GRIP Update 2020

By Sean Lawler MBIA Safety Director

anything but normal; rest assured GRIP Safety Services are operating “almost” as normal. We wanted to take a moment to field some questions members have been asking recently.

We resumed classes “almost” as normal back in June when the governor lifted shelter in place restrictions and moved the state to “Phase II” re-open. To do our part, we are teaching classes in person as we have for over 20 years, but we are limiting class sizes. To allow social distancing in our various hotel meeting spaces, we are capping classes at 15-20 participants, which allows us to put one student per table (versus traditional three).

Yes, we are happy to come to your jobsite/ workplace and provide a confidential site inspection. Since June we have performed dozens of jobsite visits for members; please do not hesitate to contact us to schedule one.

We are currently exploring videographers and web hosting services to possibly make some of our classes available in an online learning platform. We are also getting OSHA’s opinion and approval for the feasibility of online courses versus traditional classroom courses. Should any of GRIP safety classes become available online, we will be sure to send notification to all our members.

Many of our members should have recently received a letter and prefilled GRIP Enrollment Application from myself and Mike Rocchio. Please sign and return it in the postage paid envelope as the cost of enrolling is included in your HBA membership! Every year we print a list of every association member and mail an application to all of the MBIA Members that use the Montana State Fund for Workers Compensation and have not enrolled in GRIP. Sign and return asap your missing out on the most valuable program the association has for members!

Unfortunately, No. What’s driving reserves is another effect of 7/1/2011 legislation (House Bill 334) which specifically refers to what can and can’t be petitioned for reopening medical benefits, MCA 39-71-717 and 3971-704 - (ii) Subsection (1)(f)(i) does not apply to a worker who is permanently totally disabled as a result of a compensable injury or occupational disease or for the repair or replacement of a prosthesis furnished as a direct result of a compensable injury or occupational disease.

To summarize, there are two types of claims that are an “automatic” to stay open in referencing the five-year statutory closure. Those are Permanent Total claims and claims that require a prosthetic device. So far, this statute has provided more positive impact on the industry than negative because we are able to resolve claims on or before the five-year date from date of injury. However, in our case it has created an unavoidable impact to the groups return. Permanent Total claims are reserved out to Retirement age. Prosthetic claims are reserved out to Life Expectancy.