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WorkSafeBC expands Teleclaim service to B.C.’s Interior and North
Kelowna, B.C., April 16, 2006 — Workers in B.C.’s Interior and North who are injured at work can now file their claims for time loss more quickly and easily, WorkSafeBC announced today.
As of Monday April 16, injured workers in the Interior and North can call Teleclaim, a new WorkSafeBC service to report injuries and receive personal assistance to help with their recovery and return to work.
Previously, to report time-loss injuries, workers completed an application for compensation and submitted it to WorkSafeBC — a practice used by most workers' compensation organizations in Canada.
“Now, rather than filling out paperwork, workers can simply call Teleclaim to report their work-related injuries and speak directly with a WorkSafeBC representative,” said Dave Driscoll, WorkSafeBC's regional director in the Interior and North. “The process is quicker and easier than before, and provides more personalized service up front.”
Through surveys and focus groups, injured workers have repeatedly told WorkSafeBC that they want service that is compassionate. They also want to be treated like individuals, and to be better informed about the claim process. In addition, they want help returning to work.
“Teleclaim is designed to meet the service priorities identified by workers,” said Driscoll. When workers call Teleclaim, they receive assistance from one of WorkSafeBC's client service representatives who submits an injury report on their behalf, explains the claims' process, answers their questions, and helps obtain services to assist with their rehabilitation and return to work.
For WorkSafeBC, Teleclaim streamlines injury reporting and helps improve the timeliness and efficiency of claim processing. “The direct contact allows us to get to work on a claim much sooner, which helps facilitate earlier treatment, return-to-work support, and wage-loss payments for injured workers,” said Driscoll.
To ensure a smooth transition to Teleclaim, WorkSafeBC is implementing the new system in stages. WorkSafeBC first piloted Teleclaim on Vancouver Island beginning in October 2006, before expanding the service to the Interior and North as of April 16. WorkSafeBC will further expand Teleclaim to the Lower Mainland and all remaining areas of the province later this year.
Since launching the pilot program on Vancouver Island, WorkSafeBC has processed nearly 4,000 claims through the Teleclaim Centre. “The feedback from injured workers has been extremely positive,” said Driscoll. “Users appreciate being able to speak with a live person. Now workers can get the answers they need right away rather than waiting for days or weeks.”
Workers in B.C.’s Interior and North who have missed work as a result of a workplace injury can contact Teleclaim at 1 888 WORKERS (1 888 967-5377), or #5377 for Telus Mobility, Rogers, and Bell Mobility customers. The centre is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
WorkSafeBC is an independent provincial statutory agency governed by a Board of Directors that serves nearly two million workers and more than 188,000 employers. WorkSafeBC was born from the historic compromise between B.C.'s workers and employers in 1917 where workers gave up the right to sue their employers and fellow workers for injuries on the job in return for a no-fault insurance program fully paid for by employers. The organization is committed to safe and healthy workplaces and to providing return-to-work rehabilitation and legislated compensation benefits.
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| Gladys Johnsen
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