Alliance Saves Money, Delivers Quality Care

Article

Thursday, November 21, 2024

The Fund is committed to controlling the impact of workplace injuries for our members and their employees. As part of that commitment, we participate in the Political Subdivision Workers’ Compensation Alliance (Alliance).

Results from the 2024 Network Report Card show the Alliance is doing exactly what it was created to do: deliver quality health care, rein in costs, and get injured employees back on the job.

How the Alliance Stacks Up

The Texas Department of Insurance evaluated 10 workers’ compensation networks based on health care costs, utilization, satisfaction, access to care, return-to-work, and health outcomes.

2024 Alliance accolades include:

Overall average medical costs per claim were the lowest when compared to like-sized networks
Overall average pharmacy costs per claim were the fourth-lowest when compared to all networks
Lowest average by far for the number of weeks injured employees reported being off work because of their work-related injury
Average cost per claim associated with medical professionals, durable medical equipment, and other professional services were $1,480, the second-lowest when compared to all networks and non-network claims

For People, Not Profit

The Fund joined four other strong, stable Texas risk pools to form the Alliance. Unlike typical healthcare networks, the Alliance is not commercially available, and its services aren’t sold for profit. As a member-owned, 504 network, the Alliance’s sole focus is on giving your employees access to the best doctors when they suffer a work-related injury.

For most medical injuries (non-emergencies), employees should follow your schools’ reporting procedures and make an appointment with an Alliance provider. If the injury is urgent or a true emergency, the employee should visit the most appropriate nearest facility (medical clinic, urgent care clinic, or emergency room), and seek follow-up care from an Alliance healthcare provider if necessary.

Fund members who have questions about the Alliance or the responsibilities that come with Alliance participation can reach out to their TASB adjuster for support.

Editor's note: This article was originally published in October 2020 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

Benefits Coverage Workers’ Compensation

Hiawatha Franks

Claims Officer

Hiawatha Franks is the claims officer for TASB Risk Management Services. He is responsible for providing strategic and operational oversight of claims operations for auto, liability, property, workers’ compensation, and other programs.

Franks joined TASB in 1998 and served as the workers’ compensation claims manager until 2005. After working for large insurance carriers for 12 years, he returned to TASB in 2017 as the workers’ compensation claims division director and has served as the claims officer since March 2022. With more than 25 years of experience in the workers’ compensation field, Franks has served as the claims director for The Hartford’s small business insurance program as well as in roles of increasing responsibility at companies such as Texas Mutual and American International Group, Inc.

Franks holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas State University and a Master of Business Administration from Walden University. He also earned the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter and Associates in Risk Management professional designations.