Home

Going Paperless in Georgia

Introducing ICMS…Our enterprise document management system

The Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation (SBWC) has launched a major initiative to eliminate as much paper as possible and to streamline all of their processing.This initiative, the Integrated Claims Management System (ICMS), is an automated Enterprise Document Management System and will revolutionize the way SBWC works.

The Goal
The goal of the ICMS initiative is to increase the responsiveness and effectiveness of SBWC staff by shifting the focus of their efforts away from pushing paper. By moving away from paper processing, the Board can concentrate on more important things: ensuring the timely payment of benefits, responding quickly to requests for mediation, conducting hearings efficiently and effectively and expediting the settlement of claims. 

Implementation - A Phased Approach
ICMS will be implemented in four phases.

1. The first phase concentrates on the creation and processing of new claims. A database management system is being built to recognize all new claims and to store all pertinent data related to that claim.
2.  The second phase will focus on mediations, hearings, and appellate actions. The automated system provides for case assignment, scheduling and docketing of mediations and hearings, the generation of orders, as well as the electronic notification of claim activity to all parties.
3. In the third phase ICMS will offer the on-line submission of claims over the Internet. Attorneys, claimants, insurers, self-insurers, TPAs, physicians, rehabilitations suppliers will be able to submit documents to SBWC over the Web.
4. The fourth and final phase will provide the capability for Insurers, Self Insurers and Third Party Agents (TPAs) to send claim information via Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). This information will then be processed by the system and incorporated into the claim management database.

Implementation Schedule
Testing of the initial capabilities of the system is currently underway. Training on the new system is scheduled to begin in early June. The Board expects to release Phase 1 functionality of ICMS by July 1st, 2005. At that time, all new claim documents coming to the Board will be scanned into ICMS. Existing files will be scanned as time allows. Over the next year, all open and active files will be scanned into ICMS.
The remaining phases are expected as follows: Phase 2 functionality by Fall 2005, Phase 3 functionality by Winter 2005, and Phase 4 functionality by Spring 2006.

Stakeholder Meetings
SBWC is actively meeting with many of their stakeholders regarding the development of the system. Meetings with these stakeholders are being conducted to explain the functionality of the new system and to get input and requirements from these stakeholders.  If you would like to participate in a Stakeholder Meeting, please contact the Project Manager, Jan Dillard (dillardj@sbwc.ga.gov ) or call at 404.463.0247.

This remarkable new technology system is revolutionizing the work of the Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation. This new system will enhance the Board's ability to foster fairness to all workers' compensation parties and to insure that injured employees receive quality care, appropriate income benefits, and return to suitable employment.

To view the ICMS Rollout Picture, you'll need the free Acrobat Reader.