Under California law, an employer is legally obligated to provide benefits to its employees for injuries that arise out of and in the course of employment. Employers may choose coverage for workers' compensation from the commercial insurance market or elect to self-insure for this exposure. MSIA members have elected to self-insure and share their workers' compensation coverage and risks in a pooling environment.
The Workers' Compensation Program was established to account for the self-insured and excess coverage for workers' compensation claims. The program runs from July 1 to June 30 of each year. The Board has contracted with Bickmore Risk Services & Consulting for general administration. Arthur J. Gallagher is the program broker for obtaining excess insurance coverage.
To prevent claims, MSIA has contracted with Kennan & Associates to create an Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) for safety and loss control services. York Insurance Services provides third party claims administration.
The MSIA's insurance coverages, deductibles, and self-insured retentions (SIR) are as follows for the Workers' Compensation Fund:
| Self-Insured Retention: |
$500,000 |
| Excess Insurance Purchased: |
$500,000 to statutory limits |
As part of their Workers’ Compensation Program, MSIA implemented Structured Return-to-Work in an effort to curtail the cost of lost time and assist in the timely reporting of claims. The group has contracted with Norman Peterson & Associates and instituted a formal return-to-work program to assist employees to get back to work and assist the districts with creating temporary modified duty assignments.
Professional Dynamics, Inc. provides MSIA employees with 24/7 telephone access to Registered Nurses and medical professionals for prompt reporting of on–the-job injuries