Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Industry-Specific Safety Program (ISSP) changes effective July 1

The Division of Safety and Hygiene (DSH) has modified the Industry-Specific Safety Program (ISSP) for Ohio employers who actively partner with DSH to reduce the risk of injuries and illness. The overall goal for ISSP is the identification of risk factors and the implementation of effective control measures that improve employee safety and health.

The following changes take effect July 1 for private employers and Jan. 1, 2022 for public employers.

Following a DSH safety and health consultation, the employer must now complete DSH follow-up activities before the end of the program year to earn loss prevention activity credits. Follow-up activities may include responding to a DSH action plan or completing a post-training survey. Previously, employers completed a post-consultation survey (SH-29).

Learn more about DSH ISSP activity credits.

Private employers participating in ISSP for the July 1 policy year must submit the online Safety Self-Assessment (SH-26) no later than July 30.

Click here to submit the SH-26 online.

Drug-Free Safety Program Deadlines Approaching

Private employers participating in the Drug-Free Safety Program (DFSP) for the July 1 policy year must submit the online Safety Self-Assessment (SH-26) no later than July 30. If employers are taking part in the advanced level then they must also submit a DFSP Safety Action Plan (DFSP-5) no later than Aug. 30.

Employers that are participating at the DFSP Basic level may be eligible for a 4 percent premium rebate. If employers are participating at the advanced level then they may be eligible for a 7 percent premium rebate if they satisfy all basic and advanced program requirements. To learn more about our Drug-Free Safety Program visit our DFSP at a glance page.

Click here to submit the SH-26 online.

Click here to submit the DFSP-5 online.

Grow Ohio Safety Requirement Deadline

Participants in the Grow Ohio program that initially took out coverage from July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020 must complete one safety activity by June 30, 2021 to maintain participation in Grow Ohio for the July 1, 2021 policy year.

Participants can complete a safety survey and acknowledge you've read an introduction to our Division of Safety & Hygiene's (DSH's) offerings or complete at least two hours of safety training offered by the Division of Safety and Hygiene or complete the online Safety Self-Assessment (SH-26) to satisfy the safety requirement.

Click here to complete the safety survey.

Learn more about the safety courses we offer

Click here to submit the SH-26 online.

New! My Provider Info web-based service offering

We’re excited to announce an online service offering exclusively for our providers. The My Provider Info web offering is a confidential tool for providers to view and make updates to their provider demographic information. 

Watch our short introductory video to learn more and see a My Provider Info web offering demo. Gone are the pen and paper days to request demographic changes. 

Providers can simply log into their-account and make updates anytime – it’s that easy and convenient; then continue on to view claims data by using the headers at the top of the page.   

My Provider Info

This new offering is our way to confidentially share  provider enrollment information and allow providers to make immediate name, address, and other demographic updates securely online. Updates made through the web offering go directly into  their BWC enrollment record and are available on the Find a Provider lookup.  

Some data updates require supporting documentation, such as a group practice provider updating their doing-business-as (DBA) name and an IRS W9 form must be uploaded (form needs to be pdf format).     

How do providers access My Provider Info?    

Providers may log into their e-account by clicking ‘ACCOUNT’ in the upper right corner of our website’s home page, www.bwc.ohio.gov or click the My Provider Info icon from the For Provider page.

If they don’t have an e-account, creating one is easy. Our one-minute video tutorial will walk them through the set-up steps. Providers must use their federal tax identification number (EIN) or Social Security number from their enrollment record to create an e-account.  Their provider identifier or their national provider identifier (NPI) will not work as these are public, non-secure numbers.

Provider e-account security access details are found in this information fact sheet. 

Future My Provider Info enhancements

The online service offering options will increase as we make additional enhancements, and we’ll let you know in future articles when these are available. Our goal is to give providers a web-based product that replaces all their pen and paper processes for provider enrollment and recertification. 

Providers, start using this electronic method of doing business with us today. You may email us at feedback.medical@bwc.state.oh.us or call 1- 800-477-2292. 

Deadline nears for Indoor Air Quality program

The deadline to apply for BWC’s Indoor Air Quality Assistance Program is June 30. This federally funded $28 million program provides reimbursement for improvements to HVAC systems at nursing homes, assisted living centers, hospices, and other facilities that serve vulnerable Ohioans. Experts say such improvements weaken COVID-19’s spread. For an application and more on this program, visit this BWC webpage.

COVID-19 – Vaccine Development

Click the image to watch Dr. Frederic Bertley, president and CEO of COSI, explain how the COVID-19 vaccine was created using science we’ve been developing for over 20 years. #InThisTogetherOhio Brought to you by the Ohio Department of Health.

News Briefs

Transitional Work Grant program enhancements

We have enhanced our Transitional Work Grant (TWG) program for Ohio employers who actively participate in the recovery and return to work of their employees. Employers are now eligible for a TWG every five years, 100% reimbursement up to their approved grant maximum, and COVID-19 services.

To learn more, visit Transitional Work Programs on BWC’s website or email questions to TWSupport@bwc.state.oh.us.

Workplace vaccination clinics

ODH is also asking businesses to partner with COVID-19 vaccine providers in their communities to offer convenient clinics that meet the scheduling needs of your employees. ODH has launched a webpage to connect businesses, organizations and partner vaccine providers with resources to plan workplace vaccinations and encourage employee participation. To get started, visit the ODH COVID-19 Vaccination Program for Businesses and Organizations page.

June edition of Safety Update

Check out the latest news from safety and health experts from BWC, NIOSH, and OSHA..

Important dates

June 21: Private employer first installment due. More info online

June 21: Webinar: A PERRP-spective on the Fire Chief’s Role in Compliance. More info online

June 22: Virtual Training: Effective Safety Teams Half-day Workshop. More info online

June 24: Employer update webinar. More info online

June 25: Board of Directors meeting

June 28: MCO changes become effective

July 1: Private employer payroll true-up period

July 1: Private Employer early payment discount. More info online

July 13:  Webinar: Workers’ Compensation and How Safety Affects Small Business Profitability (in Spanish). More info online.

Check out our blogs!

We encourage you to visit our blog each month to get the latest on news related to workers’ compensation. New in June:

• Trench Stand Down focuses on keeping workers safe in trenches
• Real estate agent owes BWC over $151K after fraud conviction

Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation

Vision: To transform BWC into an agile organization driven by customer success.
Mission: To deliver consistently excellent experiences for each BWC customer every day. Core Values: One Agency, Personal Connection, Innovative Leadership, Relentless Excellence.

Established in 1912, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation is the exclusive provider of workers’ compensation insurance in Ohio and serves 249,000 public and private employers. With nearly 1,700 employees and assets of approximately $25 billion, BWC is one of the largest state-run insurance systems in the United States. For more, visit www.bwc.ohio.gov.