Why Agents Need Workers’ Comp Manuals

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I agree that agents and all others need to review the manuals more often than they do. I would make the following adjustments to your article.

There are 2 filed and approved manuals nationally and in each state (Basic Manual and Experience Rating Manual) that you indicated and then there is Scopes which is a helpful guide only. In Virginia, the VA only Scopes is filed and approved as an official manual.

When there is a difference between Scopes and the Basic Manual, the Basic Manual wins as it is approved for use nationally and in each state. Most people think that the Basic Manual content feeds the Scopes Manual – it doesn’t. Most people think that Scopes reflects all the content in the Basic Manual – it doesn’t. Most people think that the Independent Bureau states (CA, MA, NJ, NY, etc) content in Scopes is 100% accurate and up to date – frequently it’s not.

Scopes is a good guide with a wealth of information as a starting point, that should be checked against the Basic Manual before a decision is made. The reality is that 90+% of users start and end their research with Scopes exclusively.

For example – Scopes NY Code 8265 Iron or Steel Scrap Dealer & Drivers (Feb 01 2011 version) is accurate, but if you look at the prior versions going back 10 years you will notice additional content relating to 4 other codes relating to stevedoring that is not part of NY code 8265.

For example – In National Scopes code 5551 Roofing – All Kinds & Drivers (Jul 01 2011 version) – 2nd paragraph of Description relating to a permanent yard says that you can separately rate this operation. The Feb 01 2011 version of Code 5551 in Scopes says that you cannot.

Now granted this was a publishing error (not being able to separately rate yard operations is a VA only treatment) that was added in the wrong Scopes manual. Why it took 5 months to correct this error online & in print when they were immediately notified by customers of this mistake is the key question.

For Example – Kentucky Code 2173 Snuff Mfg. has been in effect since Jul 01 2001, but it has never been listed in Scopes.

Just my 2 cents. Thank You, CG