Skip to content


Tag Archives: Expense Management

  1. Part 3 on Leadership: Challenges and Assistance in Leading Change March 25, 2014

    Posted in Strategic Planning.

    In Leadership: The Change Process In Claims Requires A Different Approach, I put forth the position that changing a claims organization needs a new brand of leadership skill that does not usually exist in the traditional claims organization. In Part 2 on Leadership: Developing a Strategic Transformation Team, I addressed how to break from existing management process to achieve effective strategic results. In the final installment, I discuss how challenges around leading change make it beneficial to bring in strategic support to help achieve the desired success.

    No comments
  2. Part 2 on Leadership: Developing a Strategic Transformation Team March 17, 2014

    Posted in Strategic Planning.

    Breaking from the linear approach to management is the key to leading Strategic Transformation. A standard organization will have a head of claims and then a variety of department heads to manage each line of business. Depending on the company there may be additional senior managers to handle various operational aspects of the group, which may include support staff, call center, technology and data analytics. Under this method, projects get initiated and managed within the same linear organizational framework. The result of this approach is a development process built in a silo that limits input and understanding of possible interdependencies that may exist outside the framework. In this post we will explore further how a strategic transformation team is formed and can be effective.

    No comments
  3. Leadership: The Change Process In Claims Requires A Different Approach March 10, 2014

    Posted in Strategic Planning.

    Successful organizations are always changing and adopting to improve their operations, lower costs and increase efficiencies. Claims departments are no different and have been under pressure to transform their operations and live by the mantra of doing more with less. Good claims organizations continuously evolve and adapt to ensure they add value to the overall business. Regardless, changing to meet the challenges of the marketplace is often fraught with problems and difficulties. Many initiatives fail to get off the ground or fail in the implementation process. Change can be very successful and if managed and led correctly. To change effectively there must be a strategic approach and a change in how these initiatives are led.

    No comments
  4. Getting Creative And Reducing Claim Costs Without Sacrificing Quality – Part II December 22, 2010

    Posted in Litigation Management, SPOT on Costs, SPOT on Ops.

    Last month, Suzanne Ganier discussed the building blocks needed to reduce claim and litigation costs, while still maintaining a strong focus on quality. Those building blocks included:

    * collecting current data about your claims and litigation
    * evaluating the claim and litigation work itself
    * settling on a carrier claim and litigation handling philosophy

    In her follow up, Suzanne discusses how these building blocks create a foundation on which to build new processes and procedures that will reduce your claim and litigation costs, and maybe even decrease you volume as well. I refer this building process as looking at What I Have, What I Want, and What I See.

    3 comments
  5. Time to Get Creative – Reducing Claim Costs without Sacrificing Quality (or your sanity) November 22, 2010

    Posted in Litigation Management, SPOT on Costs, SPOT on Ops.

    In an environment of increased pressure to reduce costs and close claims, bright ideas can help to reduce legal costs while still ensuring great service. In this article, litigation expert Suzanne Ganier speaks about the importance of understanding what you know and what you don’t, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of those involved in the litigation process, and aligning those analyses with your organization’s philosophies. The result can be a litigation management process that reduces overall claim costs and preserves your sanity.

    No comments
  6. 6 Steps To Reduce Expenses For Medical Experts As Suggested By The Expert June 17, 2010

    Posted in Medical Malpractice, SPOT on Costs, SPOT on Issues.

    The traditional method for preparing an expert is to send them the entire record and let them review for possible issues. Dr. Philip Lanzkowsky, a medical expert providing opinions and testimony on cases for both plaintiff’s and the defense, raises some practical questions and provides a series of suggestions as to how those expert costs can be reduced.

    Read more in this interesting post of expense reduction of medical expert costs as suggested by the expert.

    2 comments
  7. How To Understand Capturing Lost Hotel Profits Due To The Gulf Oil Spill June 16, 2010

    Posted in SPOT on Issues.

    Knowing how to capture lost profits is critical when seeking reimbursement from the responsible party With uncertainty and concern surrounding the impact of the Gulf oil spill to the coastline from Florida to Texas, many companies are asking what needs to be done to quantify and document lost income for future claims.  Many businesses are […]

    2 comments
  8. 5 Items To Consider When Evaluating An Electronic-Invoicing System For Your Outside Law Firms May 26, 2010

    Posted in Litigation Management, SPOT on Costs, SPOT on Ops.

    Estimates vary, but by most accounts roughly 30% of P & C claims organizations have put some kind of e-billing platform in place. Now, as prices have decreased and law firm utilization expanded, these solutions are easily accessible by claims organizations of all sizes, including those with very low legal expenditures. In Taylor Smith’s last post, 10 Keys To Managing Court Reporting Costs, he wrote about the benefits claims organizations are experiencing when implementing a national court reporting program. He now tackles several key concepts to consider when implementing an e-billing system to improve the management of legal invoices.

    Take a look and let us know what you think.

    1 comment
  9. 10 Key Steps To Managing Court Reporting Costs Designed To Save Claims Expenses May 21, 2010

    Posted in SPOT on Costs.

    There are simple ways to lower costs so stop throwing money away As a consultant working with insurance carriers and the service and technologies who sell to them, I am often asked about new areas for improved cost management. While there are often many opportunities to consider, I often focus on court reporting costs. Why? […]

    No comments
  10. Thinking Outside The Box: Litigation management program initiatives can substantially lower costs February 25, 2010

    Posted in Litigation Management, SPOT on Costs.

    Managing litigation is an easy way to save extra expense costs on claims files. A strong litigation management program designed to help foster improved communication, and streamline defense of insureds, benefits all parties involved. As I wrote about the cost savings benefits of out-of-the-box claims handling, using new and forward thinking strategies for litigation management is an excellent way to save money. Using specialized vendors, claim handlers can further control legal costs as well as enhance their defense.

    No comments