experience Modifications Effective January 1, 2015, when an employer only has a single claim used in the calculation, the experience modification is limited to no more than 25 percentage points above the experience modification that would have been published if the employer had been loss free. If an employer has more than one claim used in the calculation, the employer s experience modification is not subject to the 25 percentage point limit. An experience modification computed excluding unaudited payroll pursuant to Section III, Rule 3(g) of the Experience Rating Plan is not subject to this limit. 6

7 Changes for 2015 Limited Experience Modifications The Experience Rating Form -- Also referred to as the Worksheet or Rate Sheet 7

8 Frequently Asked Questions I have two businesses. Will they have separate x-mods? No. Businesses with majority common ownership are combined (payroll and losses) for experience rating Each business may have separate policies but will have the same x-mod. I had no losses this past year, why did my experience modification go up? The experience rating system distributes the cost of workers compensation insurance across all employers before and after the application of the experience modifications. If others in your industry have less losses overall, then your experience modification may increase. Frequently Asked Questions Can I get a copy of my Experience Rating Worksheet? Insurers can request a copy of the rate sheet from WCIRB Customer Service Agents and brokers can submit a Policyholder Product Order Form to the WCIRB accompanied by either a Letter of Authorization Information Form or a Special Power of Attorney Form (forms available at Policyholders can request a copy through their insurer or complete the Policyholder Experience Rating Worksheet Request Form online at 8

9 Closing Thoughts Experience rating is a state-mandated merit rating system that benchmarks an employer against others in its industry. The combined experience of all business operations that share majority common ownership will be blended to produce a single x-mod. Experience rating redistributes the cost of workers compensation insurance among the members of the industry. Experience rating provides a direct financial incentive for employers to invest in effective loss control programs that reduce workplace injuries. References & Resources California Insurance Code Section California Workers Compensation Experience Rating Plan 1995 California Workers Compensation Uniform Statistical Reporting Plan

10 Summary Today s webinar provided a basic introduction to experience rating including: Experience rating overview Distributing the cost of workers compensation insurance Ownership considerations Impact on final premium Changes for limited experience modification The Experience Rating Worksheet Frequently Asked Questions References and resources W o r k e r s C o m p e n s a t i o n I n s u r a n c e R a t i n g B u r e a u o f C a l i f o r n i a Introduction to Experience Rating Presented by the Workers Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California 10