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2023 Program Enrollment is Live!

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It seems far away (and it is), but enrollment for 2023-2024 Ohio BWC savings programs has already started. We’ve had some other blogs that helped educate employers on how to choose the right TPA, but here are some additional things to be on the lookout for during “open season.”

•    Your current TPA will send your renewal for 2023-24 very soon, if they haven’t already. This is usually done in the hopes that you’ll go ahead and process it just to get it off your desk. There’s nothing wrong with taking your time and doing your research. If you send the renewal back to them in July 2022, you’re stuck with them through June 30, 2024. 


•    There are some sneaky marketing pieces out there from our competitors. We’ve seen mailers that say, “We value your continued business – your renewal is enclosed!” This would be great if you were actually their client. If there’s a new decision maker, or this ends up going straight to Accounts Payable, now you have a new TPA that you didn’t ask for. 


•    Are you being provided with program options - or being re-enrolled in Group Rating every year, with the assumption that your TPA would tell you if it wasn’t the most advantageous? Would Group Retro save you more money, or even an option outside of BWC? What other discount programs can you stack with the program you plan on choosing?


•    If you’re looking at Group Retro - are you being shown potential refunds around 50% or higher? We hate to break it to you, but it’s very unlikely. BWC has made several changes to the Group Retro program that means it just doesn’t yield the results it used to. 


•    Also – if you’ve lost Group Rating eligibility and are only being offered Group Retro, has your TPA taken the time to explain the schedule of refunds, and that they don’t come right after the policy year ends? Group Retro can be a great program, but it’s important to understand the logistics of it. 


•    Is your annual fee commensurate with the amount of work your TPA does? If you haven’t seen a claim in years and you’re being charged several thousand dollars, you may want to shop around. You’re not looking for the lowest fee, you’re looking for the most bang for your buck. On the other hand – let’s say your company has a few claims a year, and some of them seem to get away from you because you’ve been told it’s too costly or time-consuming to fight those claims. This is the opposite end of the spectrum – you’ve gotten what you’ve paid for, which is a glorified form filing service. Most of the actual claims management will be left up to you. 


•    That brings us to our next component – does your TPA provide a service agreement? This is what holds them responsible for claims management, not just submitting forms in a timely fashion. A good agreement should outline not only the services and support that will be provided for all claims & policy matters, but also the handling of contested claims. 
 

Spooner’s team is here to help businesses understand all of the options available, and make the right choice for next year’s programs. When you request a quote from us – you won’t just get an offer letter with how much you’ll save and the annual fee. We provide our prospects with a no-cost, in-depth analysis of both the policy and the claims to help businesses understand what will impact them, to what degree, and what could still potentially be done to remedy some of the financial impact.

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Spooner Celebrates 50 Years!

Posted By Brandy King
July 21, 2025 Category: General

Earlier this month before we left for a long holiday weekend, we gathered all of our employees at Spooner’s Westlake headquarters to celebrate an amazing 50 years in business! We celebrated with sunshine, great food, a few cold beverages, and live music. If you’ve been a client for a while, you may have heard the story of how our founder, Tom Spooner, started our family of companies in 1975. For those that haven’t, we like it so much that it takes up most of our “About Us” section, so you can read it there. The abridged version is: we started with grit and determination, and found ways to disrupt the industry in the interest of Ohio employers. Tom Spooner felt then, as our leadership team feels today, that Ohio business big and small need a true partner when it comes to risk management. We’re beyond proud to be that partner to thousands of businesses. While we’ve been lucky enough to experience tremendous growth over the last five decades, we’ve been cautious about keeping that growth organic and maintaining the values and integrity that got us here. We love what we do, and that passion is a big part of what’s kept our client retention rate hovering over 98% for countless consecutive years. We’d like to thank our incredible staff and leadership, and our trusting clients for helping us achieve this milestone. Here’s to the next

OSHA Issues a Flurry of Proposed Rules

Posted By Brandy King
July 21, 2025 Category: General

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently proposed some sweeping changes to longstanding regulations. OSHA published a whopping 25 proposed rules and one final rule on July 1, 2025. The proposed rules encompass several different topics related to worker health and safety. Some of the proposals will impact very narrow groups of employers and industries, and a few may have a substantial impact on a large number of U.S. employers. OSHA’s commentary on these changes indicates a goal of removing unnecessary regulatory burdens on employers, while also streamlining OSHA’s regulatory process. The only final rule put into place (and effective immediately) eliminates the need for OSHA’s administrator to seek opinions of the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health before publishing, changing, or revoking standards that apply to construction work. Below are a few high notes from some of the more broadly applicable proposed regulations. Remember that OSHA’s rulemaking process requires them to publish these proposed changes and allow time for public commentary and feedback. The links above and below lead to the Federal Register site, where the full details of the suggested changes can be accessed along with the feedback submission form. Highlights of Notable Proposed Rules Application of the General Duty Clause: This could be the change that causes the most stir and elicits the most feedback. While the General

Ohio BWC Safety Grants Available

Posted By Brandy King
July 21, 2025 Category: General

Ohio BWC has opened the application period the Safety Intervention Grant (SIG) Program, which matches eligible state-fund employers $3 to $1 on investments to create a safer workplace. Most employers who have had an Ohio BWC policy for at least one year, are paying above minimum premium ($120+), current on installments and true ups with no lapses this year should be able to take advantage. Self-insuring employers, employers in a self-insured PEO, state agencies and state universities are not eligible. Every three years, eligible employers can apply for up to $40,000 in matching funds to purchase “equipment to substantially reduce or eliminate injuries and illnesses associated with a particular task or operation.” The first thing to note is that if your organization wants to benefit from the Safety Intervention Grants, you must complete this process before purchasing equipment. Be prepared with info on workers’ comp claims or incidents associated with the particular area or task, number of employees performing the task, and explore vendors to get price quotes on equipment. As always, there are items and services that grant funds can’t be used for - like standard PPE, training, equipment needed to meet minimum OSHA requirements, etc. A detailed moratorium can be found here.  Of course, there are usually a few strings attached when money is given away. There are reporting requirements once the grant is approved. To avoid getting too

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