KWORK officials brief Miami County on workers’ compensation pool services, reserves and member benefits

Representatives from Kansas Workers Risk Cooperative for Counties (KWORK) briefed Miami County commissioners Aug. 13 on the pool’s services, governance and financial picture. Jim Parrish, long‑time administrator, and Colin (Colin Holthau / Holt House), KWORK chief operating officer, described the pool as county‑owned, county‑directed and focused exclusively on workers’ compensation for Kansas counties.
Parrish said KWORK and its sister pool KCAM were formed under state law in the early 1990s and that the pool emphasizes loss prevention, in‑county training and hands‑on support. KWORK’s services include on‑site safety consultants who inspect member facilities quarterly, defensive driving and other training, grants and scholarship programs for training and safety equipment, and access to a JJ Keller online training library. The presenters said Miami County has used several KWORK resources and received roughly $8,000 in special project grants since 2020.
On finances, the presenters said KWORK applies a premium reduction from fund reserves (instead of post‑year dividends) and reported robust reserve levels. They said the pool carries excess insurance that protects member counties after $850,000 on a single claim and that trustees have maintained a multi‑year cash reserve (presenters said approximately 2.5 years of recommended cash on hand). Commissioners asked about administrative expense ratios and reserve policy. KWORK representatives said administrative costs are managed to remain below the Kansas Insurance Department threshold (not to exceed 30% of premiums) and said their administrative rate has been around 25% in recent years; they also described actuarial analyses used to set premiums and reserves.
Commissioners asked whether reserves could be reduced and savings returned to members; KWORK officials said trustees prefer to use reserves to reduce premiums across the membership while maintaining strong reserves to insure against large and long‑tail claims. KWORK staff said assessments have not been required since the pool’s founding and that reinsurance protects against catastrophic individual losses.
No policy action was required from the county commission; the briefing was informational. Commissioners thanked KWORK for the presentation and discussed how the county uses KWORK services for training and loss prevention.