Medical Claims Associate position now available!

We have a new opening for a Medical Claims Associate, or MCA as we commonly refer to it, on one of our Large Account teams. In the workers' compensation claims world injuries experienced on the job span the spectrum from relatively minor cuts and bruises all the way to more catastrophic medical issues. Some claims will result in the injured worker missing minimal or no time from the job, while in others there will be substantial work time lost. Our MCA's generally handle the claims at the less  extreme end of the spectrum which allows our more experienced claims representatives to focus their attention on the more severe types of injuries.

Our MCA's identify and facilitate the appropriate resources for optimal case management and resolution with their activities focused on developing a proactive claims management plan. They work closely with our policyholders to facilitate the return to work of injured workers while providing quality customer service and effective coordination of resources while helping injured workers with their claim.

Successful candidates for the MCA position will have a basic understanding of medical terminology and human anatomy. Knowledge of the Colorado Workers' Compensation Act and rules of procedure is desirable. A minimum of a High School Diploma is required and medical training or a related Associates Degree is helpful. A minimum of 2 years of general office experience, preferably in an insurance and/or medical facilities setting is preferred with prior experience managing low severity indemnity claims and medium to high risk Non-Lost-Time claims a plus. If the Medical Claims Associate position sounds like something you are interested in we would love to hear from you! Please complete an application on our company website.

Being Heart Healthy at Work

Many employers, including Pinnacol Assurance, are working hard to help their employees adopt and maintain healthy (or healthier!) lifestyles. For as long as I have been with the company we've offered wellness classes, an on-site wellness center, and other incentives for employees to do something good for their health. I even have a company-provided health-coach/nurse who follows up with me on a quarterly basis. The challenge of course remains getting people to take advantage of and use these healthy options.

This morning on our "Industry News" section of our company intranet there was posted an excellent article: The Guide to Beating a Heart Attack written by Ron Winslow. At first I was inclined to skip over it as we see these types of articles all the time. For some reason though I opened the link and read what turned out to be one of the best articles I've seen.

The good news is that progress is being made. You probably already knew that heart disease and its consequences are largely preventable. Deaths from coronary heart disease in the U.S. have been cut by 75% during the past 40 years. Hospital admissions for heart attack among the elderly fell by nearly 25% in a five-year period during the last decade, a remarkable feat when many experts had expected the aging population to cause an increase in the problem.

The bad news is that nearly one million Americans will suffer a heart attack this year and cardiovascular disease remains the leading killer of both men and women. Particularly troubling are increasingly common reports of heart attacks among younger people, even those in their 20s and 30s.

What really struck me though, and what is most relevant to those of us who spend most of our days with our fanny glued to a chair, is a study from Australian researchers that found spending more than four hours a day in front of a computer or television was associated with a doubling of serious heart problems, even among people who exercised regularly. As one of the Doctors put it: for people who sit most of the day, their risk of a heart attack is about the same as smoking.

So what can you do? Perhaps you already work out before or after work and on weekends and here's this article saying that's not enough. The trick it seems is in part to simply keep moving throughout the day. When I do new employee orientation for folks joining our company I talk about all the healthy options we offer but now I'm going to spend a little more time talking about something as simple as getting up and out of your chair on a periodic basis. The article talks about getting up and walking around every thirty minutes or so and that the benefits from moving start as soon as you get up. For the more ambitious, walk up a flight of stairs and use the restroom or fill your water bottle on another floor. Take a break during the day and walk around your building. Feel the sun on your face and breathe the fresh air.  And don't forget to be....

Happy. The article wraps up with an interesting study by Wayne State University researchers who rated the smiles of 230 baseball players who played before 1950 based on pictures in the Baseball Register. Then they looked to see how long the players lived on average: No smile, age 73; partial smile, 75. Those with a full smile made it to 80.

The article also has many other heart-healthy suggestions so I'd recommend reading it. If you are like me, there's a lot of things each of us can do, some as simple as walking around, that really can make a difference and help us beat the odds of a heart attack.

New Opportunity for Underwriter!

One of our Medium Account teams has just announced an opportunity for an Underwriter who will write and price workers’ compensation insurance policies, review and resolve policy problems, and proactively manage a book of business.

In speaking with the Team Leader, Jerica, she indicates that she is willing to look at both experienced candidates (experienced candidates will have 3 to 5 years related experience in property/casualty insurance underwriting with direct experience with workers’ compensation insurance preferred) as well as those with no experience but who have a minimum of a Bachelor's degree.

Underwriting is all about providing outstanding service to our policyholders - the businesses throughout Colorado who purchase workers' compensation insurance policies through us. Often this involves developing strong working relationships not only with the policyholder but also with our agents and insurance brokers who represent many of the businesses we insure. As you can imagine this requires outstanding interpersonal skills. Underwriters also need strong analytical skills, and a solid understanding of basic math. The ability to comprehend and understand financial statements and accounting information can also be helpful. 

If you are interested in this career opportunity we would love to hear from you! Please complete on application via our company website at http://www.pinnacol.com/careers/current-opportunities.

HBR Series offers good advice for Job Seekers

I meet with a lot of job seekers in my role and I like to share tips that make them more viable as candidates. The Harvard Business Review has been running a series of articles for the last month or so that really is must read material for anyone in the job market. The series, titled "The New Rules For Getting A Job", touches on everything from how to best utilize your online job search, technological know-how as a job requirement, using social media effectively, how to find a job when you are no longer "young" (whatever that means...), and lots more.

Even for folks not actively searching for their next job I'd recommend perusing some of the articles because if you are not keeping up on trends you're falling behind. The old notion of ramping up an effective job or career search only when you need to is rapidly becoming passe, as one of the HBR articles makes clear: "It's Not a Job Search, It's a Permanent Campaign".

Pinnacol Again Hosting 9Health Fair: May 2, 7a.m.- noon!

Its that time of year when we go from eighty degrees to snow and freezing cold all within a day or two. Lots of people are sniffling either due to late season colds or allergies from the tree and flower pollen. What better time to think about getting your health checked at one of the many 9Health Fairs going on across Colorado from April 6th through May 12th? Pinnacol has been pleased to be a 9Health Fair site for several years now and each year we see more and more people attend. This year's Fair will offer all sorts of screenings including:

• Basic Screenings
• Ask a Medical Question and Get a Referral
• Blood Chemistry Screening (Blood Draw)
• Blood Pressure Screening
• Body Fat Skinfold Screening
• Bone Health Screening
• Colon Cancer Screening Kit
• Foot Screening
• Hearing Screening
• Height/Weight/Body Mass Index (BMI) Screening
• Hemoglobin A1c (Blood Draw)
• Lung Function Screening
• Nutrition Screening
• Oral Health Screening
• Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) (Men Only Blood Draw)
• Skin Screening
• Sleep Apnea Screening
• Spinal Screening
• Stress Management Screening
• Vision Screening
• Vitamin D 25-Hydroxy Screening (Blood Draw)

That's quite an extensive list of services all available at one location. So if you are in our area stop by on May 2nd and do something good for yourself. We look forward to seeing you!

If you are not in our area, you can find a convenient location from the 9Health Fair website.

The Greatest Show (Not) On Earth

With apologies to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, aka The Greatest Show On Earth, there has been something even more spectacular happening in the night sky for the last several weeks. If you are like me its easy to get caught up in all the earthly details of our lives from work to grocery shopping, to household chores. Its nice to occasionally be reminded that there are things going on that are truly other-worldly. Sometimes all we have to do is look up at the night sky.

Since February two planets and our own moon have been dancing in the western sky just after sunset. The two planets, Jupiter and Venus, had been doing a duet but in the last several days the moon has joined in. Venus, the brightest of the three right now as the moon is in its crescent phase, is at its farthest from the sun and is particularly high in the sky as viewed from earth. Jupiter, our solar system's largest planet, is less bright but still clearly visible to the naked eye. With binoculars you can even see several of Jupiter's moons including Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. And if all that is not enough, simply turn around and glance at the east and you'll catch a glimpse of Mars rising above the horizon.

This combination of events only happens like this every several decades so if you have small children the next time you see this with them they'll likely be graduating from college or raising a family of their own. So take a moment and glance up. It really is the greatest show (not) on earth.

Is it ok to embellish or lie on a resume? LinkedIn Poll says "No"

I see thousands of resumes and meet with hundreds of candidates every year. More often than not the reality of the candidate matches up pretty closely with how they represented themselves in their resume. Through the years I have come to learn, and I now assume, that many people 'embellish' their resume. They do this not so much with an intent to deceive but simply to highlight their strengths and make themselves appear as qualified as possible.

For those of you on LinkedIn you know there are all sorts of polls about every topic imaginable. Most of these I pay only slight attention to. Recently however one caught my eye both for its subject matter as well as for the response and comments it generated. Bobby Edelman, the founder of Interns Over 40, put up the question to LinkedIn members: "Is it OK to embellish or lie on a resume?" More than 1,200 people (the poll still has 7 days to go) weighed in with an overwhelming majority - 83% - saying "No!" (9% said "Only if you have to" and 7% said "Yes!").

I realize I am splitting hairs but Mr. Edelman's poll actually asks two separate questions as there is a subtle but real distinction, at least in my humble opinion, between embellishment and an outright lie. Outright lies are in the realm of black and white with embellishment introducing shades of grey. According to Webster's II dictionary, to embellish is "To make beautiful, as by ornamentation: Adorn". To lie is to put forward "a false statement purposely put forward as truth; something meant to deceive or give a wrong impression."

All of this begs the question as to what is the purpose of a resume in the first place. As a recruiter I understand that the resume really has but one solitary purpose: to get someone like me to pick up the phone and call a candidate to get further information. As I get that additional information it's up to me to determine how much of the resume was fact, how much was fiction, and yes - how much was embellishment.

Make no mistake, I - like the majority of poll respondents - absolutely believe that to lie on a resume (for example, to claim a college degree when it has not been awarded) is wrong under any circumstances. Lies tend to come out sooner or later often with dire consequences. I also believe that as employers and candidates progress from the initial steps of introduction through interviewing to job offer and onboarding it is incumbent on both sides to accurately portray themselves as honestly as possible. In other words, the role of 'embellishment' diminishes greatly as both sides get to know each other (sounds a lot like dating!). This becomes especially relevant as candidates complete formal job applications. While resumes can represent your personal brand and all the wonderful things you think you are, in the words of Detective Friday of Dragnet fame, when it comes to completing an application its "Just the facts." This is why employers, including Pinnacol, frown on candidates saying "See resume..." on applications.

Finally, I'll wrap up with some good advice for both employers and candidates from one of our former Presidents. When it comes to making a decision based on often imperfect information, "Trust, but verify."