Oregon Self-Insurers Association Homepage

The Oregon Self-Insurers Association was established in 1983 to promote a cost effective workers'compensation system in Oregon through education, government relations and communications. As a non-profit, mutual benefit trade association, OSIA's membership includes certified self-insurers, large-deductible insurereds, and persons, firms, and organizations in business to provide workers' compensation related services to self-insurered employers. The Association is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors which includes an Executive Committee elected annually by the membership. The Exectuive Committee is comprised of a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Regular Member Representative, and Associate Member Representative, and has established a number of committees to help advance membership programs. In addition, the OSIA employs an executive director to assist in the management of the organization, and a registered lobbyist who provides the organization with assistance with legislative activity.

OSIA's legislative efforts played a big part in the 1990 and 1995 workers' compensation reform in Oregon, which have resulted in the following benefits:

Safety and Health:
33% drop in fatality rates
18% drop in injury/illness incidence rates
Double-digit rate reductions each year

Compensability
Stress claims down 61% from 1987 to 1995 through tightened requirements for work related claims
Disabling aggravation claims down 17.25% from 1991 to 1995

Claims Processing
Claim closure rate increased from 32% in 1990 to 56.9% in 1995
Insurer timeliness of compensability decisions went up from 85.4% in 1990 to 95.1% in 1995

Medical Costs
Medical fee schedules have been expanded to include more medical treatment categories
Managed Care Organizations control medical utilization and promote effective medical treatment
Medical paid losses dropped 16.2% from 1990 to 1995

Return to Work Assistance
Vocational assistance demand down 36%
Preferred worker contracts increased 70.6%

Litigation
Hearing request to order down 15.6% and request for hearings down 46%

OSIA's members take advantage of numerous seminars, workshops, and regional meetings offered by the Association. These educational and professional enhancement offerings provide OSIA members with the latest information on a variety of topics including workers' compensation statutes and regulations, OSHA requirements, disability management, preferred provider networks and a variety of other related legal and insurance issues. Continuing education credits are available to claims examiners, attorneys, insurance representatives and agents, certified professional disability managers, and registered nurses.