ACCG – Workers’ Compensation Fund Announcement

The ACCG – Group Self-Insurance Workers’ Compensation Fund (GSIWCF) Board of Trustees met on November 9 and voted to approve several items that will be welcome news for counties and authorities participating in the member-owned program designed to control workers’ compensation costs.  The Board voted to decrease rates, return two types of dividends and offer safety grants over the next three years.

Rate Decrease and $4m Dividend for 2019

As a result of good loss experience, the Board voted to decrease rates 6.9% for 2019, and to return a dividend in the amount of $4 million to those members who renew their membership for 2019.  The rate decrease is for the pool as a whole.  Each member is individually rated, taking into account a number of factors including payroll and their loss history.  Some members will receive premium decreases in excess of the 6.9% average, while other may receive a smaller decrease, or a premium increase if they have had growth in their payroll or a history of poor losses.

The dividend is designed to reward long-term membership in the Fund, and will be in the form of a premium credit to those members who have been in the program since 2008 or earlier.  The total amount of dividends returned to the membership since 1985 is over $76.7 million.  The $4 million dividend that will be returned to the membership in 2019 reduces the average member’s premium by slightly more than 13%.  Renewal packets for 2019 that reflect the rate decrease and the dividend were mailed in early December and should be in the hands of the participating counties.

Additional Dividend to be Distributed in 2019

In addition to the annual dividend that will be returned in the form of a premium credit, the Board voted to return $4.5 million to the membership in the form of a cash dividend to be distributed during the first quarter of 2019.  Those members eligible to receive the dividend are counties and authorities that participated in ACCG-GSIWCF since 2014 and renew their membership in 2019.  The dividend will be based on a pro-rata share of the premiums paid during 2013 and 2014.  A similar dividend was returned in 2016 and billed as a “one-time occurrence”.  Positive investment results have brought surplus to a level that enables the Fund to return an additional dividend.  Although details are being worked out, the hope is to return the dividend during the first quarter of 2019.

Safety Grants Available Beginning in 2019

The Board voted to return $1.5 million in safety grants over the next three years.  Although details of the grant have not been finalized, the intent is to offer reimbursement for purchases designed to eliminate or reduce future workers’ compensation claims.  It is anticipated that items such as safety vests, protective devices, and some specialized training, would qualify for reimbursement.  Additional details will be provided during the second quarter of 2019.

ACCG-GSIWCF is a member-owned insurance fund that was started in 1982.  The pool provides workers’ compensation coverage for Georgia counties and authorities.  McDuffie County Commissioner Fred Favors serves as Chairman of the ACCG-GSIWCF Board of Trustees.  The Fund currently has 172 members, consisting of 134 counties and 38 authorities.

For information on the ACCG Insurance Programs, please contact Joe Dan Thompson at 404-522-5022.

2019 ACCG – GSIWCF BOARD OF TRUSTEES