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by Annie Cunningham

Begun in 1991, the Group Rating Program saves employers 40 to 90 percent on workers' comp premiums.

The number of participants in the Group Rating Program for Farm Bureau members jumped 782 from 2001, a 30 percent increase. In 2002 enrolled participants totaled 3,373 with 2,105 in the agriculture group.

The Group Rating Program through GatesMcDonald, an affiliate of Nationwide Insurance, enables small employers to combine payroll and claim expenses to take advantage of premium savings currently reserved for large employers. Savings generally range from 60 to 90 percent.

The Group Rating Program began in 1991 with 301 members in the agriculture group.

The Group Rating Program has produced more than $17 million in savings this year for hundreds of farm, service and transportation businesses in Ohio. The average agriculture employer saved nearly $4,000. More than 3,373 employers currently participate in the program, now in its 13th year. Current participants are automatically re-evaluated for 2003.

All Farm Bureau members who have an active policy with the Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) are eligible to apply for the Group Rating Program. Acceptance is based on past claims experience with BWC and whether the employer has any significant claims pending with BWC.

"The Group Rating Program allows everyone in the group to be viewed as one employer with a better-than-average loss experience," said Kathy Redmond, account executive at GatesMcDonald. "So members of the group receive much better rates from the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. By accepting only safety-minded employers into the group, we ensure that group members maintain their savings on premiums."

The Bureau of Workers’ Compensation has employers broken down into 10 different industry groups: agriculture, extraction, manufacturing, construction, transportation, utilities, commercial, service, high risk commercial and office/clerical.

"In 2002 we were able to form four new industry groups: manufacturing, construction (level 2), commercial and office, covering eight of the 10 industry groups," Redmond said.

Farm Bureau also has partnerships with some other sponsoring organizations throughout the state that allow their members to enjoy group savings as well.

"The Workers Compensation Group Rating Program has been a tremendous benefit for our agriculture member employers. It has greatly helped them reduce business operating costs by reducing employment expenses while at the same time helping to protect farm workers with workers compensation coverage," said Dan Rapp, OFBF director of member services. "It is a win-win for both employer and employee. It also helps to keep employment opportunities available in rural areas by reducing the overall costs that an employer incurs."

Call 800-336-4733 and ask to speak with Redmond for more information.