The Connection Magazine The Connection Magazine | Page 7
partner. The analysis showed issues with accident repetition,
that is, recurring injuries with the same employees or multiple
employees. In addition, there were a disproportionate number
of claims with obesity as a comorbidity, costing more than
$200,000 in 2016 alone.
“This account jumped feet first into wellness with their
health insurer and then with us,” Brendan says. “They
committed to injury prevention programs and joined
our A.I.M. Works: The Wellness Advantage program. We
crunched the numbers and identified trends. We met with
management and had full support from the broker.” Once
the root cause of injuries was identified, the company
introduced safety incentives, wellness initiatives,
a modified duty return-to-work program, and other
corrective measures. Their loss ratio fell dramatically.
In the second case, Gary and Brendan identified and
reviewed a company that was part of A.I.M. Mutual’s
assigned risk book of business in Massachusetts. They
spent time with the broker and company management and
noted concerns over some foundational elements that were
missing, such as detailed hiring practices and employment
screenings. The company agreed to address them and to be
reviewed again in six months. They are now a policyholder.
GARY HEFFERNAN, CIC, LIA, is a Senior
Underwriter at A.I.M. Mutual and has an
extensive background in commercial sales and
workers’ compensation underwriting. He is
licensed in New Hampshire and Connecticut as
well as in Massachusetts and is a Life, Accident
and Health Broker. He is a Certified Insurance
Counselor (CIC) and Massachusetts Licensed
Insurance Advisor (LIA) and holds a B.A. in
Economics from Tufts University.
While these results don’t happen every day, they
illustrate the benefits of our unique collaboration.
A Leap of Faith
When it comes to new business submissions, A.I.M.
Mutual’s underwriters are just as responsive. But even an
account that looks good on paper may not be a perfect fit
for the A.I.M. Mutual partnership. The level of commitment
determines the level of success, so broker-centric teams
may meet with the broker and client in person.
Just recently, Gary recalls a broker calling about an
account with a great 13-year track record but had one slip-
and-fall claim and was nonrenewed by their carrier. “We’ll
certainly look at that business,” Gary says. “By and large,
if people are willing to work with us, we’ll determine if we
can work with them to turn it around.” After review, A.I.M.
Mutual wrote that account.
From underwriting and claim to premium receivables,
audit, injury prevention, and worksite wellness, we are
hearing positive feedback from brokers and employers
alike. We feel confident the partnership is working. For
more information on our underwriting criteria or how to
become a broker partner, contact Kevin Snyder, Senior
Manager—Underwriting, at [email protected].
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BRENDAN CARR is an Injury Prevention &
Worksite Wellness Consultant for A.I.M Mutual
and has more than 15 years in the loss control
and occupational safety consulting fields. He
is experienced in consulting with management,
supervisors, and front-line workers on how to
promote safety in the workplace and has worked
in the manufacturing, construction, hospitality,
and forest-related industries.