Have you implemented your Insurance Carrier’s Medical Provider Network (MPN)?
As a California employer by now you should have heard the term MPN, but what is an MPN and why is it important? An MPN is a Medical Provider Network. This is simply a network of doctors who specialize in industrial accidents that agree to treat injured workers on a fee schedule, and in turn increase the likelihood of gaining business (injured workers). In my view, the goal of an MPN is to:
- Provide quality care to an injured worker
- Return the injured worker to the pre-loss physical condition as quickly as possible
- Get the worker back on the job and earning wages
- Reduce Workers Compensation claim’s cost by:
- Keeping the injured worker within the MPN (reduces doctor shopping)
- Reducing the likelihood of an injured worker finding a doctor who will treat and lien an injury, which lengthens the claim process
- Returns control of a claim to the employer (by default the employer’s insurance company)
Cost Savings
The main cost saving element in this is the reduction of doctors treating an injured worker and putting a lien on the file/case. Since the doctors have agreed to a fee schedule in exchange for being a member of the network there is little need to treat and lien. A treating doctor can treat the worker without delay with the expectation of being paid. Doctors not part of the network have little incentive to treat an injured worker as payment is not guaranteed.
If you have not already done so, implement your insurance carrier’s MPN. It is quick, easy and can potentially save you money on your workers compensation costs. Remember to update your MPN each time you change insurance carriers and to enroll all new hires throughout the year into your MPN.
For additional information please see: http://www.dir.ca.gov/dwc/MPN/DWC_MPN_FAQ.html.
