As we approach the fourth anniversary of the Workers Comp Insider (September 17, 2003), it’s a good time to step back and ask a fundamental question: Why are we doing this? Four years ago Tom, Julie and I observed that there were a lot of bloggers tackling a lot of issues, but they mostly involved isolated individuals pursuing a particular passion. Businesses in general seemed disinterested and our particular focus, the insurance industry, was totally missing in action from the blogsphere.
As a company specializing in designing and fine tuning loss control and risk management programs for employers and insurers, Lynch Ryan saw an opportunity. With its infinite, instantaneous reach, the web offered a virtual forum for exploring the many ramifications of workers comp. As consultants, we wanted to create a meaningful and objective means of communicating issues related to the key comp constituencies:
– helping employers minimize the cost of risk, while still managing their injured employees
– supporting insurance companies in risk selection and in the education of policy holders
– guiding injured employees back to gainful employment
– facilitating medical provider interaction with injured employees, their employers and insurers (and helping them survive increasingly stingy payment schemes)
– guiding states through the complex task of legislative reform, where they must balance the needs of injured employees, employers, insurers and medical providers, without allowing the cost of insurance to drive business out of state
– alerting workers’ comp professionals and risk managers to issues of compelling interest which they might not otherwise encounter
Fertile Ground
Over our four years as bloggers, we have examined managed care, coverage for independent contractors, the practices (good, bad and indifferent) of insurance carriers, the impact of designer drugs on the cost of insurance. We have discussed fraud in Ohio, legislative reform in dozens of states, the use (and abuse) of temporary modified duty, myriad safety issues – cell phone use while driving, heat in the summer, cold in the winter. We have highlighted the aging American workforce and the implications for workers comp in the years ahead. We have explored the profound implications for the comp system of the millions of workers lacking health insurance, along with the nation’s dilemma dealing with 12 million undocumented workers. And that’s just a hint of the fertile ground we have plowed, up to five times a week, for over 200 weeks. Dull it isn’t!
We also have created and refined a website that makes accessing web resources as easy as possible, linking our readers to business, risk management and health-related resources. In addition, you can use our robust search engine to explore nearly 800 blog entries by content area. All modesty aside, we think that the Insider has become the best workers comp reference library on the net.
How are We Doing?
We think it’s working pretty well. We have as many as 20,000 hits a month, with several thousands of loyal readers and hundreds of casual visitors seeking inforation on a specific issue. Readership has increased steadily from month to month. We are approaching our goal of becoming the “go to” site for workers comp issues.
And, although Google and others call several times a month, we don’t allow advertising, except for a small banner that links to LynchRyan, our parent company.
All of which leads to a very fundamental question for any business: is it worth the effort? Is this free service in any way profitable? That’s not an easy question to answer – and in some respects, it’s the wrong question. But in the interests of full disclosure and the candor to which we are committed, yes, we have established long term and meaningful relationships with a number of insurance companies and employers who found us through the blog. The considerable effort easily pays for itself.
But even if the blog were a “loss leader” we would probably continue the effort. We are filling a definite need on the web, providing a balanced and objective view of risk management and risk transfer issues, with a special focus on workers comp. Our goal is to provide our readers with a reliable, well written and entertaining news source that reflects our abiding passion and our many years in the field. And whatever you think of the Insider, you’ll have to agree on one thing: the price is right.
Your comments are always welcome.
