Internet as a Claims Tool

The Internet is an endless source of information, some of which may have value during the course of a disability claim evaluation. It may help to think of the Internet as a giant garage full of items that have been placed there over a long period of time. Some were put there just moments ago and some are gathering dust off in a dark corner that has not seen the light of day in many years. Trying to retrieve a needed item from this garage can be a time-consuming and frustrating venture if you don’t know how or where to look and especially if you are not exactly sure what you are looking for.

In addition to the time constraints outlined above, insurance company legal departments may cringe at the thought of employees “on the web” during company time for fear of viewing or sharing inappropriate information. Nonetheless, given the inherent value we have gained from access to the Internet for the purpose of assisting claim evaluations, we are advocates of finding some agreeable avenue for this access. Also, given the fact that we have uncovered claim fraud through “social media” sites, “hate” sites and “adult” sites; there should be some resource within your company to achieve “unrestricted” access. For the purposes of this article, we are primarily covering free, public records.

With all that said, it is important to have rules and accountability around such a resource and each company will need to develop its own set of parameters. The company may want to designate just one or a small number of people or just one or a small number of computers to this activity.

One of the pitfalls of the novice “surfer” is one interesting piece of information leads to another and another but not to anything concrete or useful. It is easy to get distracted into thinking that useful information is “just around the corner.” The rule of thumb here is that after five or ten minutes, tops, you should be getting more and more specific details related to your particular subject. If that is not happening, it is time to move on.

Anyone who has heard of the Internet is also aware of the famous Google search. This is still a great place to start. We recommend the advanced search or quotes around the search input to narrow the results. We completed a recent claim audit where we found information demonstrating work-related activity for the company’s largest liability claim using a simple Google search and about five minutes of sorting through results.

For more specific examples, see the following items below:

1. http://www.ghin.com/lookups/index.html - A website devoted to golf handicaps. If your claimant with a back problem is playing a full round of golf several times a week, you may want to look into this further. Interestingly, dates of play are posted and it is possible to develop a pattern of dates and locations played.
2. http://www.bowl.com/ - Bowling Scores – Similar to the golf site above.
3. http://usppa.com/ - Pool/billiards website similar to above.
4. http://www.betterwhois.com/ - Website ownership. Does it appear that your claimant may have some business activity generated from a website? This site may assist you in verifying the owner of the site and how long it has been in use.
5. http://www.archive.org/index.php (a.k.a. “The Wayback Machine”) This has come in handy when a claimant took down a site while we were investigating it. This site allows you to back over the years and view snapshots of what the site looked like over different points of time.
6. myspace.com / twitter.com / facebook.com – Most of these social media sites have filters the user can place on them to protect their information however, due to their “social” aspect, many users do not employ the filters. Accordingly, this is information put out for public consumption. Thanks to Twitter, we now have a nation of informants. One of our claimants had a friend put up a blog post (complete with photo of our claimant) about some work activity they were performing together and then “tweet” about it. Since I was running a continual search for the claimant’s name on Twitter, I was automatically notified when it happened.
7. http://www.blackbookonline.info/index.html This is an aggregate of available public record databases. Good starting point, created by the author of “The Investigator’s Little Black Book 3.” Examples include verification of a valid SSN, identification of an address as a mail drop vs. residence/business, news searches (including hometown newspapers for local stories that may have impacted your claimant), etc. Most sources are free, some tell you if they have information or not and let you decide if its worth paying for.
8. http://www.legacy.com/NS/ - Obituaries Search
   

It is important to note that the vast majority of information gleaned from the internet should be seen simply as a lead to develop more information. It is helpful to think about it like an annual physical with your doctor. You go in good health but they still check for all sorts of things to “rule out” any problems that merit further evaluation.

DMEC 2009

The organizers of the 2009 Disability Management Employer Coalition conference in Portland, OR have done a fantastic job. The conference is chock full of excellent speakers and the attendee base is loaded with experts in the field of absence management. On a side note, the Twitter crowd is small but powerful here with folks like Andrea Olson (@pacifdisability), Kim Greive (@CAHRKim), Carol Harnett (@carolharnett), Steve Cyboran (@SCyboran), and Tamara Greenleaf (@mdguidelines). Follow them all if you are so inclined.

The official start of the conference commenced with an amazing speaker, Kirk Bauer who is the founder of the Wounded Warrior Project and more recently, Disabled Sports USA. Kirk is a veteran who sustained a service-related injury resulting in an above-the-knee amputation. As a fiercely competitive guy, he found himself sidelined for the first time in life. However, rather than succumb to the notions of what he was unable to do, Kirk focused on what might still be possible for him to do. As a result, he found a pathway to recovery and created the road map for other wounded veterans and more recently, any disabled person, to find rehabilitation through sports activity.

"If I can do this, I can do anything" became the motto of Disabled Sports USA. DSUSA has over 20 different sporting activities and 75 teaching events across the country where disabled individuals can participate, free of charge (that's right...free!). DSUSA has found that by engaging in physical activities that may have seemed out of reach, disabled individuals are achieving success in all other areas of their life. For example, a recent study conducted by DSUSA and Harris Interactive revealed that individuals participating in DSUSA were twice as likely to return to work than the general population (68% vs. 33%).

The lesson here?...If you are not currently referring your disabled employees/claimants to DSUSA, you should start immediately. Kirk took what could have been a very negative turn in his life and decided to see it as an opportunity to recognize what his abilities were instead, and discovered some pretty amazing things.

DMEC 2009 - Annual Conference, Portland, OR

Will you be at the Disability Management Employer Coalition conference July 19th - 22nd in Portland, OR? As the only non-profit devoted to integrated disability and absence management, the Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC) will provide you with tools to save your company money and keep valuable employees at work.

I hope to see you there. Either way, you can follow the conference right here with daily updates from the show! We will be posting information on the material presented and providing insight on who is making news - as it unfolds.

With a line-up of expert panelists scheduled and nearly 500 attendees already registered, it is bound to be a gold mine of information on industry best practices for maximizing employee productivity in a healthy, safe and effective manner. Registrations are still be accepted on site at the "early bird" discount rate in order to allow as many of us as possible to join in while budgets are tight. Nonetheless, if you can't be there in person, participate by adding your comments here and don't forget to follow me on Twitter @DIspecialist.

More to come....

DMEC - Boston Chapter Meeting - "EXTREME PRODUCTIVITY"

DMEC's Boston Chapter hosted a terrific meeting on June 10th, 2009 at the Liberty Mutual Training Center in Weston, MA. The panel of speakers was led by Carol Harnett, who was joined by Tracie Foster, Dr. Edward Crouch and Dan Arkins.

This presentation was based upon the White Paper produced by the 2008 DMEC (Disability Management Employer Coalition) Think Tank. This is the second White Paper produced by DMEC and follows their successful "Workplace Warrior" project which dealt with best practices in the case of employees involved in military service.

The speakers discussed the perils of "extreme productivity" and the misconception that more work hours necessarily equals more productivity. The publication suggests that stress (caused by overwork) is a driver of reduced profitability, increased healthcare costs and reduced productivity. Clearly, this is not the result desired by an employer. But how do we fix the problem? Well, the presenters did not dare to suggest that they had all of the answers (although they seemed to have a lot of them), but rather stated that they were attempting to start the discussion which they hoped would continue into each employer's workplace.

As a basis for the discussion, the panel reviewed several real case studies of companies, both big and small, who had volunteered to participate in the Think Tank study. Some of the solutions were simple, as in the case of H-E-B Grocery who simply created a message from top management that encouraged employees to take advantage of existing benefits. The culture had become one where it was not expected that you would use all of your vacation days or take any personal time. Senior management was able to create a culture shift to a more healthy level of productivity and claims that they have improved their employee retention by at least 10%.

Plans adopted by other employers focused on increasing communication, such as the "daily huddle." The huddle is a brief, daily meeting designed to encourage communication between employees and typically with their manager. Tracie Foster explained that she decided to try this out with her own group and found it very successful. In Tracie's case, she and her staff have a 10 minute meeting every morning and each member speaks for 90 seconds, covering current roadblocks/hurdles, what other departments they are working with, and how they are benefiting the company. The idea here is the that employees feel engaged and also gain a fresh focus on how they impact the company. A more comprehensive communication model created by USAA was also outlined. USAA's "Personal Best" online tool helps guide employees by asking them to enter information about their own status and then provides them with the cadre of benefits offered by the company that can assist them. The tool also provides coaching resources to assist managers in dealing with their employees.

Lastly, the Think Tank explored the neuroscience of stress. Dr. Crouch outlined the medical reality that increased stress accelerates the loss of neurons in the brain and creates the downward spiral that leads to an actual reduction in productivity. Dr. Crouch talked about the healthy habits used to counter the effects of stress, such as exercise, which decreases depression and actually builds neurons, leading to "healthy, high productivity."

The "bottom line" conclusions were narrowed down to:
- The importance of the manager in modeling and encouraging adherence to corporate practices as well as fostering a healthy work environment
- Communication: Not just "what" is communicated but also "how" it is done can be crucial to employee satisfaction
- Resiliency: There will be ups and downs in employee stress levels, but giving them the tools to enable them to get back on their feet as soon as possible, is crucial.

If you don't think employee satisfaction is very important, just look at Sears' statistics. They found that for every 5% increase in employee satisfaction, their sales increased 1.5% and bottom line profit rose .5%. Apparently happy employees sell lots of appliances.

It was an interesting presentation and for more details, I encourage you to download the full White Paper.

Hope to see you at the DMEC Annual Conference in Portland, OR from July 19-22nd!

Disability Insurance Awareness Month

May is Disability Insurance Awareness Month.

Why is this important to you? If you don't plan on becoming disabled, it is not important at all. However, if you are one of the almost 13% of working age Americans who will report a disability this year*, it is extremely important. The problem is, there is no way of knowing which category you fall into.

Disability Insurance protects your ability to earn an income and support yourself and your loved ones. I have met first hand with hundreds of disability benefit recipients who have told me many different stories that all end with the same line; "I would have lost everything without these benefits."

It is a tremendous blessing to have had the opportunity to meet with these fine individuals. They are a testament to both determination and will, as many worked for years with serious limitations before being forced to stop as their disability progressed. In addition, their foresight in taking the steps to protect their families from devastating financial loss is a great lesson in truly caring for those who rely on you.

Disability insurance gives you the peace of mind of knowing that while you recover, your thoughtful planning will protect you and your loved ones in your time of need. Don't just hope things will work out. Take a moment and plan. It makes all the difference.


* Bjelland, M.J., Erickson, W. A., Lee, C. G. (2008, November 8). Disability Statistics from the American Community Survey (ACS). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Demographics and Statistics (StatsRRTC). Retrieved April 30, 2009 from www.disabilitystatistics.org

EASTERN CLAIMS CONFERENCE 2009

KEYNOTE SPEAKER - Dr. Sheila Murray Bethel


Dr. Sheila Murray Bethel provided a dynamite appearance at this year's Eastern Claims Conference in New York City on March 2, 2009. She spoke just one day prior to releasing her latest book: A New Breed Of Leader
(8 Qualities That Matter Most In The Real World,
What Works What Doesn’t & Why)
By: Sheila Murray Bethel, PhD.

Here are some highlights as outlined by the author:

The winds of change are blowing across the globe. They demand a new feeling of purpose, new actions, and yet-unseen solutions. People everywhere hunger for a new breed of authentic men and women who are physically strong, mentally quick, politically limber, emotionally stable, intellectually superior and unselfish consensus builders.
Truly great leaders of the 21st century will possess a strategic sense, an inherent understanding of how the framework of their thinking and the tides of time fit together and how their powers should be applied to achieve a larger purpose.
It is time to view the tried and true concepts of leadership through a new filter and then update them. By combining the best leadership qualities of the past with a set of new descriptors, measures and actions, we will begin to change the huge disconnect that exists between our daily lives and our leaders in business, government, and other institutions.

The 21st Century Leadership Puzzle

There are eight qualities in the New Breed Leadership Puzzle. The value of each piece lies in the tools it gives you to shape your personal leadership strength and to reinforce your ability to serve others.


Competence Matters…Building Purpose
Competence is doing the right thing, the right way, at the right time and it tops your list of leadership qualities that matter most. When you know what you are doing, have the experience and knowledge to take risks and make wise decisions, have a deep sense of purpose and a healthy dose of charisma, you can lead people through beneficial actions into positive results. living in a constant state of innovation where your competence is continually nurtured, moves your dream into reality. When you recognize that competence begets competence and that knowledge shared is knowledge multiplied, you’re saying, in effect, to your followers, “We can learn and grow together.” You build a sense of connectedness and a community of growth. When vision and purpose are backed by competence, you can move mountains.

Accountability Matters…Fostering Trust
Very little in the realm of leadership is more important than the trust that accountability generates. Leading is primarily about the relationship between the leader and the led, and trust is at its core. It’s the contract you make with your followers by holding yourself to account and then following up with strong ethical actions. Your leadership deepens when followers know you’re reliable and that you are a person on whom they can depend
Accountability is about doing what’s right even when no one is looking. It is the backbone of any successful entity and continually speaks to the integrity and ethics of your organization and you as a leader. Whether you’re leading at home, in the community or at work, even one example of accountability can set others on the right road.

Openness Matters…Generating Integrity
Openness involves candor and frankness. Its most important byproduct, integrity, is at the heart of earning the right to be called a leader. Integrity reveals your true intentions and greatly affects your followers and your entire organization because it reflects on everyone who is associated with you. Transparent actions and policies are the currency by which you garner the loyalty, commitment and willingness of your followers. When your words and actions match, credibility cannot help but follow, and then you earn trust. Being an open leader enables you to lift everyone and everything to a better place because of the integrity it generates. It is vital for leaders at all levels, in all sectors, across the globe to embrace a level of openness that transforms ideas and processes, visions and strategies.



Language Matters...Connecting Relationships

The power to communicate is the key to forging productive relationships. Your words inspire or discourage, hurt or help, divide or connect, cause fear or give hope. String them together artistically and sensitively, and they become a brilliant instrument by which you connect with your followers
The impact of your skillful use of language cannot be exaggerated. You never know whom you will touch with your words or how you will influence their lives. Be assured that when you speak in aspirational language, you lift minds and hearts. When you speak in clear, honest language, human bridges are built. When you use your verbal expertise to reinforce the organization’s goals, values, ideas, and ideals in the minds and spirit of your followers, your communication becomes an art form. You serve your followers best when your mission is articulated by both what you say and what you do. Words really matter.


Values Matter…Forging Community

Your principles are like a fixed beacon giving direction and purpose to the other seven qualities that matter most to a New Breed Leader. “Values” is a subtle, intangible and elusive quality with different meanings for different people under different circumstances. You have values that give you a moral compass. Most companies and organizations have a set of values that represent them to their constituents. Even our communities have certain values that make them different from a nearby town or city. Because of the enormous daily changes and challenges it is a worthy and honorable process to closely examine these values that influence you and your “communities.” The authenticity you establish from a renewed set of principles gives you the creditability to guide others as they navigate the sometimes-daunting issues of our new century.


Perspective Matters…Establishing Balance
Now is time to fill your leadership toolbox with as much intellectual, emotional and physical perspective as you can gather for your journey to the new horizons of the future. Most importantly, when you have the counterpoint of past and present to help you transition into the future; you are ready to be a New Breed leader. Your fresh clear perspective and the balance it generates—yields a sense of promise, a sense of a better life, and a sense of progress that builds community and connectedness. As you learn from past failure, you are less likely to make the same mistake again. When you gain insight from past success, you can preserve your strengths and build on them. A real world, true-to-life perspective gives you the staying power to handle the crush of daily events.


Power Matters…Mastering Influence
Power is the prime mover of people and events. You can’t lead effectively without it. Great leaders do not shrink from power, nor do they seek it unnecessarily. They know that having clout often intimidates others, so they use their power judiciously. They “pull rank” only in emergencies. It is about influencing others to follow you, even when they don’t know where you are headed. Those who make the greatest contribution will use power wisely. They understand that the highest and best use of power is to direct others and help them achieve their full potential.
Of all the examples you set as a leader, the wise use of humble power has the most long term impact. If the basis of your desire for power is one of service, then your leadership acquires an aura of dignity and your influence is increased a thousand fold.

Humility Matters…Inspiring Authenticity
Humility, like leadership itself, it is earned, not claimed. The most humble and effective leaders do not even think about taking steps to be humble. They just “are.” Humility is a state of “being.” Humility comes from deep within you. It’s how you feel about your self, how you value others. It’s an attitude, philosophy and a belief system that says, “The way for me to be the best leader possible is to be the best servant to my followers.” Authentic leaders know that humility is not weakness and arrogance is not strength. When a leader is humble, it is usually because he or she scores high on emotional intelligence. Such leaders are comfortable with themselves, without a need to constantly talk about themselves or brag about what they have, what they do or who they know.

Transcendent Challenges of 21st-Century Leadership

It is a time of transcendence, a time of limitless possibilities. No generation of leaders, at every level of society and across the globe, has had such an opportunity to solve our greatest problems and bring all peoples together to work and live in a safe and harmonious planet. You can stand up and be counted as one who will do his or her part and knowing that in combination with millions of other leaders, you’ll leave deep footprints forming a global path to a better world for all the generations that follow.
#
(1,414 words.)
© 2009 Dr. Sheila Murray Bethel

Based on the new book, “A New Breed Of Leader, 8 Qualities That Matter Most in the Real World…What Works, What doesn’t and Why,” (Berkley, March 2009), by Sheila Murray Bethel, PhD. Best Selling Author, Global Leadership Expert and Award winning Speaker, www.anewbreedofleader, 800-548-8001

Eastern Claims Conference 2009

Pay valid claims more efficiently and detect fraudluent claims sooner. These are just a few of the topics covered this year, and every year at the Eastern Claims Conference - the premier conference for the life, disability and medical claims industry.

Another terrific line up of speakers is slated for this year's Eastern Claims Conferece ("ECC") scheduled for March 1st - 3rd in bustling NYC! Top special investigative unit leaders, legal specialists, and industry experts will be speaking on the industry's latest trends and hottest topics. STOLI/IOLI, ERISA updates, Deposition prep, and a "Brass Tacks" Disability Round Table discussion group are just a few of the vital sessions you do not want to miss!

The ECC has established itself as the premier destination for nationwide and international claims professionals to gather and get the latest updates on industry devlopments while networking with their peers and the top vendors serving the life, disability and medical claims business. While some are "cutting back," the ECC has gone all out to secure top industry experts and leading professionals to share their knowlegde and experience during these difficult times. Don't miss your chance to learn from the best in the city that never sleeps!

For more information, go to www.easternclaimsconference.com.

ICMG 2009 - How To Run A Successful Conference In A Tough Economy

How do you have a successful conference during a time when almost everything else is trending downward? Two words; Value & Improvisation.

The Inter-Company Marketing Group has long been a unique venue for networking with other industry professionals and forging strategic alliances. Companies participate in ICMG because they have seen the solid track record of ROI for their time and money. In a day of tightening budgets, companies are looking to spend their marketing dollar only where they have the best chance of return. ICMG is well-known for the value they bring to their members.

It was for this reason that it was so surprising to find ICMG was working with marketing consultants from The van Aartrijk Group LLC to better understand what their members wanted and how to best provide it. Whether as a part of that strategy or in addition to it, ICMG also added a group on LinkedIn and enhanced the annual meeting by building it into a networking community. So rather than simply trust what had worked in the past, ICMG instead chose to build on that reputation and deliver an even better product for the future. Improvisation at its finest!

Brave New Workshop, led by Caleb McEwen provided comic relief while communicating the point that improvisation is paramount in today's business world. BNW covered the "8 Secrets of Innovation:"
* Accept all ideas (you don't have to adopt them all...just accept them for consideration)
* Defer judgement
* Share focus/accept all sytles
* Make a declaration (say what you think!)
* Create a "status-less" environment (everyone's ideas matter)
* Create a reward system that recognizes innovation (praise over critique)
* "Yes" first (accept and then add to ideas)
* Perceive change as fuel

If we allow the problems of our times to weight us down, we will be sure to sink. However, if we take hold of the rising tide of change, we can ride the wave of success. Well, if ICMG is any example of the results achieved by seizing the power of change and capitalizing on improvisation - count me in!

Inter-Company Marketing Group meets LinkedIn!

What happens when the most dynamic insurance industry conference meets the leading business networking website? For starters, you get 34 new members in the first week. Not too shabby. Further proof that ICMG attendees understand the benefits of networking.

When Audrey Wittenburg added the ICMG as a group on LinkedIn she started with a question about how existing members are already using the online networking site. This shows the open-mindedness that makes ICMG members successful at creating strategic alliances that add value to their companies. Audrey recognized that LinkedIn is working to connect business professionals in meaningful ways in an online setting. Knowing the existing success of ICMG in making such connections in a conference setting, she recognized the natural alliance.

This alliance will be helpful to ICMG members both prior to and following the show in maximizing their planning and follow up with fellow members. Similarly, alliances forged at this year's ICMG conference will undoubtedly bring success in 2009 for the respective members and their companies. Whether you are a carrier seeking distribution or a distributor seeking products, if you have been to the ICMG before, you probably have a success story to share.

Additionally, service providers such as Disability Insurance Specialists provide the support for the development of new products or any related services that may not be present within the carrier, reinsurer or distribution source. For example, this year we will be co-marketing a new product along with our alliance partner, Vision Financial - Short Term Care Insurance built for the Worksite market.

To be the first to seize this opportunity or simply to tap into the wealth of other products and services provided by Disability Insurance Specialists, we would appreciate the opportunity to talk with you further. C'mon by booth #3 in the exhibit hall or drop a card behind the handsome photos of Tom Loftus, Bill Bossi or Tad Verney on the connection board and we'll be sure to track you down.

See you in sunny Florida!