Quick Links
Customer Centres
Backgrounder: WorkSafeBC's Teleclaim to improve service for injured workers
Additional resources
How many claims did WorkSafeBC receive from Vancouver Island in 2005?
In 2005, there were 20,914 claims reported on Vancouver Island.
Throughout British Columbia, there were 164,443 claims reported in 2005.
How many worksites are there in B.C.?
On Vancouver Island, there are 31,284 employers who are registered with WorkSafeBC, representing approximately 35,000 worksites.
In British Columbia, there are more than 185,000 employers who are registered with WorkSafeBC, representing in excess of 500,000 worksites.
What is Teleclaim?
Teleclaim is a new contact centre that workers can call if they are injured at work on Vancouver Island and have missed work as a result of their injury.
Prior to October 2, 2006, an injury claim could be initiated only when the worker, the worker's employer, or worker's physician reported the injury and mailed or faxed their injury reports to WorkSafeBC.
Since WorkSafeBC's system was primarily paper based — common for workers' compensation systems in Canada — it lent itself to service delays and did not maximize opportunities for workers to receive personal assistance at the outset of their injury.
That is now changing. Starting today, on Vancouver Island, workers can contact Teleclaim to initiative a claim for time loss and receive assistance from a WorkSafeBC representative who will complete an injury report on their behalf, explain the claims' process, answer their questions, and help them access services to assist with their recovery and return to work.
Why is WorkSafeBC changing its injury reporting system?
Teleclaim responds to service priorities identified by workers to WorkSafeBC. Through extensive surveys, workers repeatedly stated that their top priorities are to receive service that's compassionate, to be treated like an individual, to ensure their fears are addressed, and to receive support for return to work. Teleclaim is designed to better respond to those needs by providing personal service tailored to the unique circumstances of each injured worker.
If I'm a Vancouver Island employer and one of my workers is injured, do I still need to submit an injury report?
Yes, for the time being, employers will continue to submit workplace injury reports (known as Form 7s) if one of their workers suffers an injury. However, to streamline injury reporting even further, through Teleclaim, in the future employers will have the option of receiving these reports online — completed by WorkSafeBC — for their review and submission.
Why is Teleclaim available only on Vancouver Island?
Teleclaim is being piloted on Vancouver Island. However, the service will extend to the rest of the province by spring 2007.
For workers, Teleclaim will:
- Provide a single point of contact to report injuries
- Provide a simplified process to report injuries
- Present opportunities for workers to receive services tailored to their unique needs
- Reduce the amount of paperwork they're required to complete and submit to WorkSafeBC
- Help reduce the fear and confusion they often experience when they are first injured
- Help them gain a clearer understanding of the claims process, worker responsibilities, and of the services available to help them with their recovery and return to work
- Help accelerate the injury reporting process, disability management services, and the processing of wage loss payments
For employers, Teleclaim will:
- Facilitate improved communication and faster notification of an injury
- Decrease administrative work
- Foster a greater understanding of the claims' process and of the services available to help their workers with recovery and return to work
For physicians, Teleclaim will:
- Improve the timeliness of billing as many injured workers will already have a claim number when they visit their physician for the first time
If a worker is not able to call Teleclaim, can another person phone on the worker's behalf?
Yes, if a worker has been severely injured and cannot phone Teleclaim to report the injury, a family member or co-worker may phone Teleclaim on the worker's behalf.
|
For more information please contact: |
Gladys Johnsen
|