Employers Occupational Health, Inc. Named as URAC Award Finalist for Best Practices in Health Care Consumer Empowerment and Protection

RENO, Nev., July 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Employers Occupational Health, Inc., a subsidiary of Employers Holdings, Inc., (NYSE: EIG), was selected as one of 30 finalists for the Best Practices in Health Care Consumer Empowerment and Protection Awards. URAC, the nation's leading accreditation organization, will honor the finalists during their 11th Annual Quality Summit, October 5-7, 2010 in Chicago, IL.

EMPLOYERS' program was selected by a distinguished panel of judges out of entries from across the nation. Finalists are invited to present their winning programs at the Annual Quality Summit which will showcase best practices in two categories: Consumer Decision-Making and Consumer Health Improvement. The winning entry, the "Controlled Drug Over-Utilization Program," focuses on prescription drug management and containing healthcare costs.

URAC accredited Employers Occupational Health has developed a process to identify, monitor, and address narcotic medication over-utilization.  The process identifies injured employees whose profile indicates a pattern of multiple controlled prescriptions prescribed by multiple physicians and dispensed by multiple pharmacies.  

"Employers Occupational Health is honored to be named as a finalist for Best Practices in Health Care Consumer Empowerment and Protection from URAC," said Mary Lushina, Senior Vice President of Employers Occupational Health, Inc. "This distinction also underscores the quality of our work with customers, patients, clients, payors and providers by demonstrating compliance with national standards for workers' compensation utilization and case management services."

Entries were judged by a distinguished panel chaired by epidemiologist Thomas W. Wilson, Ph.D, DrPH, Trajectory HealthCare, LLC. The 30-member panel included the best and most widely recognized experts in program evaluation, care coordination, health information technology, employer and purchaser decision making and patient safety. Entries were reviewed and scored by the judges based on objective criteria.

"The Annual Quality Summit provides a unique opportunity for leaders in health care to learn what premier companies are doing to advance consumer protection and empowerment," said Alan P. Spielman, President and CEO of URAC. "It is a one-of-a-kind conference, designed to inspire the industry as a whole to rapidly adopt proven practices that advance patient safety and empower consumers with improved decision-making tools."

All finalists are invited to attend a special event during the conference, when they will discover how they will be recognized as award winners. Gold, Silver, Bronze and Honorable Mention Award winners in each of the six organization categories will be announced at the dinner. Platinum Award winners will also be announced, in the two topic categories.

For complete conference details and to register for URAC's 11th Annual Quality Summit, October 5-7, 2010 in Chicago, IL, go to http://www.urac.org/accreditationEducation/11thAnnualSummit.asp. To see a complete list of judges, go to http://www.urac.org/accreditationEducation/11thSummitjudges.asp.

About Employers Holdings, Inc.

Employers Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EIG) is a holding company with subsidiaries that are specialty providers of workers' compensation insurance and services focused on select small businesses engaged in low-to-medium hazard industries. The company, through its subsidiaries, operates throughout the United States. Insurance is offered by Employers Insurance Company of Nevada, Employers Compensation Insurance Company, Employers Preferred Insurance Company, and Employers Assurance Company, all rated A- (Excellent) by A.M. Best Company. Additional information can be found at: http://www.employers.com.

About URAC

URAC, an independent, non-profit organization, is a leader in promoting health care quality through accreditation and certification programs. URAC's standards keep pace with the rapid changes in the health care system, and provide a mark of distinction for health care organizations to demonstrate their commitment to quality and accountability. Through its broad-based governance structure and an inclusive standards development process, URAC ensures that all stakeholders are represented in setting meaningful standards for the health care industry. For more information, visit www.urac.org.

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SOURCE Employers Holdings, Inc.