Raising the bar in workers’ compensation: Integrating claims and risk control
When strong claims management and proactive risk control work together, the result is a more effective workers’ compensation program. Research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) shows that integrating workers’ compensation claims data with injury prevention efforts can help employers better understand injury causes, identify trends, and reduce both the frequency and severity of workplace injuries.¹
Workpartners® delivers comprehensive workers’ compensation services to employers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, West Virginia, Delaware, Florida, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.—bringing together claims, medical management, and risk control to support safer workplaces and better long‑term outcomes.
What sets Workpartners apart?
Claims management: Focused, transparent, and outcomes‑driven
Workpartners delivers workers’ compensation claims management that’s grounded in strong communication, dedicated resources, and a focus on safe return‑to‑work outcomes. Each client is supported by two adjusters—one for lost‑time claims and the other for medical claims—to ensure consistent service and streamlined communication. Adjusters’ caseloads are closely monitored to support timely resolution and individualized attention.
Lost‑time adjusters handle up to 100 claims, while medical‑only adjusters manage up to 150. This maximum caseload structure supports thorough investigations and proactive claim oversight, and it contributes to strong closure performance. Workpartners achieves 92 percent claim closure by 18 months, 95 percent by 24 months, and 96 percent by 30 months.
Claims are supported by integrated medical management and cost‑containment strategies designed to promote recovery while controlling expenses. Nearly all lost‑time claims are medically managed by internal nurses, with complex cases supported by specialists and a corporate medical director when needed. Provider partnerships, pharmacy management, and medical bill review help support appropriate, evidence‑based care.
Transparency is a core component of Workpartners’ claims approach. As such, both clients and brokers have real‑time access to claim financials and adjuster and nurse notes through our Online Claim Viewer, plus proactive communication about significant reserve changes. Ongoing audits, professional development, and continuous process improvement help ensure consistent, high‑quality claims management that supports injured employees while helping organizations effectively manage workers’ compensation costs.
Risk control: Supporting prevention and long‑term cost control
Injury prevention is a critical part of an effective workers’ compensation program. This is where risk control comes in. It’s designed to help employers understand where risks exist, why injuries happen, and how risks can be reduced over time. This is an ongoing process that involves identifying hazards, reviewing injury and loss trends, and applying strategies that reduce exposure.
Workpartners collaborates with employers and brokers to evaluate existing safety programs, identify gaps, and develop practical action plans aligned with daily operations and workforce needs. This work is supported by a dedicated risk control team with more than 225 years of combined experience, including certified safety professionals.
Our unbundled risk control services can be delivered as part of a broader workers’ compensation program or individually based on client needs. These services include site surveys and gap analyses; safety committee development and support; ergonomics programs; slip, trip, and fall prevention initiatives; safe patient handling programs; bloodborne pathogen support; and safety training or policy development.
Effective risk control programs help reduce injury frequency and severity, strengthen safety culture, and create cost predictability. They also deliver value beyond claims handling by reinforcing prevention, education, and long‑term program stability—helping clients protect employees while managing financial exposure over time.
Executive spotlight: Steven Wagner
Steven Wagner brings nearly three decades of experience in the workers’ compensation industry. He joined Workpartners in 2010 and has played a key role in the growth and evolution of the organization’s workers’ comp offering.
Throughout his career at Workpartners, Steven has been instrumental in advancing the workers’ compensation line of business. In recognition of his extensive expertise, steady leadership, and long‑standing commitment to the organization’s mission, Steven was promoted in 2024 to lead workers’ compensation at Workpartners. His leadership has helped reinforce the organization’s focus on keeping employees healthy, supported, and productively at work while delivering consistent, high‑quality outcomes for employers.
“Over the years, working closely with our clients and broker partners, I’ve seen that the strongest workers’ compensation programs are built on relationships and integration. When claims management and risk control truly work together, we’re able to do more than manage injuries; we help prevent them, support employees through recovery, and keep people safely at work. Our clients rely on us not just to handle claims, but to understand their workforce, communicate openly, and stand alongside them when challenges arise. That partnership is what allows us to deliver better outcomes for employees, employers, and the brokers who support them every day.”
Steven’s experience, strategic perspective, and dedication to partnership continue to play a critical role in Workpartners’ success and in supporting the clients and brokers who rely on the organization every day.
Success stories
Identifying loss trends and improving safety culture
When an automobile dealership experienced significant workers’ compensation losses driven by slip-and-fall injuries, Workpartners teamed with the client and broker to analyze loss trends and implement targeted safety solutions. Onsite training, hazard identification, and leadership engagement helped eliminate slip-and-fall injuries. As a result, total incurred costs dropped by 68 percent and annual insurance costs decreased by more than $60,000.
Learn more about how partnering with Workpartners allowed our client to improve its safety culture.
Supporting the whole worker: EAP integration
Workpartners recognizes that recovering from a workplace injury is about more than physical well-being. Stress, anxiety, and financial concerns can all impact an injured employee’s ability to heal and return to work.
By integrating our employee assistance program (EAP) with workers’ compensation, Workpartners helps address mental health, emotional well-being, and financial stressors that may delay recovery. This holistic approach supports a faster return to work and better overall outcomes for both employees and employers.
Read more about how employee assistance programs drive better workers' comp outcomes.
Learn more about our suite of well-being services, including EAP.
Where we’ve been
Workpartners was proud to participate in the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI) 2026 Research Summit, contributing to conversations focused on advancing workplace health, productivity, and evidence‑based workforce strategies. On March 4, Workpartners joined fellow industry and research leaders at the summit’s Committee Session to help shape IBI’s research agenda for the second half of 2026.
The next day, Jennie Wheeler, Workpartners’ AVP of Analytics, and other experts participated in a featured session on integrating workplace factors with social determinants of health to strengthen predictive analytics. The discussion highlighted how combining these data sources can help organizations better anticipate risk and drive more informed, actionable workforce decisions.
Thank you to everyone who engaged with us during the event! We appreciated having the opportunity to connect and exchange ideas. If we didn’t have a chance to meet with you during the event, we invite you to visit our website for additional insights and resources, and we hope to see you at future industry events.
References
¹ Center for Workers’ Compensation Studies. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed March 2026. cdc.gov/niosh/centers/workers-comp.html