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Customer Connect is Montana State Fund’s new policyholder portal. The recently launched portal makes it easy for you to access and manage your policy information in a new way.

Customer Connect Allows You To

• Review policy details, coverages, & billing information
• Report payroll
• Make premium payments
• Access policy documents
• Request changes and make updates to your policy
• Enjoy more online reporting options, including construction credit application

If you have questions about Customer Connect, or are interested in getting your access, please contact one of our customer service specialists at stfpolicy@msf.gov or (406) 495-5000.

Montana State Fund’s Safety Services Specialist Kirk Smith will hit the road this March to present his free safety workshop Safety Know How.

Register Now

Topics include:
Building a Strong Safety Culture (Part I) In this three-part safety workshop series, we will systematically break down the key concepts and approaches your organization must support to build a strong safety culture.  This will be a deep dive into how you can create and implement safety programs and policies and how your management and front-line workers can align for success.  (Part II will be offered in June 2023 and Part III in September 2023)

Know Your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):  It might seem easy to fit the right PPE with the job, but really, your business may not be using the correct PPE for your workers’ safety. In this session, we will examine the distinct types of PPE, the OSHA standard associated with each of them and review PPE best practices.  

The free trainings are open to all Montanans. You do not need to be a Montana State Fund policyholder to attend.
Trainings run 8:30 am – Noon. 

Training Dates and Locations
Glasgow: Wednesday, March 8 – Cottonwood Inn
Miles City: Thursday, March 9 – Sleep Inn & Suites
Billings: Friday, March 10-Hampton Inn West 1-90
Bozeman: Wednesday, March 15 -Best Western GranTree Inn
Helena: Thursday, March 16-Best Western Great Northern Hotel
Great Falls: Friday, March 17-Holiday Inn Convention Center
Butte: Tuesday, March 21- La Quinta Inn
Kalispell: Thursday, March 23- Hampton Inn
Missoula: Friday, March 24-Best Western Grant Creek Inn

Interested?   Register Now. If you have questions, call 800-332-6102 extension 5361 (Kirk Smith).

Three of Montana State Fund’s guiding values, do what’s right, deliver with heart and focus on what matters, are at the core of who we are when communicating with our customers. This is especially true when our claims examiners interact with injured employees. To ensure we are honoring our values, we began an annual injured employee satisfaction survey in 2020.  We are happy to report that our level of service has continued to improve throughout this period.

2022 Survey Take Always

• Service: When injured employees were asked about the quality of their overall experience with MSF, 81% of survey respondents rated their experience as “Excellent” or “Good”.  This number has increased, with an 80% rating in 2021 and 77% in 2020.

• Employee Outreach:  Our claims examiners are the lifeline for our injured employees. When asked if our staff-initiated contact about changes with their claim, 81% of respondents “Strongly Agree” or “Agree” that contact was initiated.  This number is slightly up from 2021 with an 80% rating: and significantly up from 2020 with 74%.

• Timely Benefits: Injured employees are promised timely benefits. When asked if they received their benefits promptly, 89% of respondents indicated “Yes” they received their benefits on time. This again is up from 2021 and 2020 at 84% and 87%.

It is exciting so many injured employees feel valued, cared for, and informed.  These results continue to trend in the right direction, and there is still room to grow. Our goal is to deliver an exceptional customer experience with every interaction.  Each touch point is critical to delivering on our mission – to partner with employers and their employees to care for those injured on the job and champion a culture of workplace safety for our fellow Montanans.

Montana State Fund is looking for Montana business owners who want to build a strong safety culture at their workplace. Through our free WorkSafe Champions program, Montana employers and their employees are given a solid foundation of knowledge to develop and implement a workplace safety culture.

Classes will meet in person in March, June, and September from 1pm – 5pm. (See location and dates below). These classes coincide with our statewide quarterly safety workshops in Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Glasgow, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, Miles City and Missoula.

You do not need to be a Montana State Fund policyholder to take part.

WorkSafe Champions Curriculum
Six Modules will be covered (two each class)

Modules
-Workers’ Compensation 101
-Claims management
-Stay-at-Work/Return-to-Work
-Organization and individual motivation
-Montana Safety Culture Act
-Culture
-Incident management
-Hazard management and training

Attendees will be required to identify areas that need improvement within their organizations, create a safety action plan and act on the plan.

If you or your employees would like to attend, or you have questions, contact Kirk Smith at 800-332-6102 extension 5361 or email kirksmith@safemt.gov .

Dates and Locations

March Dates – 1pm-5pm
Glasgow: Wednesday, March 8 – Cottonwood Inn & Suites
Miles City: Thursday, March 9 – Sleep Inn & Suites
Billings: Friday, March 10 – Hampton Inn, West I-90
Bozeman: Wednesday, March 15 – Best Western GranTree
Helena: Thursday, March 16 – Best Western Great Northern
Great Falls: Friday, March 17 – Holiday Inn Convention Center
Butte: Tuesday, March 21 – La Quinta Inn
Kalispell: Thursday, March 23 – Hampton Inn
Missoula: Friday, March 24 – Best Western Grant Creek Inn

June Dates – 1pm-5pm
Glasgow: Wednesday, June 7 – Cottonwood Inn & Suites
Miles City: Thursday June 8 – Sleep Inn & Suites
Billings: Friday, June 9 – Hampton Inn, West I-90
Bozeman: Wednesday, June 14 – Hilton Garden Inn
Helena: Thursday, June 1- Holiday Inn Express
Great Falls: Friday, June 16 – Holiday Inn Convention Center
Butte: Tuesday, June 20 – La Quinta Inn
Kalispell: Thursday, June 22 – Hampton Inn
Missoula: Friday, June 23 – Best Western Grant Creek Inn

September Dates – 1pm-5pm
Glasgow: Wednesday, September 6 – Cottonwood Inn & Suites
Miles City: Thursday, September 7 – Sleep Inn & Suites
Billings: Friday, September 8 – Hampton Inn, West I-90
Bozeman: Wednesday, September 13 – Hilton Garden Inn
Helena: Thursday, September 14 – Holiday Inn Express
Great Falls: Friday, September 15 – Holiday Inn Convention Center
Butte: Tuesday, September 19- La Quinta Inn
Kalispell:  Thursday, September 21 – Hampton Inn
Missoula:  Friday, September 22 – Best Western Grant Creek Inn

It’s no secret that the cost for higher education is expensive. To alleviate that burden, MSF created the Growing a Safer Montana (GSM) college scholarships in 2018. Students majoring in safety and health/industrial hygiene and the trade and industry fields are eligible to apply. Twenty students were recently awarded the $4,000 scholarship.

“It will go a long way towards covering my school expenses this year, and I truly appreciate it,” said Trevor Neumann, a student at Montana Tech and one of this year’s recipients. “I look forward to pursuing a career in safety and health and this scholarship will help me achieve this goal.”

The goal of GSM is to educate young workers like Neumann about the importance of workplace safety. Since the start of the program, 107 students have received a total of $389,500 in scholarship monies.

Below is a list of the 2023 GSM scholarship recipients.

Another aspect of GSM is the safety equipment award. Middle and high school construction trades and industry classrooms can get up to $850 in personal protection equipment (PPE). The PPE can range from eye protection, hearing protection to gloves, and welding gear.

Click for more information about GSM.   

Managing Recovery & Return to Work is the theme of Montana State Fund’s 21st annual medical conference. The event will be held at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake, April 26-28, 2023. 

The Conference Benefits
Physicians, Physicians Assistants, Nurses, Physical Therapists, Medical Case Managers, Vocational Rehabilitation Consultants, Claims Examiners, Attorneys and Insurance agents.

Conference Topics

• Claims: A Medical Perspective
• Medical Technology in Workers’ Compensation
• Preventing Delayed Recovery by Addressing Psychosocial Barriers
• A Comprehensive Approach to Pain Medicine
• Successes and Challenges with Return to Work
• Medical Expert Testimony – Imperatives, Principles and Methodologies
• A Perspective from the Workers’ Compensation Court
• Tears and Lies My Radiologist Told Me
• The Story You Don’t Hear About: How Caregivers Changed My Life for the Better

Register for Conference and Book Hotel Accommodations.

For questions or more information, contact Shannon Hadley at shadley@mt.gov or call 406-495-5245.

Happy Fall!

This summer we said goodbye as Lanny Hubbard retired after many years of dedicated leadership. I’m honored to take the helm as MSF’s new President and CEO and would like to introduce myself just a bit to you. 

I’m a nurse, an attorney, and a businesswoman. I’m here because I strongly believe in the impact a healthy Montana State Fund has in promoting safety and financial well-being.

As a nurse responding to accidents, I developed a passion for working with people, and came to personally understand the impact an injury has on a person’s life, and the life of their family. 

As an attorney leading legislative strategy at the state fund in Oregon, I saw firsthand how a strong, balanced, workers’ comp system can create a significant positive impact for employers statewide.

And most recently as I’ve leaned in on the finance/MBA side, I strengthened my belief in the importance of having a stable, well-run, financially secure state fund to make sure insurance is available and affordable for Montanans.

Since I started in May, my daughter and I have traveled (almost) all around the state. We’ve discovered warm, engaging people; breathtaking scenery; and a shared passion for making sure Montana is an amazing place to live, work, and play for generations to come. It feels like home already. I can’t wait to explore even more. 

And I have awesome colleagues. Montana State Fund’s employees are mission driven, have a long history of successfully partnering with workers and employers across the state, and are proud to be Montanans serving Montanans. 

I’m committed to continuing to figure out together what works for Montanans – what works for our business, and what works for our workers.

Thank you for choosing Montana State Fund as your workers’ comp carrier. I look forward to meeting many of you.  

Stay safe out there.

Holly O’Dell

Customer Connect is Montana State Fund’s new policyholder portal. The recently launched portal makes it easy for you to access and manage your policy information in a new way.

Customer Connect Allows You To

• Review policy details, coverages, & billing information
• Report payroll
• Make premium payments
• Access policy documents
• Request changes and make updates to your policy
• Enjoy more online reporting options, including construction credit application

When Can I Access Customer Connect?
Policies with a renewal date between March 1-September 17, 2022, can access it immediately.

Policies that renew after September 17, 2022, can access Customer Connect on the effective date of the new policy term.

Please be on the lookout for a postcard that explains the new service or visit our webpage .  

If you need further information contact Erika Ayers, Montana State Fund Business Unit Director, at (406) 495-5462.

While on the job injuries are not funny, our new advertising campaign is.  The Naked Without It statewide campaign rolled out on Labor Day.

The campaign features our ridiculous (and strategically positioned) anti-hero Gary, who represents an exaggerated metaphor about the importance of workplaces safety.  By comparing the lack of safety at work to being naked at work is clearly an exaggeration, but it’s a purposeful one, designed to grab viewers’ attention and make a point that sticks.

The goal of the campaign is to create discussion, increase visits to our safety information website, and reduce injuries at work. It’s a point we can’t afford not to make for the sake of Montana workers, employers, and communities.

The campaign is highlighted through a mix of media. Broadcast TV, streaming services, radio, podcasts, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, website ads, billboards, as well as Cat Griz and Frontier Football TV coverage.

The campaign runs through mid November.

The American Association of State Compensation Insurance Funds (AASCIF) recognized MSF’s Growing a Safer Montana (GSM) initiative with a 2^nd place AASCIF Community Impact Award. This award acknowledges philanthropic initiatives that advance public understanding of societal issues, problems, or concerns.

GSM was created in 2017 to reinforce the important of workplace safety for Montana’s young workers. There are two-parts to the initiative.  The high school/middle school personal protective equipment (PPE) awards and the college scholarship program.

The PPE Awards
The PPE program aids many cash strapped high school/middle school construction trades (welding, carpentry, automotive tech) and industry classrooms with the purchase of PPE for their students. Through the years, $145,000 worth of PPE has benefited 14,000 students.

College Scholarships
The college scholarship program is a competitive $4,000 college scholarship for students studying at Montana’s two-year trade & industry colleges and Montana Tech students working towards a four-year safety and occupational health degree. Since the program’s start, 87 students have received the competitive academic scholarships totaling $309,500.

Click for more information about the GSM program.

2021 Annual Report. Please take a few moments to review the work and accomplishments of the Montana State Fund staff.

Growing up in Nigeria, Sadiq Inuwa witnessed first-hand the absence of workplace safety in his country.

“It is normal to see workers using bamboo sticks as their scaffold and ladders made out of wood. I have seen workers get covered in cement all day long without thinking about potential cement burns. The government does not have agencies dedicated to workers safety and this makes all sorts of violations slide.”

And in our country, as an intern at an oil company in Colorado he heard about an oil rig worker who lost his finger.  These events piqued his curiosity to enter the safety field.  Today, Sadiq attends Montana Tech, majoring in Occupational Safety & Health.  This passion for safety is paying off.

Growing Montana’s Safety Future
Sadiq is one of 20 college students who were recently awarded a $4,000 academic scholarship through Montana State Fund’s Growing a Safer Montana initiative.

The initiative was created in 2018 to educate young workers about the importance of workplace safety before they enter the workforce. One aspect of the initiative is to supply safety gear for Montana high school trade classrooms.

The other, is the scholarship program for students like Sadiq who are majoring in the safety and trade fields. Since the program’s inception, 87 students have received the competitive academic scholarships totaling $309,500.

Adrianna Morgan is another scholarship recipient. She is a Sustainable Construction Technology major at the University of Montana Missoula College. Her goal after her 2023 graduation is to use her creativity to design and build affordable and sustainable living spaces for people in the Missoula.  This includes small vacation rentals that lower income families can access.  

“I want to build homes that have the future in mind, and that allow people to enjoy life’s pleasures. I want to be at the forefront of all the changes that are going to be taking place soon, as far as sustainability goes. I know I have a lot to learn, but I think I have some innovative ideas.”

Sadiq explained that his scholarship makes it possible for him to carry out his dream to one day lead a company’s safety team.

“I want to learn and experience as much as I can in the safety industry and give that knowledge back to workers in the USA, my homeland Nigeria and the world at large.”

If Sadiq and Adrianna’s aspirations are examples of what Montana’s future workforce hopes to accomplish, our state is in good hands for growing a healthier, safer Montana.

View all of the 2022 scholarship recipients.

Click to learn more about the Growing a Safer Montana Initative.

Montana State Fund’s Safety Services Specialist Kirk Smith will hit the road this March to present his free safety workshop A Small Price for Safety. (For those who cannot make the in-person workshops, a virtual session will be provided at the end of the month).

Register Now

Topics
Job Safety (Hazard) Analysis (JSA or JHA): No matter how you say it, a JSA/JHA can be a useful tool in your quest to eliminate workplace injury. A thorough JSA breaks down a specific job or job task into steps to identify hazards and how to mitigate them. The JSA improves communication, teaches new employees, reinforces what experienced employees already know, and makes your workplace safer. Join Kirk to learn how you can build a solid job safety analysis.

Control Your Work Comp Costs: In this session we’ll explore three programs, Post-Offer/Pre-Hire Physicals, the Montana Subsequent Injury Fund, and Stay-at-Work/Return-to-Work that can help your organization limit injuries and have a positive effect on your bottom line. In addition, we’ll give an overview on underwriting and how the use of these tools can affect your premium.

Training Dates and Locations
The free workshops are open to any Montana worker. They take place from 8:30 am – Noon.

Butte: Wednesday, March 2 – La Quinta Inn
Helena: Thursday, March 3 – Holiday Inn Express
Great Falls: Friday, March 4 – Holiday Inn
Glasgow: Wednesday, March 9 – Cottonwood Inn
Miles City: Thursday, March 10 – Sleep Inn & Suites
Billings: Friday, March 11 – Hampton Inn West
Bozeman: Tuesday, March 15 – Best Western GranTree Inn
Kalispell: Thursday, March 17 – Hampton Inn
Missoula: Friday, March 18 – Best Western Grant Creek Inn

Virtual (ZOOM) Training Schedule
Thursday – March 31
Job Safety (Hazard) Analysis (JSA or JHA) – 9:30 am – 11:30 am
Control Your Work Comp Costs – 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Interested? Register Now. If you have questions, call 800-332-6102 extension 5361 or email (Kirk Smith).

A group home in Glasgow, Montana installs an alarm system for their residents. A summer camp in Helena replaces outdated life jackets for the safety of their campers and instructors.  A Senior Center in Eureka rebuilds its deteriorating front steps. What do these three organizations have in common? They each received a grant through Montana State Fund’s ACE (Assisting Charitable Endeavors) program to finance their projects.

What is ACE?
ACE is MSF’s charitable giving program. It provides funds to Montana based non-profit organizations for projects that promote safety implementation and improvements.  Over 290 organizations have received a total of $530,000 in grant monies since the programs start in 2001.  Grants range from $250 –$10,000 and require a dollar-for-dollar match.

ACE Criteria
An ACE Grant proposal must fit within the scope of Montana State Fund’s normal business and operations:

• The project will be used to promote workplace safety, host safety trainings, or assist with the purchase of equipment that enhances safety and community well-being.
• The project will result in a widespread benefit for a Montana community or the state.
• The project benefits a representative cross section of small and large communities across Montana.
• The project will have the potential to result in positive public communication

To find out more details about the ACE program, to apply for funds or view past recipient projects click here.  

Work comp fraud isn’t just someone faking an injury. It also includes medical providers authorizing and billing excessive or uncompleted medical services, or employers falsifying payroll records to lower premiums.

To identify these crimes, Montana State Fund manages a confidential Fraud Tip Hotline 888-682-7463 (888 MT Crime). Callers can remain anonymous.

For 25 years these “tips” have allowed our fraud unit to work closely with the Montana Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute fraudulent claims and employer misconduct. This partnership has resulted in millions of dollars in savings for our policyholders.  

If you suspect any type of fraud call our hotline or visit our website to learn more about the signs of work comp fraud.

MSF is committed to provide safety education for all Montanans, which also includes our employees.

To honor this commitment, MSF received a first-place communications award for our internal virtual 2020 National Safety Month campaign. The American Association of State Compensation Insurance Funds (AASCIF) recognized it as the best in the Internal Communications Campaign category.

Upon announcing the win, the host of the of AASCIF awards ceremony said that this category was the most competitive. The AASCIF awards recognize the best in communications for those working in the workers’ compensation field.

It’s often said, that to create a culture of safety, you must build it from the ground up. Landon Stubbs is doing just that. As the woods and building trades teacher at Great Falls High School, he’s not only tasked to teach constructions skills, but keep his students safe in the process.  

One way he keeps his students safe is through Montana State Fund’s (MSF) Growing a Safer Montana Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Grant program. The program awards middle and high school classrooms up to $850 in PPE like eye protection, hearing protection, gloves, and welding gear.

The PPE program is part of MSF’s Growing a Safer Montana initiative to improve Montana’s workplace safety culture. The initiative teaches and reinforces positive safety in the classroom before young students enter Montana’s workforce. This is the third year Stubbs has received the grant.

“For me and the students, it has helped create a new safety culture that has been lacking in our state. There needs to be a change in our culture to not only promote safety but make it a priority,” said Stubbs.

In addition to Great Falls High School, 36 other high schools and 11 middle school classrooms received safety gear.  At the start of the 2021 school year, MSF partnered with A&M Fire and Safety in Butte to deliver 2,552 pairs of safety glasses and over 1,400 pairs of gloves to the eligible classrooms

Selected classrooms cab also use a portion of their grant money to order specialized safety equipment such as machine guards, welding curtains or specialized PPE.

Since the program’s 2017 inception, over $100,000 worth safety gear has benefited 11,000 students.

However, MSF realizes there is still work to be done. Montana’s injury rate has remained consistent from 2018 to 2019 at 3.9 injuries for every 100 workers. This back to back incident rate is higher than the national average of 2.8 for every 100 workers.

MSF is hopeful the Growing a Safer Montana initiative will continue to be a catalyst to lower injury rates for our next generation of Montana’s workers.

2021 High School Grant Recipients

2021 Middle School Grant Recipients

Join Montana State Fund’s Safety Services Specialist Kirk Smith this December as he virtually presents his free safety workshops Set the Record Straight.

Register Now

Topics include:

OSHA Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements – OSHA requires most businesses to report and/or record work-related injuries and illnesses.  In this section, we will help you understand what requirements apply to your organization. We will review general OSHA requirements, discuss statutory reporting and filing requirements for workers’ compensation, and examine best practices for reporting and recording work-related injuries and illnesses.

Incident Investigation:  A workplace incident can be defined as a close call, an injury, an illness, fatality, or damage to your facilities/equipment.  In this session, we discuss the value and purpose of a good incident investigation.  How to investigate and identify the root causes of the incident.  And finally, how to use the information from the investigation process to prevent re-occurrence of the incident in the future.

Virtual (ZOOM) Training Schedule

Tuesday, December 7, 2021: OSHA Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements – 9:30 am – 11:30 am
Tuesday, December 7, 2021:  Incident Investigation – 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Thursday, December 9, 2021:  Incident Investigation – 9:30 am – 11:30 am
Thursday, December 9, 2021:  OSHA Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements – 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Wednesday, December 15, 2021:  OSHA Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements – 9:30 am – 11:30 am
Wednesday, December 15, 2021:  Incident Investigation – 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Friday, December 17, 2021:  Incident Investigation – 9:30 am – 11:30 pm
Friday, December 17, 2021: OSHA Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements – 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Register Now – All workshops are open to any Montana worker, but participants must register to receive a secure Zoom confirmation.  If you have questions, call 800-332-6102 extension 5361 or email (Kirk Smith).

Once again, MSF policyholders will share a $40 million dividend.  Nearly 22,000 or 95% of our policyholders will receive a payment. MSF has paid a dividend every year since 1999.

“As a public board, made up of private citizens, we were eager to do what we could to help small business owners, nonprofits, and other employers during this difficult time,” said Richard Miltenberger, Chairman of the MSF Board of Directors.

Dividends are a way to reward employers when better-than-expected investment market performance and positive workplace safety results occur.

“Dividends are the result of our collective commitment to workplace safety and investment performance, said MSF President and CEO, Laurence Hubbard.  “While investment income is not always predictable, one thing we can say for certain is that operating a safe and healthy workplace is good for everyone.”

While not guaranteed, the $40 million dividend brings the total dividends paid to policyholders for the last twenty-two years to $366 million.

Dividend payments will be completed by the end of November.

Montana ranks as one of the highest in the nation for workplace accidents and fatalities, with the construction and building industries among the most high-risk. However, the Montana Building Industry Association (MBIA) wants to change these statistics.

Recently, Montana State Fund presented the MBIA with a $464,095 check for their safety efforts. Three hundred thirteen of MBIA’s safety group policyholders will share this retrospective return.

“It has been a remarkable partnership working hand-in-hand with Montana State Fund to drive down accident frequency and rates among our members. The employers and workers do the hard part by emphasizing safety each day, but we could not be successful without a true team effort,” said Steve Snezek, Executive Director of MBIA.

MSF President and CEO, Laurence Hubbard commented.  “MBIA’s group safety program has produced very positive results for Montana employers and workers over the last decade. These efforts should be applauded and hopefully lead others to the realization that safety truly does pay.”

The average check paid to the safety group policyholders is nearly $1,500. The checks ranged from approximately $12 to more than $20,000 depending on policy size, premium paid and losses incurred.

Montana State Fund’s annual medical conference will be held at Helena’s Delta Hotel, May 19 – 20, 2022. The theme is Harnessing the Future of Workers’ Compensation. 

Physicians, Physicians Assistants, Nurses, Physical Therapists, Medical Case Managers, Vocational Rehabilitation Consultants, and Claims Examiners are encouraged to attend. 

Continuing education credits are pending approval.

For questions or more information, contact Shannon Hadley at shadley@safemt.govt  or call 406-495-5245.

It was an intense year and a half of planning, reevaluating, editing content, redesigning templates, programming and countless hours of review before Montana State launched their redesigned safety focused website, safemt.com in May. The redesigned site is more streamlined and intuitive than the prior site.

Site Highlights
Safety 101 – In this section a visitor can get a crash course on how to set up a safety program.

Safety Topics – This area designates a page to one particular safety topic – each page consists of a video, quicks tips and valuable resources which include downloadable PDF’s, and websites.

Return to Work – This easy to navigate microsite helps visitors create and implement a Return to Work program.

Safety Videos – In this section visitors can review 22 safety educational videos, numerous policyholder spotlights or past advertising campaigns.

Work From Home page – This page addresses work from home safety issues. This includes setting up a safe workspace, videos on ergonomics and slips and falls, and illustrated stretches to help avoid injury.

The site also has downloadable posters, guides and information on MSF safety initiatives.

Register Now

Montana State Fund’s Safety Services Specialist Kirk Smith is back on the road this September with his free half-day safety workshop, Be the Vehicle for a Culture of Safety.  (A virtual training will be presented at the end of the month).

Topics include:
Identify On-the Job Hazards: Identifying hazards in your workplace is one of the first steps to build a strong safety culture. But before you begin, you need to ask yourself the who, what and how of identifying and reducing hazards at your business.  In this section, we’ll answer the who, what and how, explore hazard identification best practices, and explain how a good hazard reporting program enhances this process.

Vehicle Safety Programs:  You might not have a designated “fleet” of vehicles for your employees to drive, but if they use their own vehicles for business purposes, it can create a risk for your organization. This type of vehicle use is referred to as a “hidden fleet.”  In this session, we will address the best safety practices for “hidden fleets” and traditional fleet vehicle programs.

Dates and Locations
The free trainings take place from 8:30 am – Noon. Workshops are open to anyone. You do not have to be a Montana State Fund policyholder.

September 8:  Butte – La Quinta Inn
September 9:  Helena – Holiday Inn Express
September 10:  Great Falls – Holiday Inn
September 15:  Glasgow – Cottonwood Inn
September 16:  Miles City – Sleep Inn & Suites
September 17:  Billings – Hampton Inn (West)
September 21:  Bozeman – Best Western GranTree Inn
September 23:  Kalispell – Hampton Inn
September 24:  Missoula – Best Western Grant Creek Inn

Virtual Training
September 29: Hazard Identification – 9:30 am to 11:30 am.
September 29: Vehicle Operator – 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Interested? Register Now. If you have questions, email Kirk Smith or call 406-495-5361.

Over 22,000 Montana State Fund policyholders received a dividend check in May. This group shared a $20 million dividend declared by the MSF Board of Directors at their March, 2021 meeting.

President and CEO Laurence Hubbard explained that last fall, amid economic uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, the Board of Directors opted to take a conservative approach when they declared a $20 million dividend for policyholders in September 2020.

“At the same time, they pledged to revisit their decision in the spring of 2021 to consider an additional dividend. I am happy they fulfilled that commitment and declared another $20 million. It is our hope that these funds will help Montana employers continue to weather the storm of COVID-19.”

The WorkSafe Champions program gives participants a strong foundation to develop and implement a workplace safety culture. The curriculum provides safety information and tools that participants must use to graduate from the course.

The program’s Central Class of 2022 is set to begin in September, 2021. This course is open to all Montana businesses. You do not have to be a Montana State Fund policyholder to participate. The only prerequisite is a signed agreement that your organization is committed to the program

The WorkSafe Champions Central Class will be offered in nine locations around the state

Billings
Bozeman
Butte
Glasgow
Great Falls
Helena
Kalispell
Miles City
Missoula

Why Commit
• Only one employee from a business needs to participate.
• It is an opportunity for participants to interact and network with other businesses in their area.
• The maximum class size for each location is 15 participants. Priority will be given to policyholders.

Class Schedule
Class participants will meet five times between September 2021 to September 2022 (once a quarter), this is roughly 20 hours of classroom time covering eight modules. (click to view dates and locations). At each session, approximately one to two modules will be addressed depending on the amount of discussion and participation. A graduation celebration will take place during the final meeting.

Course Curriculum
Module 1 – Introduction to Workers’ Compensation
Module 2 – Claims Management
Module 3 – Motivating
Module 4 – Culture
Module 5 – Hazard Management & Training
Module 6 – Incident Management
Module 7 – Regulatory Compliance
Module 8 – We Are the Champions

Course Requirements
MSF can accept one or more participants per business. At least one of the participants needs to influence safety within their organization. If the company already employs a WSC graduate with a safety influence on staff, a participant can be accepted without authority confirmation. Attendance is necessary to graduate, and participants can only miss one course session. In case of inclement weather or other situations, the MSF instructor can offer a make-up opportunity at their discretion and availability.

To graduate the participants must accomplish the following within 6 to 12 months:

• Meet the attendance requirements
• Complete the eight modules
• Conduct a workplace assessment of their workplace
• Create a safety action plan
• Act on the plan and document the progress (Submitted to MSF)

If you are interested, please contact Kirk Smith

MSF’s new Safety Works statewide media campaign went live on July 19, 2021. The campaign focuses on making safety a priority for those Montana workers returning to the workplace.

The media strategy is a mix of traditional and social media. TV, radio, public radio, and print ads combined with connected TV, podcasts, banner ads, Facebook, and Instagram. The TV ad aired during the Olympics and will air during the Montana State and University of Montana football game season. The campaign runs July 19, 2021 – November 28, 2021.

In addition to the general audience Safety Works campaign, a young worker’s version was created. The media placement for this target audience is all social media.  The campaign airs July 19,2021 – October 24, 2021.

Both campaigns have a targeted call to action website landing page that consumers can visit for more information.  

View the TV ad

Our 2020 annual report is now live. Please take a few moments to review the work and accomplishments of the Montana State Fund staff.

Montana State Fund launched a new website, workingformontana.com.  It was created to keep stakeholders up-to-date and educated on the history of MSF and the role we play in the state’s workers’ compensation insurance arena.

Ethan Heverly, Montana State Fund’s Director of Government and Community Relations said, “MSF believes that the key to effective advocacy is education and relationships. This tool is designed to improve our educational efforts to better tell the story of MSF.”

The site features videos, statistics, podcasts, frequently asked questions, and a section to view current legislative bills associated with workers’ compensation.

California celebrates a garlic festival. Colorado hosts a blue grass festival. And in Montana, safety festivals are organized across the state through the Montana Department of Labor and Industries (DOLI) SafetyFestMT.

SafetyFestMT was created in 2010 to address Montana’s high rates of workplace injuries. The program began as a free, weeklong conference filled with workshops and classes for Montana’s employers and employees to improve on-the- job safety. The conference was made possible through a public/private partnership between DOLI and Montana businesses.  Montana State Fund is one of the founding members.

“SafetyFestMT’s success is due in large part to our partnership with Montana State Fund and other entities that believe that safety is more than a priority, it’s a core value,” said Casey Kyler-West, SafetyFestMT Coordinator. “Without the buy-in from our partners, we would not be able to offer the number of training opportunities we do, or the wide variety of topics at no cost to our attendees, who might not otherwise have access to this type of training.”

Initially, SafetyFestMT was held once or twice a year in Billings or Missoula. But attendance has steadily grown, and it is now held four times a year in various cities across the state; in Missoula, Helena, Billings, Kalispell, Miles City, Havre, Butte, Sidney, Lincoln, Lewistown, and Great Falls. From 2010-2020, there have been 13,367 attendees and 1,627 classes offered. Montana State Fund safety professionals have shared their expertise at these events.

Kyler-West explained that SafetyFestMT is more than safety training, “it’s an effective workforce development tool.” The attendees who earn certifications can advance in their current career or attain employment that they wouldn’t otherwise have been able to.

“We’ve also added a variety of topics that don’t deal with the traditional safety training, such as Active Shooter, Mental Health First Aid, Management of Aggressive Behavior, as well as topics that are pertinent to current events such as the COVID-19 Pandemic,” said Kyler-West.

And speaking of COVID-19, SafetyfestMT organizers didn’t let the virus stop them. The group quickly pivoted to host three virtual conferences in 2020, with a fourth virtual event coming March 29- April 2, 2021, from Kalispell.   To register or learn more about the program, go to the SafetyfestMT website.

Throughout March, Montana State Fund safety services specialist Kirk Smith will present our free virtual safety workshop Safety 911.

Register Now

How will the workshops be run?
The Zoom workshops will include two topics. One topic presented in the morning and the second topic in the afternoon. Each session will be scheduled for two hours with a break.  This breakdown gives participants time to step away from their computer to avoid any ergonomic or eye strain issues.

Topics
Prepare for Emergencies: Create Emergency Action Plans (EAP) – Emergency Action Plans are proactive risk assessment tools for an organization. Thoroughly crafted and planned EAPs lead to appropriate employee responses in crisis situations.  In this section, we will discuss how to effectively develop emergency action plans and how to include fire extinguisher requirements in them.

Ergonomics: The Right Fit for Your Employees:  Successful employee ergonomic programs can be a challenge even in the best of times.  Now, throw in Covid-19, with employees working from home, and it becomes even more of a challenge. In this workshop we will offer strategies and tools to help participants assess and implement workable healthy ergonomic solutions for both the home workforce and industrial settings.

Workshop Dates and Times

Wednesday – March 10, 2021
9:30 am – 11:30 am   Emergency Action Plans
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm   Ergonomics

Friday – March 19, 2020
9:30 am – 11:30 am    Ergonomics
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm   Emergency Action Plans

Wednesday – March 24, 2021
9:30 am – 11:30 am   Emergency Action Plans

Thursday – March 25, 2021
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm     Ergonomics

 Interested?   Register Now.   All workshops are open to any Montana worker, but participants must register to receive a secure Zoom confirmation.  If you have questions, call 800-332-6102 extension 5361 (Kirk Smith).

Young workers are more likely than their older counterparts to be injured on the job.  Studies indicate that workers under the age of 25 are twice as likely to be injured than workers over the age of 25.  According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, about 70 teens die from workplace injuries every year in the United States. Another 70,000 get hurt badly enough that they go to a hospital emergency room.

We want every young Montana worker to work safely all day and then go home to his or her family. That is why, since 2018, Montana State Fund (MSF) has educated young workers about the importance of workplace safety before they enter the workforce.

Through our Growing a Safer Montana initiative, MSF awards academic scholarships to college students majoring in Occupational Safety and Health/Industrial Hygiene and the Construction Trade and Industry fields. At our recent virtual scholarship awards ceremony, MSF President/CEO Laurence Hubbard presented 15 Montana students with $4,000 scholarships.

“We applaud these students for taking the first step in improving Montana’s standing in the nation and look forward to working with them and their employers as an indispensable partner in achieving a safer, healthier and more prosperous Montana,” said Hubbard.

Since the start of the program, 52 students have received the competitive academic scholarships totaling $169,500.

The scholarship application process includes taking an educational quiz after watching a short safety video, writing an essay on the importance of safety specific to the applicants desired industry, and explaining how they plan to champion safety in the future. The application requires two letters of recommendation and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

The 2021 recipients include:

Student Name                  College/University and Program                  

The Growing a Safer Montana Program has two avenues for reaching the youth of our state. The first being the Scholarship program for those seeking higher education. The second is the PPE grants for High School students in the trades and industry classrooms.  School educators teaching construction trade and industry courses can apply for grants up to $750 that help purchase needed safety materials, equipment, or protective gear for their students.

To find out more about Growing a Safer Montana go to the scholarships and grants tab on website montanastatefund.com.

Many of our customers are working from home. That means computer screens perched on cardboard boxes, kitchen tables as office desks and some coworkers who require help with their homework. This new way of working can add extra stress and undo injuries.

That is why we have created a library of work-from-home resources and handy tips that can help our customers properly set up their workstations, give them useful stretches to ease neck pain and make them aware of hazards that may surround their work area.

Now more than ever, it is so important that we find ways to help keep Montana’s workers, working, injury free from home, so when they are off the clock, they can genuinely enjoy being home.

To access the resources go to safemt.com

Montana State Fund’s (MSF) Board of Directors declared a $20 million dividend to be paid to policyholders in mid-November. This marks the 22nd consecutive year MSF has declared a dividend bringing the total returned to policyholders to $306 million since 1999 ($165 million since 2015).

“Montana State Fund is proud to be able declare a dividend for the 22nd consecutive year. While dividends are not guaranteed, we have been able to consistently declare dividends thanks in part to our partnership with employers and workers who are committed to operating a safe and healthy work environment,” said MSF President and CEO, Laurence Hubbard.

Dividends are the result of better than expected return on investments and ​fewer than expected losses (accidents). Montana has historically been near the top of the list of highest on-the-job accidents and fatalities. While that ranking is trending in the right direction, there remains room for improvement.

The $20 million dividend will be paid to more than 22,000 Montana employers. The average dividend is approximately $900, representing nearly a 15% return of premium––on average.

​”Over the years, Montana State Fund has consistently declared dividends, but this year is different. While today’s news is not related to COVID-19, it is our hope that the timing of this declaration provides some assistance to Montana’s Main Street businesses during these difficult times,” said MSF Board Chairman, Lance Zanto.​

Sit comfortably at your desk as Montana State Fund safety services specialist Kirk Smith presents his virtual December safety workshop, “Make Some Noise for Safety Training” via Zoom.

REGISTER NOW

How will the workshops be run?
The virtual workshops will include two topics, with one topic presented in the morning and the second topic in the afternoon. Each session will be scheduled for two hours with a break.  This breakdown gives participants time to step away from their computer to avoid any ergonomic or eye strain issues.

Topics

All Ears – In this section we will discuss the elements of a successful hearing conservation program. We will cover the physical attributes of the human ear, how hearing damage occurs, and the effect various levels of sound have on our hearing. We will then address the best way to determine if your employees are exposed to harmful noise levels, actions to limit these levels and the proper way to use hearing protection.

 Safety Training – One of managements greatest tasks is to create effective safety trainings.  In this section we will explore various training opportunities, introduce you to unique training methods, and discuss the philosophy behind safety training. We will then open the floor to participants as they talk about the challenges and accomplishments of safety trainings at their workplaces.

Workshop Dates and Times

Tuesday – December 8, 2020
9:30 am – 11:30 am   Hearing Conservation Program
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm    Safety Training

Thursday – December 10, 2020
9:30 am – 11:30 am    Safety Training
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm     Hearing Conservation Program

Wednesday – December 16, 2020
9:30 am – 11:30 am   Hearing Conservation Program
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm    Safety Training

Interested?   Register Now.   All workshops are open to any Montana worker, but participants must register to receive a secure Zoom confirmation.  If you have questions, call 800-332-6102 extension 5361 (Kirk Smith).

Montana State Fund’s (MSF) safety team busily mailed personal protective equipment to 37 construction trades and industry high school classroom across the state. This was made possible through MSF’s high school personal protective equipment (PPE) grant program.

Traditionally, the MSF safety team personally visit the classrooms to convey the importance of safety in their classrooms and in the workplace. But with the uncertainty of Covid-19, an online safety video was produced.

The selected classrooms were awarded up to $850 for the purchase of the PPE which could include safety eye protection, fall protection gear, gloves, and ear protection, suitable for the area of study. New this year, teachers were able to use a portion of their grant money to order safety equipment for their classroom such as machine guards, welding curtains or specialized PPE.

The grants are part of Montana State Fund’s Growing a Safer Montana initiative to improve Montana’s workplace safety culture. The initiative teaches and reinforces positive safety in the classroom before these young people enter Montana’s workforce. Since the program’s inception in 2017, over $64,000 worth of safety gear has helped more than 5,000 students.

Montana’s injury rate has decreased from 4.4 injuries for every 100 workers in 2017 to 3.9 injuries for every 100 in 2018. While that number is an improvement, it is still higher than the national average of 2.8. It is critical that we continue to teach and instill safety in the next generation of Montanan’s to help keep our injuries rates trending downward.

Below is a list of the high schools, classrooms and teachers who received the safety equipment

Anaconda High School Construction-Automotive
Teacher: Brian Riley

Anaconda High School Welding/Machining
Teacher: Ryan Pesanti

Arlee High School Woods & Welding
Teacher: Michael Craig

Beaverhead County High School (Dillon) Agriculture Education
Teacher: Caleb Igo

Belgrade High School Welding
Teacher: Eric Kinnaman

Belgrade High School Woodworking
Teacher: Randy Radke

Bozeman High School Welding Fabrication
Teacher: Rick Hedlund

Bozeman High School Woodworking
Teacher: Daniel Brown

Butte High School Welding
Teacher: Denise Bordeleau

Dawson County (Glendive) Welding Ag
Teacher: Leanne Hoagland

Drummond High School Carpentry & Welding
Teacher: Alex Bolotsky

Havre High School Automotive Tech
Teacher: Tyler Kropf

Havre High School Welding, Basic Metals
Teacher: Christopher Comp

Helena Capital High School Industrial Technology
Teacher: Tom Kain

Helena High School Welding
Teacher: Cindy Galbavy

Jefferson High School (Boulder) Welding
Teacher: David Heimann

Jefferson High School (Boulder) Woods
Teacher: Mike Robbins

Missoula Hellgate Building Trades, Math for the Trades
Teacher: Charles Rinehart

Missoula Hellgate High School Welding
Teacher: Alan Pfister

Missoula Sentinel High School Carpentry & Welding
Teacher:Dave Burtch

Park County High School (Livingston) Industrial Technology
Teacher: Jamie Isaly

Powell County (Deer Lodge) Cabinet & Carpentry
Teacher: Clint Stevenson

St. Regis High School Carpentry & Welding
Teacher: George Cheesman

Superior High School Construction/Drafting/Welding/Woods
Teacher Jeff Schultz

Whitehall High School Welding & Carpentry
Teacher: Casey Harris

The other part of the Growing a Safer initiative is academic scholarships for higher education students in the trades, such as welding, automotive and construction and those studying industrial hygiene or occupational safety and health. These scholarships will be distributed in January 2021. 

For more information about the Growing a Safer Montana program contact Sophie Magnuson (406) 495-5397 or  Mark Rosenleaf (406) 495- 5334.

We have learned a lot over the last ten months. Our environments have changed, and we have had to adapt. Montana State Fund (MSF) is adapting, too. In the coming weeks and months, we will be rolling out new tools, sites and features to help our policyholders, injured workers and other stakeholders stay better connected.

2021 is almost upon us. In Montana, odd-numbered years mean a regular session of the legislative body will convene in January. To prepare for the upcoming session, MSF will be launching a new interactive website to help you stay up to date on the latest happenings in Helena.

Another feature we are rolling out is a podcast that we are calling Big Sky Business (BSB). BSB will be a periodic podcast featuring diverse content and guests that will hopefully add value to your day-to-day life.

We are excited to work better together with you in the coming months and we look forward to unveiling new content and features very soon. In the meantime, if you would like to be placed on the BSB email list or you have any questions or comments, please email msflegislativeissues@safemt.gov.

Our 2019 annual report is now live. Please take a few moments to review the work and accomplishments of the Montana State Fund staff.

I am quite certain we will all remember 2020 as the year of a lifetime.  The uncertainty that surrounds us due to pandemic, environmental, social and economic challenges can bring fear and frustration into our lives.  Montanan’s are no stranger to adversity and uncertainty.  Our state’s history has been forged out of the raw, untamed, land and many of us enjoy the legacy of those who came before us to make something out of what appeared to be nothing.

Since 1915 Montana State Fund has worked side-by-side with Montanan’s as our state’s economy has grown and evolved.  Taking care of people injured on the job and the families that depend on them is one of the most important responsibilities we have.  Over the last 30 years I have learned people that successfully faced adversity whether through injury or disease demonstrate a trait many take for granted – resiliency.  More now then ever we need to appreciate how difficult the times are, that it is scary.  Many of our customers have had to shut their businesses down (hopefully, temporarily) due to COVID-19, having to lay-off people that have depended upon those jobs – they are our friends and neighbors.  At the same time people have lost a sense of community purpose and have become divided from one another.

But, through all of this we see signs of Montana’s resilience.  Businesses that mobilized to support remote work for their employees, redesigning jobs and keeping Montana working.  Leveraging resources to keep supply chains functioning and creatively finding new market opportunities.  Taking care of our neighbors who have been displaced and need a hand up.  We don’t know when things will return to “normal” but we’re not waiting around or becoming paralyzed from fear and uncertainty.  Our resiliency as a community and courage to do what it takes to rise above the circumstances is what provides optimism for better times.  The same better times our forebearers imagined as they turned this untamed landscape into our great state, bouncing back from setbacks and forging on, never losing sight of their dreams.

Through it all, Montana State Fund’s employees haven’t missed a day from taking care of our customers and their employees.  We have taken steps to soften the economic blow to our customers and ensure injured workers continue to get the best possible medical care.  We have had to be resilient, creative and flexible just like you.   And, we trust we have provided our customers with a sense that we’re in this together as a community and that in good times or uncertain times, Montana State Fund will be there to help them.

Stay safe.

Sincerely,

Laurence Hubbard
President/CEO Montana State Fund

Sit comfortably at your desk as Montana State Fund safety services specialist Kirk Smith presents his virtual September safety workshop, Safety: Take the Lead via Zoom.

Register Now

How will the workshops be run?
The virtual workshops will include two topics, with one topic presented in the morning and the second topic in the afternoon. Each session will be scheduled for two hours with a break.  This breakdown gives participants time to step away from their computer to avoid any ergonomic or eye strain issues.

Topics Include
OSHA’s Top Ten Citations (Part 3):  This session will round out our three-part series on OSHA’s Top Ten Citations for 2019.  In this segment we will cover Powered Industrial Trucks, Machine Guarding and Personal Protective Equipment (Eye Protection in Construction.)  The advantage to reviewing these citations is to learn from the mistakes of other organizations to ensure your businesses successfully follow OSHA standards.

 All-In Leadership:   Whether or not you know it, you are a safety leader. However, our actions as leaders can positively or negatively affect our organization (e.g. productivity, quality of our products, morale, employee engagement, safety, etc.). In this session, we will delve into the concept known as “All-In Leadership” made popular by author Cort Dial in his book, Heretics to Heroes – A Memoir on Modern Leadership.” Dial’s insight and leadership approaches will help you improve positive leadership skills that reinforce your commitment to build a safety of culture across the state.

 Workshop Dates and Times

Thursday – September 17, 2020
9:30 am – 11:30 am    OSHA Top Ten Citations (Part 3) Powered Industrial Trucks, Machine Guarding and Personal Protective Equipment (Eye Protection in Construction.)
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm    All-In Leadership

Wednesday – September 23, 2020
9:30 am – 11:30 am    All-In Leadership
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm     OSHA Top Ten Citations (Part 3) Powered Industrial Trucks, Machine Guarding and Personal Protective Equipment (Eye Protection in Construction.)

Tuesday – September 29, 2020
9:30 am – 11:30 am    OSHA Top Ten Citations (Part 3) Powered Industrial Trucks, Machine Guarding and Personal Protective Equipment (Eye Protection in Construction.)
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm    All-In Leadership

Interested?   Register Now.   All workshops are open to any Montana worker, but participants must register to receive a secure Zoom confirmation.  If you have questions, call 800-332-6102 extension 5361 (Kirk Smith).

Save the Date – December Virtual Safety Workshops (Registration will be open in November)

 Tuesday – December 8, 2020
9:30 am – 11:30 am   Hearing Conservation Program
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm    Safety Training

Thursday – December 10, 2020
9:30 am – 11:30 am    Safety Training
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm     Hearing Conservation Program

Wednesday – December 16, 2020
9:30 am – 11:30 am    Hearing Conservation Program
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm    Safety Training

It became evident in late March that many of Montana’s front line employers were unable to access Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for their workers. Knowing that, and with our commitment to build a safer Montana, we created the COVID-19  PPE grant program.

The grants were available to policyholders with the most vulnerable workers including firefighters, EMTs, police, physician, dental and physical therapy offices, nursing homes, grocery and drug stores, social services organizations, and group homes.

“It’s in our mission and vision to partner with Montana businesses and their workers to create a safe environment for them,” said MSF President and CEO, Laurence Hubbard. “This has never been more important than during this pandemic.”

Qualifying policyholders completed an application with the stated number of PPE requested and the necessity of the items. There was no cost for the PPE.

The response was overwhelming. MSF successfully filled the majority of the requests.  In the end, our employees packed and shipped 506 boxes of PPE to 453 frontline policyholders and their employees. This included 30,000 KN95 masks, 156,000 tri-fold masks, and 100 thermometers.

Our vision at Montana State Fund is to be an indispensable partner in achieving a safer, healthier, and more prosperous Montana. And in these uncertain times, achieving this vision requires flexibility and innovation to protect the health and well-being of our policyholders, injured employees, and our own staff.

Policyholder Peace of Mind
We understood the financial stress many of you were under as your businesses shuttered in March. At that time, we stood ready to partner with you by deferring premium payments from Wednesday, March 18, 2020 through June 30, 2020. In that timeframe, no policies were cancelled for failure to pay their premium or report their payroll. Even as the state started to reopen, COVID-19 continued to have significant impact on many of your businesses.  In response, we extended the premium payment deferral through September 30, 2020.

In addition:

• We will work with each of you that continue to be affected by business closures or interruption beyond this time.
• Policyholders who continue to pay wages to employees while not working (gratuitous wages) will not be charged workers’ compensation premium on those wages.
• If a policyholder has a change from what the payroll was originally estimated, MSF can help you complete a revised estimate. This is a standing, common practice and simply requires the policyholder to contact MSF.

Injured Employee Care
Through all the uncertainty over the last few months, our claims team has continued to ensure injured employees receive their benefit payments and the medical care they need. This has included new services including virtual doctor visits. In addition, as medical offices reopen, we have helped injured employees get their treatment rescheduled as quickly as possible.

Business as (Un)Usual
Montana State Fund is committed to protecting the health of customers, our fellow Montanans, and our own staff. Therefore, due to COVID-19, we have temporarily suspended all business travel and closed our offices to the public. We know many employees across the state are now working remotely, and Montana State Fund is no different. Our employees have made an incredibly successful transition to this new way of providing the same excellent customer service you have come to expect.  This includes offering virtual safety services at no charge to our policyholders.  Ergonomics coaching, business continuation assistance, and safety risk assessments are just a few examples of the services available to you

We Are a Sure Thing
While very little is sure these days, one thing you can count on is our commitment to our customers. We realize you may have questions and the need to talk to someone. Please reach out to us at 800-332-6102 to discuss how we can help.

Intuitive and ease of navigation is how we describe our redesigned montanastatefund.com website. The new site launched Saturday, May 16, 2020.

Biggest Change
For customers who access online services such as loss runs, first report of injury or payroll reporting, go to the Manage Policy tab on the top right-hand corner of the homepage.

Other Features

• More visuals to help with quicker navigation.
• Top bar menu on homepage with links to commonly used services.
• Targeted user pages with sub navigation menus specifically tailored to the user group.
• Medical Page has divided provider and office staff tabs for easy information access.
• Robust search engine.
• Mobile friendly.
• Our site is designed to work well on any mobile device,  tablet, etc.

If you have any questions about the website, please contact one of our customer service specialists at 800-332-6102.

Dream Adaptive Recreation ski and snowboard instructors in Whitefish, MT are now certified and trained to teach lessons to individuals with disabilities. Roundup, MT Memorial Healthcare facility has a functioning security system.  And, an ADA compliant ramp has been installed at the Women’s Resource Center in Dillon, MT.

These are just three of the 15 projects Montana State Fund supported in 2019 through our Assisting Charitable Endeavors (ACE) program.

WHAT IS ACE?
ACE is Montana State Fund’s charitable giving program that has been in effect for 19 years. It was created as a vehicle to financially help Montana based nonprofits to promote workplace safety, supply safety trainings or purchase equipment that enhances safety and well-being. Since its’ start, 260 organizations have received help from the program. The average grant is $1,797, with a grand total of $467,191 dispensed.  The ACE grants require a dollar-for-dollar match.

ACE Criteria

• Grantee promotes workplace safety
• Safety Trainings
• Assistance with the purchase of equipment that enhances safety and community well-being
• The program will result in a widespread benefit for a Montana community or the state as a whole
• The program benefits a representative cross section of small and large communities across Montana
• The program will have the potential to result in positive public communication about MSF and the ACE program
• The minimum grant will be $250
• The maximum grant on applications received will be $2,000

Interested?
To learn more about the program, review past grantees,  or to apply,  go to our website montanastatefund.com, click on the About MSF tab then click on ACE Grants. If you have questions about the program contact Ethan Heverly or call 495-5426.

“Harnessing the Future of Workers’ Compensation” is the theme for this year’s annual medical conference. The two-day event is slated for May 7-8, 2020 at Helena’s Delta Hotel.

 Topics for the event include:

• Medical Technology in Workers’ Compensation
• Medical Marijuana
• Determining Medical Causation
• Living Beyond a Spinal-Cord Injury
• Medical and Legal Updates

This conference is valuable for Physicians, Physicians Assistants, Nurses, Physical Therapists,  Medical Case Managers, Vocational Rehabilitation Consultants, and Claims Examiners.

For questions or more information contact Shannon Hadley or call 495-5245.

Montana’s aging workforce faces a wave of retirements, especially in the construction and trades industries. In addition, this field has a higher percentage of workplace injuries than average. To improve the safety record, and encourage the next generation to enter these fields, MSF recently awarded $4,000 scholarships to 15 college students majoring in the occupational health and safety or construction trades professions.

These scholarships are part of MSF’s Growing a Safer Montana (GSM) initiative. The program aims to educate young workers about the importance of workplace safety before they enter the workforce.

MSF began offering these competitive academic scholarships in 2018. In that time the number of scholarships and the amounts has risen. This year $4,000 scholarships were awarded to 15 students. Last year 11 students received $3,000 scholarships. And in the first year, 10 students were awarded $1,500 each.  In all, MSF has awarded 36 students a total of $108,000 in scholarship monies.

The application process includes taking an educational quiz, writing an essay on the importance of safety specific to the applicants desired industry and how they plan to champion safety in the future. The application also requires two letters of recommendation. Finally, the student must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.

The 2020 recipients include:

Flathead Valley Community College
Jon Carlson – Electrical Technology
Gregory McCleerey – Welding Technology
Brian Hollingsworth – Industrial Machine Technology
Vanessa Janckila- Welding Technology
Hayden Wood – Welding Technology

Missoula College
David Anderson –  Carpentry

University of MT (Bitterroot)
Annika Gordon – – Sustainable Construction Technology

University of Montana
Troy Bawden – Construction Technology
Casey Paulson – Sustainable Construction Technology

Highlands College
David Ingalls – -Construction Technology/Carpentry

Montana Tech
Cara O’Donnell – BS) Occupational Safety and Health
Kelsey Schmidt – MS) Industrial Hygiene
Abigail Passage – (BS) Occupational Safety and Health
Blake Nichols – (BS) Occupational Safety and Health
Jacques Boulet – (BS) Occupational Safety and Health

To find out more about Growing a Safer Montana, visit our website

Please join Montana State Fund this March for our free half-day safety workshop Engage in Safety.

CLICK TO REGISTER NOW

Topics include:
OSHA’s Top Ten Citations (Part 1): There are top 10 lists for everything, and OSHA is no exception. Unfortunately, OSHA’s top 10 list can affect the safety of your employees. While most of us want to comply with OSHA standards, the effort to meet the requirements is often a struggle.  In this session we will identify the top OSHA citations and how you can ensure your business is compliant. We will break down the 10 citations into three parts.  In this session, Part 1, we will discuss Fall Protection and Training Requirements in Construction (this is a combination of two topics), the Hazard Communication Program (relating to chemicals in the workplace) and Scaffolding. At our June workshop, Part 2, will cover Lockout/Tagout, Respiratory Protection and Ladders.  Part 3 in September, we will examine Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklifts), Machine Guarding and Personal Protective Equipment).

Safety Engagement:   Every organization should strive for an engaged workforce, but how does that engagement translate to your safety efforts?  In this session we will cover where the term “Employee Engagement” comes from, how it is measured, and the key safety areas you can implement to help improve the engagement within your workforce.

Dates and Locations
March 3:  Butte – La Quinta Inn
March 5:  Helena – Holiday Inn Express
March 6:  Great Falls – Holiday Inn
March 11:  Glasgow – Cottonwood Inn
March 12:  Miles City – Sleep Inn & Suites
March 13:  Billings – Hampton Inn (3550 Ember Lane, off I-90 West, Zoo Drive Exit)
March 17:  Bozeman – Best Western GranTree Inn
March 19:  Kalispell – Hampton Inn
March 20:  Missoula – Best Western Grant Creek Inn

Interested? Register Now. The free trainings take place from 8:30 am – Noon. If you have questions contact Kirk Smith or call 495- 5361.

Since 2009, 307 Montana businesses have invested in safety with 637 of their employees through Montana State Fund’s WorkSafe Champions program.

WorkSafe Champions is a free intensive safety curriculum created to reduce workplace accidents by helping participants develop a positive safety culture within their organization.

There are two options for enrollment.

Central Classes – These classes are open to MSF policyholders and non-policyholders. Employers can send one or more employees to one of our central classes offered in Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Glasgow, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, Miles City or Missoula. These classes, which begin in March 2020, offer a total of five classes (20 hours of instruction) over the course of 13 months.

On-Site – This choice is only open to MSF policyholders.  One of our qualified Safety Management Consultants will lead eight modules (20 -24 hours of instruction) at a policyholder’s location.  The employer sets the pace and the schedule. MSF requires at least three dedicated participants (more are welcomed and encouraged) committed to the entirety of the program, one of which must be able to influence safety within your organization. Class enrollment is open year-round.

The key elements of the program include:

• Learn steps to reduce the number and severity of workplace injuries.
• Increase efficiency and quality, which promotes business growth.
• Individual attention and support from Montana State Fund’s safety experts.
• Access to tools and resources that give you the power to affect and sustain workplace safety.
• Learn to minimize costs when workplace injuries do occur.

By the end of the program participants are committed to develop an action plan specifically tailored to their organization and act on at least one identified issue.

If you are interested in the central classes, contact Kirk Smith at 406-495-5361. Contact  Keri Maes at 406-495-5265  or Stormy Tuffield at 406-495-5325 for the on-site classes.  Click for more information about the WorkSafe Champion program.

Montana State Fund kicked off its new statewide media campaign, “Signs of Safety” in late September. The goal of the campaign is to salute several different Montana businesses for their commitment to safety. A retro sign is used in the ads to highlight that safety works and Montana State Fund is there to provide safety support along the way.

The media components of the campaign included statewide television and cable networks, traditional and public radio, rural newspapers, trade publications plus social media using Facebook, Instagram, and targeted website banner ads. The call to action at the end of the ads direct the audience to a campaign specific page on our safety focused website safemt.com.

This campaign will be carried into 2020. Below is the “Signs of Safety” television ad.

These grants are part of Montana State Fund’s Growing a Safer Montana initiative. The grants are a way for MSF to help improve Montana’s workplace safety culture. One way is to teach and reinforce positive safety in the classroom, before these young people enter Montana’s workforce. Since the program’s inception in 2017, $30,000 worth of safety gear has benefited more than 4,600 students.

According to the National Young Worker Safety Resource Center individuals younger than 25 years old are two times more likely to be in an accident at work.

“That is why it is important for them to learn at an early age how to be as safe as possible while at work, said Sophie Magnuson Montana State Fund Safety Management Consultant. “The goal is to reinforce safety habits for the next generation of Montana’s workforce.”

Below is a list of the high schools, classrooms and teachers who received the safety equipment

Anaconda High School Construction-Automotive
Teacher: Brian Riley

Anaconda High School Welding/Machining
Teacher: Ryan Pesanti

Arlee High School Woods & Welding
Teacher: Michael Craig

Beaverhead County High School (Dillon) Agriculture Education
Teacher: Caleb Igo

Belgrade High School Welding
Teacher: Eric Kinnaman

Belgrade High School Woodworking
Teacher: Randy Radke

Bozeman High School Welding Fabrication
Teacher: Rick Hedlund

Bozeman High School Woodworking
Teacher: Daniel Brown

Butte High School Welding
Teacher: Denise Bordeleau

Dawson County (Glendive) Welding Ag
Teacher: Leanne Hoagland

Drummond High School Carpentry & Welding
Teacher: Alex Bolotsky

Havre High School Automotive Tech
Teacher: Tyler Kropf

Havre High School Welding, Basic Metals
Teacher: Christopher Comp

Helena Capital High School Industrial Technology
Teacher: Tom Kain

Helena High School Welding
Teacher: Cindy Galbavy

Jefferson High School (Boulder) Welding
Teacher: David Heimann

Jefferson High School (Boulder) Woods
Teacher: Mike Robbins

Missoula Hellgate Building Trades, Math for the Trades
Teacher: Charles Rinehart

Missoula Hellgate High School Welding
Teacher: Alan Pfister

Missoula Sentinel High School Carpentry & Welding
Teacher:Dave Burtch

Park County High School (Livingston) Industrial Technology
Teacher: Jamie Isaly

Powell County (Deer Lodge) Cabinet & Carpentry
Teacher: Clint Stevenson

St. Regis High School Carpentry & Welding
Teacher: George Cheesman

Superior High School Construction/Drafting/Welding/Woods
Teacher Jeff Schultz

Whitehall High School Welding & Carpentry
Teacher: Casey Harris

The other part of the Growing a Safer initiative is academic scholarships for higher education students in the trades, such as welding, automotive and construction and those studying industrial hygiene or occupational safety and health. These scholarships will be distributed in January 2020. 

For more information about the Growing a Safer Montana program contact Sophie Magnuson (406) 495-5397 or  Mark Rosenleaf (406) 495- 5334.

Please join Montana State Fund for our free half-day safety workshop A Complete Safety Package.

Topics include:
OSHA Corner – OSHA Recordkeeping & Reporting:  As you wrap up 2019, this is the perfect opportunity to review your OSHA recordkeeping and reporting information for the year.  In this discussion we will cover the correct, most efficient procedures and how to apply them to your organization.

Claims Management Tools:   Studies show that a business that actively manages their workers’ compensation claims may lower claim and premium costs.   During this section we will cover several claims management tools, including Stay-at-Work/Return-to-Work programs and how it can work for you and your employees.

Raising the Level of Your Safety Culture:  Most organizations want to improve their safety culture with a step by step process. But unfortunately, there is no one size fits all solution.  In this session, we will discuss a variety of different approaches your organization can take to raise your safety culture to new heights.

Dates and Locations
December 3:  Helena – Holiday Inn Express
December 5:  Butte – La Quinta Inn
December 6:  Great Falls – Holiday Inn
December 11:  Glasgow – Cottonwood Inn
December 12:  Miles City – Sleep Inn & Suites
December 13:  Billings – Hampton Inn Billings West I90
December 17:  Bozeman – Best Western GranTree Inn
December 19:  Kalispell – Hampton Inn
December 20:  Missoula – Best Western Grant Creek Inn

Interested? Click to Register. The free trainings take place from 8:30 am – Noon. If you have questions, call 800-332-6102 extension 5361 (Kirk Smith).

Madison Haagenson recalls the day in October of 2016 when her father’s back was crushed by a 400 lb. truck grill guard at the Billings warehouse where he worked. After major surgery and an exceedingly difficult year and a half, doctors finally declared her dad permanently disabled. What that meant for Haagenson was that money was tight for her family, and the prospect for college tuition from her parents was slim.

However, that all changed when she received a Kid’s Chance scholarship. Kids’ Chance is a non-profit that provides higher education scholarships to the children of workers who have been injured or killed on the job. Montana is one of 47 states or districts affiliated with this organization.

Recently, Montana State Fund presented a $25,000 check to Kids’ Chance of Montana.  This donation assists students like Haagenson, who is a sophomore at Montana State University pursuing a civil engineer degree.

 “Historically, Montana has been among the highest in the nation in workplace accidents and fatalities,” said Laurence Hubbard, MSF President and CEO. “That is certainly not a category we want to lead, and we are committed to improving the workplace safety culture by driving awareness. At the same time, it is equally important to continue to help injured workers and their families through programs like Kids’ Chance and Montana State Fund’s independent scholarship program.

Peter Van Nice, Chairman of the Kids’ Chance Board of Directors said, “We are grateful to Montana State Fund and to all of our generous donors for their commitment to this important cause. Thanks to contributions like this, Kids’ Chance of Montana will have a lasting and meaningful impact on the lives of many students.”

Since the start of Kids’ Chance of Montana in 2017, 11 scholarships have been awarded to the children of injured workers—six in 2018, and five in 2019.

The Montana State Fund (MSF) Board of Directors recently declared a $30 million dividend that was paid to our safest policyholders.  Historically, Montana is near the top in the nation in workplace accidents and fatalities. Paying dividends to the safest policyholders helps reinforce the need to run a safe workplace.

“Without buy-in from employers and workers to improve Montana’s safety culture, we would not be able to declare dividends such as this,” said Laurence Hubbard, President and CEO of MSF. “The best accident or injury is the one that never happens, and I believe Montana’s workforce is beginning to understand and value that. We still have room for improvement, but Montana is headed in a positive direction and our team is proud to be a part of it.”

The 2019 dividend follows back-to-back $40 million dividend declarations in 2017 and 2018, and brings the total paid to policyholders since 1999 to $286 million.

Dividends are not guaranteed and are primarily the result of two variables—better than expected investment returns, and fewer than expected losses (accidents).

Our vision at Montana State Fund is to be an indispensable partner in achieving a safer, healthier, and more prosperous Montana. We are proud to say it is working. Recently, our policyholder Montana Resources was featured in the Butte Standard for their commitment to safety. We commend Montana Resource’s efforts to keep safety at the forefront of their daily workday. We would like to share their story. 

Below is the July 10 2019 article reprinted with permission from Butte Standard Reporter,  Susan Dunlap.

Rocks falling off high walls, the regular use of explosives, electrical cords carrying high voltage in very big shovels, and super large haul trucks driving around make for a work environment that has the potential to hurt or even kill people.

But, despite those types of dangers, Montana Resources celebrated Monday its 3,652th day — or 10 straight years — of no lost time due to a work accident.

Nearly 60 years ago, The Montana Standard reported a different kind of story. An accident to a haul driver in the Berkeley Pit put him in the hospital and ended the Anaconda Company’s 137 days of no lost time due to work accidents.

Mike McGivern, MR vice president of human resources, said Tuesday that every industry has gotten safer, not just mining, and not just MR.

“It’s not okay to hurt people on a job and it’s not okay to act in an unsafe manner,” McGivern said.

But he said MR is particularly cautious when it comes to safety. Even though McGivern, who is a safety engineer by training, is the highest-ranking MR official who oversees safety, he says the credit belongs not to him but to Rolin Erickson, president of MR, and to the workers.

“At the end of the day, it’s the top guy who drives the culture. We all report to him. He (Erickson) deserves a lot of the credit, as do the other 369 men and women who go home safe and healthy every day,” McGivern said.

A sign at an entrance to Montana Resources open pit mine greets employees and visitors with news of reaching a 10-year safety mark without an accident.

MR’s safety record is “commendable,” said an administrator with Mine Safety and Health Administration — and that was in 2015. The mining company on the east side of Butte has not had an accident that involved a regular employee and resulted in lost time at work since July 8, 2009.

“You have no idea how proud Rolin is and the senior staff of the accomplishments of MR’s workforce. It really is a tremendous milestone,” McGivern said.

Montana State Fund, the state’s largest workers’ compensation insurance company, acknowledged MR’s safety record a few years ago with a check for $58,164. At the time, officials with Montana State Fund said Montana overall ranked 40 percent higher than the rest of the nation in worker-related accidents in 2016.

Even though going through safety protocols on a constant basis — McGivern said some crews have daily safety meetings — can be time consuming and could be seen as eating into the mine’s profits, McGivern said that’s not the culture at MR.

“The safest mines are the most productive,” McGivern said is the motto at MR. “It’s an investment well spent.”

Montana State Fund’s new policy and billing system replacement project has been ‘under construction’ for almost two years and it’s all coming together as we move out of development and into the testing phases. It’s quite an exciting time!

At MSF, we have a strong vision and outstanding values.  We know MSF’s TRUE NORTH and who we are.  We stand for doing the right thing, for the businesses in Montana and for those injured on the job.

As we move into testing, the defining moment of truth is when we see whether everything we’ve imagined and poured our hearts into, is going to work as we had expected.

It’s been conversation and intentions up until now.  Now we get to see the new system in practice, all together, from end-to-end.

We get to turn on the engine and take it for a spin.

MSF’s intention for phase 1 was to get MSF on to a new platform. The conclusion of phase 1 will be when we get to that point of enjoying all the capabilities that the new system has to offer and then looking for continuous improvement opportunities.

Some new capabilities are simply because it’s a more modern system.  Other capabilities are because we have designed them to suit the needs of our customers.  Without question, the new system will provide our agents and policyholders with much more access to policy details than our current system.  Phase 2 will be where improvement ideas and suggestions to form a new set of requirements that will make this platform even greater will happen.

It is true there is no changing the future without disturbing the present.  What I have enjoyed about this journey is the way each and every staff member has taken big steps out of their comfort zones away from the only system they have known and embraced the necessary change.  They have committed themselves to a new way of doing things to get the most benefit from the new system – and deliver a great product that will help us realize our vision of making worker’s compensation easier for our customers and more efficient for us.  We want MSF to be in the best place possible to be a remarkable, competitive insurance partner for Montana businesses – and we are working to build a platform to support that vision.

We are impatient for the new system but we’re still about a year away from ‘go-live’.

The good news is that the new system is coming, and we remain committed to delivering a modern, elegant solution – saving time, making work easier.

Historically, Montana has ranked as one of the states with the highest rates of workplace accidents. But recently, accidents are trending downward. To keep the momentum heading in the right direction, MSF continues to create solutions to promote workplace safety.

One such is solution is the production of our online video education safety series. The videos, which are only a few minutes in length, are designed to be as fun to watch as they are informational. Currently there are 16 videos in our library.

The safety topics include.

Creating a Safety Culture
Everyday Electrical
Eye Protection
Ergonomics
Protect Your Hearing
Ladder Safety
Patient Handling
Personal Protection Equipment
Back Safety
Slips, Trips and Falls
Proper Lifting
Develop Company-Wide Driving Policies
Prevent Distracted Driving
Fall Protection
The Benefits of Return to Work Program
Safety is Our Business: Montana State Fund Safety Services

How Can I View The Videos?
Simply go to our safety focused website safemt.com, as well as our YouTube channel. The videos are free, and you can easily view them right on your computer.

Helping Montanans make their workplaces safer, healthier and more prosperous is what we’re here to do. As always, if you have questions contact one of our safety management consultants at 800-332-6102.

Protecting the health and safety of Montanans is at the heart of everything we do at Montana State Fund.  To reflect this message, we recently changed our email domain from montanastatefund.com to safemt.gov.

Please use the safemt.gov domain when you are contacting staff. The current username will remain the same, for example, jdoe@montanastatefund.com is now jdoe@safemt.gov.

Please note that the montanastatefund.com domain will be disabled effective October 1, 2019. This means any emails sent using this domain after that date will not be delivered to MSF. 

If you have any questions, contact one of our customer service specialists at 800-332-6102 or email msfwebmaster@safemt.gov.

The Montana Building Industry Association’s (MBIA) workplace safety efforts have really paid off.  Recently, MSF presented the MBIA’s GRIP program (Group Retention Insurance Program) a check worth nearly $540,000 to commend them for these efforts.

Approximately 250 of MBIA’s 1,500 members participate in the program which is designed to reduce on-the-job accidents through safety training and awareness. Montana is near the highest in the nation in workplace accidents and fatalities, and the construction industry is one of the most dangerous.

“Montana State Fund applauds the efforts and determination of the Montana Building Industry Association’s GRIP program to reduce workplace accidents and send their workers home safely at the end of the day,” said Laurence Hubbard, President and CEO of MSF. “It is commitment like theirs that will have a lasting and meaningful impact on Montana’s workplace safety culture.”

MBIA Executive Director, Steve Snezek said “MBIA’s GRIP program has a strategic vision to reduce on-the-job accidents and fatalities. We know Montana, and especially the construction industry, leads the nation in these types of incidents. MBIA’s GRIP program is designed to reduce the occurrence of accidents and we are grateful to have a partner like Montana State Fund in this endeavor. The program is working, and this check proves that safety pays.”

The MBIA GRIP program has been in existence with MSF since 1997 and has resulted in nearly $6M in returns to deserving policyholders who are committed to operating a safe workplace.

It’s no surprise our policyholders hear us preach about the virtues of safety and why it’s important for them to create a culture of safety at their workplace. But we also realize for them to be successful we need to offer helpful tools that put our words into action.

One of these valuable tools is our free quarterly statewide safety workshops. These half-day trainings are designed to give Montanas’ employers and employees the training and know-how, on a variety of important and timely issues.

And because we want to be an indispensable partner in achieving a safer, healthier and more prosperous Montana, we have opened these trainings to all Montanans, not just our policyholders.  Our goal is to help Montana employers develop their own unique safety programs tailored to their employees and businesses.

Last year our safety service team hosted 35 safety workshops that touched 575 Montana workers. The range of topics include: fraud, slips, trips & falls, young workers safety, emergency action plans, hazard communication program, return to work and more.

Are you ready to start creating your own workplace safety culture? Our next round of workshops will take place in March. If you need more information about our workshops, contact Montana State Fund Safety Services Specialist Kirk Smith at 800-332-6102 ext.

MSF is proud to announce that two of our senior leaders, Julie Jenkinson, Vice President of Insurance Operations and Sam Heigh, Vice President of Insurance Operations Support, recently received a Stevie® Award for Women in Business.

The Stevie Awards, are widely considered to be the world’s premier business award. Jenkinson received the Gold Award in the Leadership in Transforming Customer Engagement category and Heigh won the Silver Award in the Leadership in Operational Excellence category.

In her acceptance speech, Jenkinson paid tribute to MSF staff. “Being recognized as a leader in transforming customer engagement is an honor, for sure. But, it’s not one anyone earns single-handedly. At Montana State Fund, we are deeply committed to customer engagement and the customer experience all the way from the front desk to the CEO’s desk. I share this with all my colleagues who every day are committed to succeeding together and delivering excellence in customer service.”

Laurence Hubbard, President and CEO of Montana State Fund, said. “Besides managing their normal operations, both Julie and Sam are highly engaged sponsors of various business improvement projects. They, together with the rest of the individuals at MSF, are transforming the business towards taking our customer experience to a whole new level.”

Congratulations to Assistant Attorney General Mary Cochenour who was recognized as the Prosecutor of the Year by the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. Since 2012, Cochenour has served as the prosecutor for worker’s compensation fraud referrals made by Montana State Fund to the Montana Attorney General’s Office.

MSF refers an average of 10 – 13 cases per year to the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation that are investigated and then referred to Cochenour’s office for prosecution. 

Over the past six years, Cochenour has done an outstanding job prosecuting worker’s compensation fraud cases.  She has earned a reputation as a tough, but fair prosecutor in trial who proved to be highly effective in front of a jury.  Her reputation has led many to plead guilty rather than go to trial.  

Montana State Fund recently invested in the education of 11 Montana college students majoring in Occupational Safety and Health/Industrial Hygiene and the Construction Trade and Industry fields through our Growing a Safer Montana higher education scholarships.

“As the state’s largest workers’ compensation insurer, we are doing our best to prepare the next generation workforce of Montana for a long and safe working career, “said MSF President and CEO, Laurence Hubbard.  “These scholarships not only assist with a student’s tuition,they also lay the ground working for understanding and practicing a culture of safety at their future workplace.”

At the awards presentation, Hubbard surprised the recipients with a $3,000 scholarship instead of the $1,500 amount they were expecting.

Sarah Storey is one of this year’s recipients. She is pursuing a Master of Science in Industrial Hygiene at Montana Tech. “As a mother of three and college student, I work my hardest in all of my endeavors. This scholarship is very important for me to continue to accomplish the goals I put forth for myself and my family.”

MSF began offering these competitive academic scholarships in 2018. Last year, 10 students received a $1,500 scholarship. This year, MSF awarded 11, $3,000 scholarships, for a grand total of $48,000 in total scholarship money. To apply, recipients must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a desire to champion safety as they move into their professional endeavors.

2019 Scholarship Recipients include:

 Montana Tech – Occupational Safety and Health Students
Ciara Kremer
Jacques Boulet
Tyler Davis
Sarah Storey
Griff Warner

Highlands College – Montana Tech
Jakob Bloom – Welding
Maria Ralph – Carpentry
David Stahl – Construction Technology

Helena College – University of Montana
Elon Moffett – Industrial Welding and Fabrication

Gallatin College -Montana State University
Natalia Fernandes – Welding

Missoula College
Charles Bruce – Welding

Another Growing a Safer Montana program is the high school safety equipment grant. High school educators teaching construction trade and industry courses can apply for grants up to $750 that help purchase needed safety materials, equipment, or protective gear for their students. Over the past two years, 2,600 students have received safety equipment. In addition, MSF supplies safety materials and resources that the teachers can use to reinforce safety awareness in their classrooms. 

Join Montana State Fund’s (MSF) Safety Services Specialist, Kirk Smith and members of MSF’s Special Investigation Unit for our half-day safety workshop, Clues for a Successful Safety Program

Topics include:

Detecting Workers’ Compensation Fraud:   Committing insurance fraud is against the law.  And, if it is not identified, the effect of fraud undermines the confidence the public has in the workers’ compensation system. In this session we’ll educate you on the various types of workers’ compensation fraud, and how you can help limit and identify potentially fraudulent activities at your workplace.  In addition, we’ll review examples of successful workers’ compensation fraud investigations and prosecutions that led to convictions. 

Leadership’s Impact on Internalizing Safety:   To impact safety within the workplace you must go beyond external safety protocols with your workers and help them look at themselves and their internal motivations.  When employees internalize safety, they begin to realize that they have control over their personal well-being.   In this part of the workshop, we will discuss how leadership can help employees take better mental and physical self-control of their own safety when performing a wide array of tasks, both at work and at home.

Dates and Locations
February 27:  Bozeman – Best Western GranTree Inn
March 1:  Helena – Holiday Inn Express
March 7:  Butte – La Quinta Inn
March 8:  Great Falls – Holiday Inn
March 13:  Glasgow – Cottonwood Inn
March 14:  Miles City – Sleep Inn & Suites
March 15: Hampton Inn & Suites Billings West I-90
March 21:  Kalispell – Hampton Inn
March 22:  Missoula – Best Western Grant Creek Inn

Interested? Register Now. The free trainings take place from 8:30 am-Noon If you have questions, call 800-332-6102 extension 5361 (Kirk Smith).

If you pay your premium payment by mail, be aware that the address for our invoice remittances, and payments that are mailed for processing, has changed to:

Montana State Fund
PO. Box 4759
Helena, MT 59604-4759

Please take the necessary steps to replace the former Billings, MT PO Box address with the address above.

Do you know about our online payment options?
If you want to skip mailing, you can quickly, conveniently, and safely, pay your premium online by going to our website montanastatefund.com. Simply click the Online Payment Tab to begin the process. If you pay by e-check there is no charge for this service.  If you are paying by credit card, the vendor imposes a nominal fee to process the charges.

For questions about your premium payment, or anything else related to your policy, contact a customer service specialist at 800-332-6102.

At Montana State Fund we believe safety pays for our policyholders. One way we do that is through the dividend program. In September, our Board of Directors declared a $40 million dividend which will be distributed among 23,000 deserving policyholders.

Why Dividends?
Dividends are a way for us to share our good financial results with our employers who helped make it possible. It rewards and encourages safe and cost-effective behavior and reduces the overall cost of workers’ compensation insurance. The dividend comes from policyholder equity beyond what is determined necessary and prudent to meet current and projected long-term future obligations. Dividends cannot be guaranteed. Each year, MSF’s Board of Directors examine our independent actuary’s analysis of needed funds and determine if a dividend can be declared.

Since 1999 we have returned $256 million of total dividends to our policyholders. In addition to providing dividends as a return of premium to our customers, MSF has reduced premium rates or held the rates steady since 2007. Since July of 2007, premium rates have been reduced 42% and are currently at the lowest level since the creation of the Montana State Fund in 1991.

If you have further questions about our dividend program, please contact one of our customer service specialists at 800-332-6102.

Montana State Fund processes approximately 145,000 medical bills every year for injured workers. To carry out this task, we contract with a vendor to review these medical bills and issue payments directly to medical providers.

Beginning January 1, 2019, we will be contracting with Rising Medical Solutions (RMS) for these services. RMS, which is based in Chicago, currently processes 1 million medical bills annually with over $1.1 billion in annual charges.

The advantages of RMS include the acceptance of electronic billing, issuing Electronic Funds Transfer payments to medical providers, as well as offering streamlined and efficient review and processing for Montana State Fund claims examiners.

We look forward to our new partnership with RMS. If you have any questions about Rising Medical Solutions or the implementation of these services, please contact MSF Medical Services Director, Michele Fairclough or 406-495-5362.

Join Montana State Fund at our latest safety workshops as we as we present Listen Up: Safety Training Can Be Fun. This training will give you the tools, techniques, and ideas you need to better communicate your safety message.

Communication: The Art of Listening.  Today, there are a vast array of tools to use to communicate a message to your employees, so it only seems logical that spreading your company’s safety message should be simple.  But communicating is not only about talking to your employees, it is also about listening to their ideas and concerns. In this session, we’ll discuss the different components of communications and how you can improve your safety message by focusing on listening.

Safety Training:  The Montana Safety Culture Act requires businesses to address three specific safety trainings topics with their employees (e.g. new employee orientation, job specific training and refresher training). But are these trainings effective? In this discussion, we will talk about new and different concepts you can use to make your training efforts more valuable and even fun.

Dates and Locations

November 27:  Bozeman – Best Western Grant Creek Inn (New Location)
November 30:  Great Falls – Holiday Inn
December 5:  Butte – La Quinta Inn
December 6:  Helena – Holiday Inn Express
December 12:  Glasgow – Cottonwood Inn
December 13:  Miles City – Sleep Inn & Suites
December 14:  Billings – Hampton Inn West I90
December 18:  Kalispell – Hampton Inn
December 19:  Missoula – Best Western Grant Creek Inn

Interested?  The free trainings take place from 8:30 am – Noon. Register now.

If you have questions, contact Kirk Smith 800-332-6102 extension 5361.

In high schools all over Montana, students are learning construction, welding, and other trades—skills they’ll use as they join our work force and contribute to the vitality of our state. But to do that safely, they need work gloves, welding helmets, face shields, hardhats and more.

That is where Montana State Fund’s Growing a Safer Montana safety equipment grants come into play. Montana has some of the highest rates of workplace injuries in the nation, that is why MSF is partnering with Montana’s high schools to positively highlight the importance of safety in the workplace for the next generation of Montana’s workers. By suppling safety gear and safety information to students and teachers, we give them the tools they need to champion safety both in their classrooms and in their future professional endeavors.

This past September, our safety management consultants traveled to 16 high schools to hand out safety gear to over 1,800 students. In addition, we provided teachers with safety materials they can use to reinforce safety awareness in their classrooms. Classroom teachers could request up to $750 in merchandise.

According to Whitehall shop teacher Casey Harris, these grants are not only a safety benefit, but a financial benefit as well.

“This is a big deal. To put this in perspective, both of our shop classes (welding and carpentry) have a budget of $1,000 for PPE (personal protection equipment), so this nearly doubles our budget this year.”

Since the program began in 2017, 2,631 high school students have received help from this program.

• Anaconda High School Welding Class – Teacher: Ryan Pesanti
• Anaconda Jr, Sr High Wood, Carpentry, Small Engines Automotive Classes – Teacher: Brian Riley
• Belgrade High School Woodworking Class – Teacher: Randy Radke
• Belgrade High School Welding Class – Teacher:  Eric Kinnaman
• Jefferson High School (Boulder) Welding and Construction Trades Class – Teacher David Heimann
• Bozeman High School Welding Class – Teacher: Rick Hedlund
• Bozeman High School Woodworking Class – Teacher: Dan Brown
• Butte High School Industrial Arts – Teacher: Denise Bordeleau
• Beaverhead County High School (Dillon) – Agricultural Education Class – Teacher: Caleb Igo
• Helena Capital Woodworking Class– Teacher: Bob Pearce
• Helena Capital Welding Class – Teacher: Tom Kain
• Helena High Welding Class– Teacher: Cindy Galbavy
• Park High School Industrial Tech and Welding Class -Teacher: Jamie Islay
• Park High School Metal Fabrication Class – Teacher: Shane Stender
• Manhattan High School Welding Class – Teacher: Neil Harvey
• Missoula Big Sky High School Industrial Technology Classes – Teacher: Scot Traeder
• Missoula Sentinel High School Industrial Technology Classes – Teacher: Dave Burtch
• St. Regis High School Industrial Technology Classes – Superintendent: Joe Steele
• Superior High School Industrial Technology Classes – Teacher: Jeff Schultz
• Three Forks High School Industrial Arts 1 Class – Principal: Justin Helvik
• Whitehall High School Industrial Arts Class– Teacher: Casey Harris

For more information, contact Mark Rosenleaf at (406) 495-5334 or Dan Johnson at (406) 595-2108.

The 66^th Regular Session of the Montana Legislature is just around the corner. In early January the Legislature will convene for what is sure to be a busy and interesting session.

In the upcoming months, Montana State Fund (MSF) will send our representatives to the Capitol to work on your behalf. While we have made great strides in improving the workers’ compensation system for our customers and their employees, we are always looking for ways to improve.

There are often several pieces of legislation focused on workers’ compensation. If you are interested in following along and becoming engaged in the legislative process, please contact us at MSFlegislativeissues@safemt.gov. We will provide you with updates on legislation that may impact your business and/or your employees and keep you informed on ways for you to participate in the process.

The Economic Affairs Interim Committee is wrapping up its study (SJR 27) of the Montana workers’ compensation system and MSF structure. One meeting on SJ27 remains in September.

Over the past year and a half, the Committee—made up of four democrats and four republicans (two of each from each chamber)—has heard from industry experts from across the country as well as Montana stakeholders. MSF has consistently held the position that we believe the current structure of a competitive workers’ compensation system is the best for Montana businesses and their employees – especially small businesses that have fewer market options. It is MSF’s position that over the course of the study, the facts and data have proven this to be the case.

Based on the facts and data presented to the committee, various alternative concepts have been withdrawn from consideration. For instance, a competing concept was to eliminate MSF altogether and replace the guaranteed market with a high-risk pool. Despite unfounded claims to the contrary, MSF was able to produce data showing that under a high-risk pool scenario, many of Montana’s small businesses would see rate increases. For this reason, and others, the committee opted to abandon the “elimination” option.

Current committee efforts are focused on making MSF look and operate more similar to a private insurance company. There are a few pieces of committee draft legislation in the works to accomplish these efforts:

1. MSF exemption from the Montana Information Technology Act (MITA).
2. Allow the State of Montana to explore a bidding process to cover state employees for workers’ compensation (exempting the university system and MSF).
3. MSF exemption from state procurement.
4. Election of a minority of MSF board members by MSF policyholders.

We have not yet seen final language on any of these proposals. Therefore, MSF does not at this time have an official position on them. However, we can tell you that conceptually these are very similar to how private companies do business and certainly could go a long way to level the playing field. It is our goal to provide our customers with accurate, reliable information regarding legislation that may impact them in a positive or adverse manner.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Ethan Heverly, Director of Government and Community Affairs at (406) 495-5426.

Community Closet, a Livingston, MT based thrift store, is one our recent WorkSafe Champions graduate businesses. WorkSafe Champions is an elite safety education program offered to our policyholders at no charge.  Over the course of eight modules, participants delve deeper into creating a safety culture at their workplace. The following story was taken from a Community Closet blog about their experience in our WorkSafe Champions program.

Learn how you and your employees can be WorkSafe Champions.

Community Closet is proud to announce our graduation from the year-long Montana State Fund WorkSafe Champion safety training and education program on May 30. We held a celebration to commemorate our graduation at the Park County Complex in Livingston. It was attended by Community Closet staff and volunteers, and representatives from the Montana State Fund, Leavitt Great West Insurance, Park County Emergency Management, and other community leaders.  

Community Closet also received a grant-funded 24-bushel lift basket from Montana State Fund’s ACE (Assisting Charitable Endeavors) Program which will further enhance safety and prevent injury. Community Closet is dedicated to safety in the workplace for our employees, volunteers, and shoppers, including safety education about donated products and announcements about product recalls and items like unsafe baby products.

Thanks again to everyone who makes this powerful program run and to all those who participated and supported Community Closet in becoming a WorkSafe Montana Champion!

Learn more about Community Closet

It was the culmination of nearly a year, but on April 30, 2018, Montana State Fund kicked off our brand refresh celebration. With the kick off came a refreshed mission, vision, guiding values and logo.

These new elements were driven and created by our employees. This refresh is the promise that we make and the reflection of everything we do, everything we say, how we say it and how we do it. It’s our reputation, both in the services we provide and as an employer.

Our Mission
We partner with employers and their employees to care for those injured on the job and we champion a culture of workplace safety for our fellow Montanans.

Our Vision
To be an indispensable partner in achieving a safer, healthier and more prosperous Montana.

Our Six Guiding Values (Click for definitions)
Do what’s right
Deliver with heart
Focus on what matters
Succeed together
Find a better way
Take the long view

In addition, we refreshed our logo. We replaced our former teal color with fresh blues, and highlighted the word Montana in our name. We also eliminated the diamond that formerly surrounded the SF, which now gives it a freer flowing feel.

We are excited about this brand refresh and look forward to continuing our partnership with our customers and the people of Montana to make our state a safer, healthier and more prosperous to place live. Because in the end, everything we do together, does more.

Montana State Fund received three communications awards at the recent AASCIF (American Association of State Compensation Insurance Funds) conference in Minneapolis.

The awards include:
1^st place – Protect Your Parts: Young Worker Social media campaign. This campaign targeted young workers ages 16-24 through various social media channels including Facebook,

3rd place – Work Hard. Be Safe. Head Home statewide media campaign. In addition to the TV and radio ads, this campaign included print ads, online newspaper ads, YouTube ads and Facebook ads.

3rd place – Work Hard. Be Safe. Head Home radio/TV ads.

Our media campaigns and communication tools are focused on informing and educating Montana’s employers and employees about the importance of safety. Go to our safety focused website safemt.com to view all of our commercials, safety educational videos and WorkSafe Champion profiles.

Our 2017 annual report is now live on montanastatefund.com.  Please take a few moments to review the work and accomplishments of the Montana State Fund staff.

Join Montana State Fund at our September safety workshops as we as we present, Stand Up for Safety. This training will give you the tools you need to help protect your employees from physical hazards and situational threats.

Topics include:
Ergonomics:  Ergonomics is more than buying your employees the same chairs or keyboards. It is the science of designing the job to fit each individual employee, rather than physically forcing the employee’s body to fit the job. In this session we will cover the practical implementation of a good ergonomic program and how your employees can benefit from it.

Workplace Violence:  Violence in the workplace is not only physical assault, it can be any act where a person is threatened, intimidated or verbally abused either in or out of the workplace. In this section we will discuss types of violence, how to recognize potential violent situations and what actions you can take to minimize possible threats to your organization and your employees. We will review active shooters scenarios, enhancing personal situational awareness and proactive plans or policies.

Dates and Locations
September 5: Butte – La Quinta Inn
September 6: Helena – Holiday Inn Express
September 7:  Great Falls – Holiday Inn
September 12:  Glasgow – Cottonwood Inn
September 13: Miles City – Sleep Inn & Suites
September 14: Billings – Hampton Inn West I90
September 18: Bozeman – Best Western Gran Tree Inn (New Hotel Location)
September 20: Kalispell – Hampton Inn
September 21: Missoula – Best Western Grant Creek Inn

Interested? Register Now. The free trainings take place from 8:30 am – Noon. If you have questions, call 800-332-6102 extension 5361 (Kirk Smith).

Evidence-Based Medicine: New Opportunities to Improve Outcomes is the theme for this year’s annual Montana State Fund medical conference. The one-and-a-half day event will take place at Helena’s Radisson Colonial Hotel, May 31 – June 1, 2018.

Medical, pharmacy, claims and legal professionals are encouraged to attend.

Topics include:

• Lumbar Fusion in Workers’ Compensation
• Hot Clinical Topics: CRPS, PTSD, Concussion
• The Ethical Dilemma: Patient Advocacy and Medical Science
• Epidemiology in the Courtroom
• ODG Guidelines
• Orthopaedic Updates of Interest
• Causation Utilizing Evidence-Based Medicine
• AMA Guides
• Current Topics in the Worker’s Compensation Court

To learn more about the conference go to montanastatefund.com or contact MSF Provider Relations Specialist, Shannon Hadley, at 406-495- 5245.

You might not think a group of actors would be concerned about safety, but at Missoula Children’s Theatre (MCT), safety takes center stage.

According to Amy Ellis, MCT tour production director, it takes many people, many hours to make what they do as successful as it is. They are always looking for ways to make it better, it’s the same way for their safety program.

This type of mindset, and respect for employee safety, inspired this organization to be a part of Montana State Fund’s WorkSafe Champion program.

What is WorkSafe Champions?
WorkSafe Champions is a safety education program offered to our policyholders at no charge.  Over the course of a year, participants will learn about workers’ compensation, how to motivate and train employees, manage an incident, more effectively return an injured employee to work, and much more.

Participants can train at a centralized location or our safety management consultants can come to a business location.

Are you up to the challenge? We are currently accepting applications. For more information please contact Kirk Smith at 406-495-5361 or Keri Maes at 406-495-5265.

To learn more about the Missoula Children’s Theater’s safety program view this video.

As a working partner with businesses and their employees, independent insurance agents, medical providers and others throughout Montana, we believe it is our duty to support deserving projects that promote workplace safety and enhance the quality of life in our local communities. One such program is our Assisting Charitable Endeavors (ACE) grant program.  

WHAT IS ACE? ACE was created to support civic goodwill and enhance the success of selected worthwhile causes in Montana. These grants are available to Montana non-profit organizations that contribute to both safety and community wellbeing throughout the state. In 2017, we awarded 17 ACE projects totaling nearly $27,000. All ACE grants require a dollar-for-dollar match.

How to Apply? Do you know of a non-profit organization in your community that would benefit from ACE help? ACE requests must be submitted on an MSF application form. To learn more about the ACE grant, or to apply, go to our website montanastatefund.com.

If you have questions about the program contact Carol Athearn or call (406) 495-5105.

Join Montana State Fund for our March safety workshop, Jump Start Your Safety Program. This half-day training will give you a mix of new and steadfast approaches to safety that will continue to help you protect your employees and reinvigorate your safety efforts.

Register Now

Topics include
We Have Your Back: The spine is the foundation for all physical movement. Yet, we mistreat it, abuse it, or just take it for granted until we injure it. Back injuries can have an astounding effect on both an injured employee and the workers’ compensation system.  During this segment of the workshop, we will review the unique aspects of the human spine and the steps you can take to protect your employees’ backs.

A Safety Climate Measuring Tool: During our June 2017 workshop, we introduced the concept of measuring your organization’s safety and health efforts by evaluating the impact of those efforts on your safety climate. In this session, we will take this subject that much further and introduce you to a safety climate measurement tool that you may consider using to quantify your safety efforts.

Humanizing Your Safety Efforts: We put safety and health programs in place. We train our employees to safely do the right things, but are these approaches enough?  In this section, we will dig deeper and explore the psychological aspects of safety.  We will discuss the concepts championed by psychologist Dr. Robert Long and motivational speaker Cort Dial who offer fresh ideas to humanize your approach to risk management and safety at your organization.  

Dates and Locations
March 2: Helena – Holiday Inn Express
March 7: Bozeman – Holiday Inn
March 8: Butte – La Quinta Inn
March 9: Great Falls – Holiday Inn
March 14: Glasgow (New City Location)–Cottonwood Inn
March 15: Miles City – Sleep Inn & Suites
March 16: Billings – Hampton Inn
March 22: Kalispell – Hampton Inn
March 23: Missoula – Best Western Grant Creek Inn

Interested? Register Now. The free trainings take place from 8:30 am – Noon. If you have questions, call 800-332-6102 extension 5361 (Kirk Smith).

You could say that Kyla Biggs was one person who found her career calling early in life.

“Welding has always intrigued me. From my perspective, I have always felt that welding is an art form just as much as it is a skill. I started welding in seventh grade in FFA (Future Farmers of America) competitions and fell in love with it!”

Since that time Kyla honed her skills at Belgrade High School and enrolled in the welding program at Gallatin College (Montana State University) in Bozeman. And, her educational pursuit is paying off.

Recently she and nine other college students studying Occupational Safety and Health/Industrial Hygiene or Construction Trade and Industry received a $1,500 academic scholarship through Montana State Fund’s new Growing a Safer Montana initiative.

One component of the Growing a Safer Montana program is awarding scholarships to students who have achieved academic excellence and demonstrated a desire to champion safety as they move into their professional endeavors.

“Montana State Fund is proud to distribute these scholarships to local students in an effort to improve Montana’s safety culture,” said MSF President/CEO, Laurence Hubbard. “It is our sincere hope that every student, not just those who received the scholarship, becomes aware of the issues facing Montanans in the workplace.”

Hubbard goes on to say that this effort will require buy-in from workers of all ages and across all industries. Our goal is to plant the seeds of safety today to grow a safer Montana for generations to come.

For Kyla, the seed has been planted.

“Being a face in the workforce of Montana, I hope that I can be a positive influence for other blue collar workers in the industry. I hope that I can always remind everyone I work and come into contact with, to stay safe in a working environment.”

Our other 2018 Growing a Safer Montana recipients include

Montana Tech (Occupational Safety and Health Students)

• Brittania Shephard
• Ciara Kremer
• Jacques Boulet
• James Hollopeter
• Sarah Storey
• Tyler Davis

Highlands College – Montana Tech  (Welding Student)

• Jake Bloom

Gallatin College -Montana State University  (Welding Students)

• Kyla Biggs
• Shelsey Schott
• Taylor Gallagher

Our 2019 scholarship application will be available this fall. If you have questions please contact Montana State Fund’s Safety Services Team at stfgsm@mt.gov.