Katie School to study comp claims processing

NORMAL, Ill.--The Katie School of Insurance & Financial Services at Illinois State University is conducting a national study on the effects of automation on workers compensation claims processing.

The Normal, Ill.-based Katie School conducted a pilot study on the subject Oct. 1-3 at Corporate Systems Inc.'s users conference in Las Vegas. The study will go national in early November.

According to the Katie School, pilot study participants placed high importance on improving such areas as reserve practices, data accuracy, adjuster communications, return-to-work programs and the ability to analyze and forecast trends in order to best allocate resources to safety and loss control efforts.

The Katie School's study is designed to provide an objective view of the entire claims management process, and will survey insurers, third party administrators, brokers and risk managers. For more information about the study or to offer suggestions, contact Jim Jones, director of the Katie School, at 309-438-7754.