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Showing posts for: Dan Beaty

Feb 13 2026
Safety and HealthWashingtonWorkers’ Comp

L&I rates are up—but your future costs don’t have to be

L&I’s 4.9% rate increase for 2026 highlights what employers already know: some workers’ comp costs are out of your hands. But the idea that “workers’ comp is just a tax you can’t avoid” is a myth. You actually have several high-impact tools within your control—tools that can directly reduce your premiums. Here are five controllable…

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Jun 10 2025
Safety and HealthWashingtonWorkers’ Comp

Retro Group Assessments: Are You at Risk and How to Stay in the Refund Zone

Retro group assessments can turn expected refunds into unexpected costs. We’re breaking down why they happen, how to spot warning signs, and what you can do to stay in the refund zone. Why do Assessments Happen? Assessments don’t just happen out of the blue. They’re triggered when a Retro group’s claims and losses exceed what…

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Mar 20 2025
WashingtonWorkers’ Comp

Vigilant Claims Review? How does it work?

Q&A: What is a Vigilant claims review anyway? Curious what a Vigilant claims review is all about and what it can reveal? Great! Are you a Washington manufacturing or agribusiness looking to better understand your workers’ comp performance and uncover opportunities for improvement? If so, you’re in the right place. Let’s explore the claims review…

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Dec 06 2024
Safety and HealthWashingtonWorkers’ Comp

Turning Rising Workers’ Comp Costs Into Big Savings

What if one of your company’s biggest challenges could become a triumph? That’s exactly what happened with a Washington engineering and fabrication company.  Facing escalating workers’ comp costs, they turned what seemed like an overwhelming problem into a meaningful success. Here’s how. The Problem: Escalating Costs   » In early 2019, the company’s EMF (Experience…

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Nov 25 2024
Safety and HealthWashingtonWorkers’ Comp

L&I launches new light duty complaint resolution process

The Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) recently launched a new Light Duty Complaint Resolution Office, for the purpose of resolving disputes over transitional and permanent job assignments for both state fund and self-insured workers’ comp claims. This is an important (and potentially problematic) development for employers because injured workers and their attorneys now…

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Jul 31 2024
Safety and HealthWashingtonWorkers’ Comp

Why forecasting your L&I premium is a must

Financial forecasting is crucial for any employer, especially when it comes to managing major expenses. Since workers’ comp costs are among the top expenses for manufacturers, it’s no doubt accurate L&I premium forecasts can provide significant benefits. What are these benefits and why do we strongly suggest that “let’s forecast your premium” should be one…

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Jun 07 2024
Safety and HealthVigilant NewsWashington

Vigilant issues historic Washington Retro distribution

A few weeks ago, Vigilant sent retro distribution checks to members that participate in our Washington Workers’ Compensation Retro program. We are delighted to share that this year’s retro distribution was the largest in the history of Vigilant’s program! Vigilant remains fiercely committed to stewarding a program that carefully balances refund maximization while also providing…

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May 23 2024
WashingtonWorkers’ Comp

How many claims are too many for your claims manager? 📂📂📂

Managing claims effectively, whether internally or through a TPA, requires a manageable workload for claims managers. Is your claims manager dealing with too many cases? Understanding how overwhelming caseloads can affect claims handling is essential, impacting outcomes and costs. Let’s review some of the top problems with claims overload: Claims fail to receive enough attention…

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Apr 25 2024
Safety and HealthWashingtonWorkers’ Comp

Four workers’ comp red flags we’d never, ever ignore

We’re workers’ comp experts and here are four things we’d never, ever ignore if we were an employer in Washington. Brandon Dion, CFO at Vigilant  |  Dan Beaty, VP Workers’ Comp at Vigilant Rising EMF/premiums. This probably indicates a systemic problem that requires attention. It could be due to a variety of factors such as…

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Mar 18 2024
Safety and HealthWashingtonWorkers’ Comp

Workers’ Comp Costs: What you CAN control

As you know, L&I increased rates for Washington employers in January by 4.9% on average. If you’ve attended one of our recent webinars, you know rate changes fall into the category of things outside of your control when it comes to workers’ compensation costs. You might also recall the ridiculously busy but truthful graphic from…

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Feb 09 2024
WashingtonWorkers’ Comp

How happy are you with your workers’ comp partner?

How often do you find the terms “happy” and “workers’ compensation” in the same sentence? It’s a rare occurrence, given the challenges and complexities associated with workers’ comp in Washington. While many perceive it as a necessary burden, there are companies out there with a different perspective—those who genuinely find satisfaction in their Retro or…

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Oct 05 2023
WashingtonWorkers’ Comp

Claims ‘Monitoring’ vs. ‘Management’: Which is best for your company?

As an employer, navigating complex claims on your own can be exceedingly overwhelming and time-consuming, which is why the prospect of having a partner to “manage your claims” can come as quite a relief. However, it begs the question: what does “claims management” truly entail? And if your partner is more of the “claims monitoring”…

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Is My Company Eligible?

If you are a manufacturing or agriculture employer in Washington and committed to keeping your employees safe and working, you may be eligible for Vigilant's workers' compensation Retro or claims management programs. To see if you qualify fill out our release form now, or contact us.

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