Even though the Queensland Government’s National Competition Policy Review has not recommended opening up the state’s workers’ compensation scheme to private insurers – and no one is surprised about that – it has made at least one recommendation that has pleased the underwriters.

The review said workers’ comp self-insurers should outsource their claims management functions to private insurers. 

Alan Mason, ICA’s Executive Director, hailed the finding as “providing a sea change in Queensland’s attitude to what has been a totally closed system”.

This ground-breaking opportunity will see ICA working with the Government, WorkCover, employers, unions and everyone else involved,” he said. 

The Queensland workers’ comp scheme is the only one in Australia to run in the black.  Mr Mason attributed the scheme’s healthy situation to the separation of the regulatory and insurance arms of Q-comp and WorkCover.  “The other states would do well to adopt this model,” he said.