2. The Commission Claims Administration Electronic Filing
Updating internal processes
Adjudication
Regulatory Authority
Code Section Enforcement
Untimely Filings Penalties
Medical Fee Schedule

3. Why Does Compliance Matter?
The mission of the Commission is to administer and enforce the Workers' Compensation Act set forth in Mississippi Code in an efficient and equitable manner through the performance of administrative and quasi-judicial functions.
Cost of litigation
Overall expense of the claim
Penalties paid

4. How Is WC Going In Mississippi?
Claims Filed in 2017 – 10,669 (2,580 controverted)
Insurance Carriers – 7,812
Self-Insureds – 2,811
Untimely Filed First Reports in 2017 – 1,253 (roughly 10%)
The Commission receives 0% of penalties collected. We are a general fund agency and all monies collected go to the state’s general fund.
Carriers & Self-Insureds were becoming lax in claim reporting requirements. There were settlements with 4 year old injuries, with first documents filed on the day of the settlements (even when claimant had 1 year of TTD paid)
The Commission hopes to see these penalties dwindle to zero.

5. How Can YOU Eliminate FROI Penalties?
Communicate to your HR departments the importance of timely reporting when employees are out with injuries
Communicate to your TPAs that timely reporting to the Commission is non-negotiable
File the FROI within 10 days after the expiration of the waiting period, even if you are waiting on medical addressing causation (a first report of injury is not an admission of liability, nor does it waive any defenses that you may raise later; a B-52 may be filed concurrently to state that the claim is under investigation)
Please remember that any penalty fine received may be appealed and will be reviewed by the Commission

6. Self-Insureds vs. Carriers in 2017
2,580 controverted claims
Self-Insureds – 581
2,364 9i settlements
Self-Insureds – 568
429 Administrative Judge orders
Self-Insureds – 105
59 Commission appeals
Self-Insureds – 20
21 Supreme Court / Court of Appeals appeals
Self-Insureds – 8

7. Supreme Court Decisions
Decisions By Supreme Court
September 2015 – September 2018
Total Number of Rulings WC Cases 50
Cases that Affirmed the Commission 37
Cases Reversing and Remanding 10
Cases Affirmed in Part, Reversed in Part 3

8. Medical Fee Schedule
According to NCCI’s financial data gathered in 2016 (their annual reports release in October so we are still waiting on the 2017 figures), the Mississippi Average Medical Claim Severity is $31,
Medical benefits of the claim constitute 60.7% of the overall cost of the claim
Regional average (including states AL, AR, LA, TN) with medical benefits attributing to 64.7% of total cost of claims
72% of claims are medical only
Arguably, the Medical Fee Schedule is one of the most important regulatory duties that the Commission oversees.

9. Medical Fee Schedule Last thoroughly revised in 2016
Next update slated to be effective in 2019
Guidelines for Opiate Prescriptions effective June 14, 2017
Adopted in response to the opiate crisis that is prevalent in the workers’ compensation world as well as in the general population
Address use of opiates in treatment of non-cancer related chronic pain, perimeters of when opiates are effective, prescription time limits, drug seeking and addiction behaviors, necessity of Prescription Monitoring Programs