University Hospitals CompCare News

Medical-Only Program

University Hospitals CompCare (UCC) would like to notify you of an important program for employers that can help you better manage your worker's compensation premium costs. Designed to cover low-cost medical-only claims, the $1000 Medical-Only, Program, administered by the Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC), offers employers the opportunity to pay the first $1,000 of medical payments for their employees' work-related injuries.

According to Clairmonte Cappelle, vice president of University Hospitals CompCare, this program has been greatly underutilized by employers because of other types of premium savings programs available. "An employer's premium calculation takes into account, among other factors, medical costs paid by BWC," he says. "So it behooves employers to participate in the $1000 Medical-Only Program to save money and gain control of premium costs by not having these medical expenses included in their experience rating."

Employers participating in the program are responsible for notifying treating providers, the injured worker and UCC that they are enrolled in the program and will cover the first $1,000 of medical expenses of a work-related injury. These medical bills must be paid within 30 days of medical bill receipt.

Once the injured worker loses eight or more consecutive days of work, the claim becomes a lost-time claim and is no longer eligible for the $1,000 Medical-Only Program. At that point, if it was not previously reported, employers must file a report of the injury to University Hospitals CompCare or the BWC.

If the claim is automatically removed from the program because it became a lost-time claim, the BWC will notify University Hospitals CompCare. UCC will then become responsible for processing subsequent medical bills.

To qualify, you must pay premiums to the state insurance fund, and your coverage must be in force at the time of the work-related injury. Like other claims, all claims for this program must be submitted to University Hospitals CompCare for reporting to BWC and will automatically be flagged for the first $1000 in medical costs to be paid by the employer. You must notify BWC when the $1000 limit has been reach so that University Hospitals CompCare can pay subsequent medical bills.

For additional information on the program, please contact Clairmonte Cappelle at 216-983-1092, or call BWC's employer services at 614-466-1015 or 800-OHIOBWC.