WHAT IS A SIG?
Self Insured Groups are regulated alternatives to traditional insurance that are approved by the State of California to provide workers’ compensation benefits to member employers. A self insured group is a California Not-for-Profit Mutual Benefit Corporation run by a Board of Trustees.
Each self insured group is reviewed, approved and monitored by California’s Department of Industrial Relations, Office of Self Insurance Plans (OSIP). Just as each self insured group is reviewed and approved, each member of a self insured group is similarly reviewed to ensure that individual employers meet the requirements of membership. A self insured group is a “shared-risk” pool, with joint and several liability among members.
A Self Insured Group is made up of the following parts:
- Members who share a common industry
- A Board of Trustees
- An Administrator
- Third Party Claims Administrator (TPA)
- Safety and Loss Control services
- Independent Accountants and Actuaries
- Excess Insurance Carrier
HOW DOES A SIG WORK
A Self Insured Group is a group of employers in a common industry who have joined together to provide workers’ compensation benefits. The group is a California “Non-Profit Mutual Benefit Corporation” that only exists to benefit the members. Subsequently, the members own the self insured group.
The way it works is simple, yet effective. Group members make contributions to the self insured group, and the self insured group pays expenses and claims for injured workers.
A self insured group directly contracts for services normally performed by an insurance company, and some of the services secured on behalf of members include:
- Program Administration
- Safety and Loss Control Services
- Third Party Administration (TPA)
- Independent Accountants and Actuaries
- Excess Insurance Carrier
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
HISIG Standards of Conduct for Members
The members of HISIG are part of a risk sharing program and there is a shared expectation of commitment to strong loss prevention and management. The HISIG Standards of Conduct document includes a commitment to transitional duty programs (return to work), strong employer-employee communication, accident investigation and an active Injury Illness Prevention Program.
Dedicated Claims Team
HISIG features a dedicated claims adjuster that only handles claims for our program. This ensures a very low file count allowing a greater focus on case management and claims closure. HISIG also features a Return-To-Work (RTW) program to transition injured employees back to work.
Stable Costs, Outstanding Service
HISIG seeks to control costs for retail employers as Workers’ Compensation costs again begin to escalate in California. Members get service and support on claims and safety they cannot get anywhere else – dedicated loss control, specialized training, immediate response on service requests, and a dedicated claims team. HISIG is designed to be a program that can last in the turbulent conditions of California Workers’ Compensation.
BENEFITS OF JOINING
Household Industries Self-Insured Group (HISIG) is an elite collective of safety-driven employers who have pooled their resources to successfully self insure. HISIG started in 2005 to better serve the home improvement industries throughout the Golden State.
“Only the Best”
HISIG can choose to offer membership to only those employers who demonstrate a solid commitment to superior operations. This limits the group’s exposure to “bad risks.” This approach is vital because the better the results, the lower the cost for members.
Program Control
There is no comparison to the kind of program control a group of employers have under self insurance versus a fully insured plan. In HISIG, the members have control of the program through the Board of Trustees.
Aggressive Claims Management
Claims management is crucial when creating a successful self insured group. Investigations of suspicious claims, Return-to-Work programs and strong case management are key components in keeping claims costs down.
Safety & Loss Control
A strong safety program is necessary for the success of HISIG. Working together to prevent injuries makes a huge difference in keeping workers’ comp claims down.
Regulatory Oversight
California’s Department of Industrial Relations, Office of Self Insurance Plans oversees all self insured group programs and requires annual financial reviews.
Excess Insurance
HISIG purchases Excess Insurance from an admitted Excess Insurance carrier to protect the group from large losses. All claims that exceed the group’s self insured retention are paid by the Excess Insurance carrier. This helps limit the group’s exposure.
LOSS CONTROL
The Household Industries Self-Insured Group is a program designed for employers who are invested in preventing injuries in their workplace. Every member of the group shares in the risks and rewards of the program. Every member wants to know that their fellow members care about safety and are actively engaged in their safety program.
HISIG members do not engage in safety programs in order to avoid problems with Cal OSHA – they do it to keep employees safe and reduce claims costs.
Safety is about reducing risk in the workplace. It is more than safe conditions and practices – it is about the culture of a company, the most important aspect in reducing risk.
HISIG provides members with in person training, site visits, additional online safety training and support available through the member portal. The HISIG safety program is designed to address the real world issues that members encounter.
The HISIG Loss Control Team helps build safety cultures that support the long-term health and profitability for HISIG Members. Contact the loss control team through the HISIG Hotline at 1-855-MY-HISIG.
TESTIMONIALS
Our members have said
“Being a part of the HISIG group allows out company to have the resources of a professional team of knowledgeable and dedicated staff to assist and guide us with all of our workers’ compensation needs.”
“After joining HISIG, we became well aware of the advantages of competent claims management. Just by actively managing the claims process, we noticed that real, minor incidents were resolved quickly and thoroughly to everybody’s satisfaction.”
“There is a huge difference, in terms of rate, between traditional insurance companies and self-insurance groups. I see a return on my investment with HISIG. I have a team dedicated to keeping my costs down.”
“The group is comprised of like minded business owners who want to stop generating large profits for insurance companies. In doing so, we are able to control our costs and manage our losses and liabilities. In turn, our cost of workers’ compensation is significantly lower.”
HOW DO I JOIN?
For More Information, please fill out the following form and a representative will get in contact with you.