Career Fair: The Culture of Verisk Health

Erin Millican Pre-Engineering Student, Salt Lake Community College Technical Writing 2100 July 8, 2013

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Table of Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 1 Discussion ........................................................................................................................... 2 Mission Statement........................................................................................................... 2 Background Information ................................................................................................. 2 Work Performed.............................................................................................................. 3 Environment .................................................................................................................... 3 Dress Code ...................................................................................................................... 4 Education ........................................................................................................................ 4 Social Environment ......................................................................................................... 5 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 5 References ........................................................................................................................... 6 Artifacts............................................................................................................................... 7

Abstract
This report includes information that will help incoming freshmen decide whether Verisk Health is a company they would possibly like to work for after their schooling. First, the mission statement and background information about Verisk Health is reviewed. Other topics that are analyzed include the work that a software engineer performs, the working environment of Verisk, the dress code, and the importance the company puts on education. In addition, this report details how well Verisk employees are compensated. At the end of the report, students will be able to decide if going into a career like this is for them.

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This report explores the culture of Verisk Health, and introduces many aspects of working there. The purpose of this report is to help incoming freshmen decide if Verisk Health is a company they might like to work for after finishing school. Specifically, it focuses on the role of a software engineer working in Verisk Healths Payment Accuracy Division. In addition to highlighting Verisk Health, students will also receive information on software engineering in general; this is one path a software engineer can take to have a rewarding career.

Methodology
I am writing this report as a sophomore at Salt Lake Community College taking a technical writing class to fulfill a requirement for an Associates of Pre-Engineering degree. The methodology I used for this report includes empirical, print, and electronic research. For my empirical research I was fortunate enough to interview a software engineer of Verisk Healths Payment Accuracy Division, Mr. Daniel Dunkley. Daniel was able to provide me with valuable insights and anecdotes, as well as a few photographs of the work environment. I also utilized a publication that Verisk Health puts out called Profiler Magazine as a print source of research. I read an article about one of the direct applications Verisk Health has in ensuring payment accuracy and saving money with regards to insurance claims. This article helps to illustrate the end products developed by the software engineers at Verisk Health which save millions of dollars and prevents rampant fraud.

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Finally, I used the Verisk Health website as an electronic source for my research. Here I found mission statements and other helpful information.

Discussion
Mission Statement Verisk Health is a division of Verisk Analytics, a risk assessment and decision analytics business. As described on their website, the mission of Verisk Health is: We drive performance in the business of healthcare. By combining clinical and analytical expertise with advanced technology and expertise, we help payers, employers and providers solve complex problems with measureable results. Mitigate risk, reduce costs and improve patient outcomes with data-driven solutions. (Verisk Health, Inc., 2013) Background Information The Department of Health and Human Services has published information that over $90 billion is lost to improper insurance payments. This loss can be attributed to a rise of high dollar claims, both in volume and in dollar amount. As Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements keep shrinking, the number of $1 million dollar claims rose to 30 in 1 million lives in 2011, up from 1 in 1 million lives in 2000. (Bryant, 2013, p. 17) Audits performed post-payment confirm whether supplies and services were properly billed in the medical record. Boston Butt Cream for $82 and Panda Activation Programs for $3302 were some of the fraudulent charges that were filed. In order to streamline the process of sifting through millions of claims, companies like Verisk Health have created software solutions to intelligently expedite the process. 2

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Work Performed The software programs Verisk Health uses are written by software engineers like Daniel Dunkley. He describes one of the programs he works on, a fraud engine, which scans through insurance claims sent in by health providers. The program analyzes the insurance claims sees if health providers are committing fraudulent acts or exploiting insurance companies. It keeps statistical information on types of claims submitted, looks for earmarked patterns, flags suspicious activity, and checks up on health providers who have previously had suspicious activity. Another program involving payment accuracy is named Nucleus. Its main purpose is validation of insurance claims. Every claim goes through the program to see if all of the codes are correct and are not duplicated or bundled under a different name. It flags suspicious activity and creates a report for analysts who then go through it and check it by hand, line by line. The programmers also write the code for their websites which display the claims and flagged procedures. This website allows their own staff of nurses to interact with each other and with the insurance companies to figure out which claims and procedures are valid. (D. Dunkley, personal communication, June 14, 2013.) Environment Verisk Health provides its employees with a stimulating environment and tries to make its employees comfortable while maintaining a high level of productivity. There is an open floor plan to encourage communication and collaboration. Each developer has two or more monitors to utilize which ensures they have all of the room they need to open the proper files and reference materials in their workspace. Employees are welcome to 3

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personalize their workspace with toys, trinkets, and cartoons. While the traditional desk and chair are provided, employees can opt to use a stability ball as a chair to strengthen core and back muscles while performing daily work. Overall, there is a very laid-back vibe, as illustrated by the initiation new employees are subjected to. A noise maker, the Annoy-a-tron, which ThinkGeek describes as a devious hide and seek game (that produces 2 kHz, 12 kHz or alternating noises every 2 to 8 minutes (ThinkGeek, 2013) is placed in a hidden location near the new employee and repeatedly moved around the office. All veteran employees pretend not to notice or hear anything unusual; goading the rookie into thinking theyre hearing things until they slowly break down and go mad. Dress Code There is a casual dress code, which means employees can show up in shorts, t-shirts, flip flops and hats. Facial hair, tattoos, and jewelry are not addressed in the dress code and are not an issue. The only exception is when meetings with clients occur. At these times, business casual dress is required. Communication within the workplace is kept casual, as well, with a lot of joking and colorful language. Education The majority of programmers at Verisk Health have bachelors degrees. Some of the employees have only tech school certificates or high school diplomas, but have managed to learn and excel at programming. While there is no minimum level of education required for consideration of employment, education is a priority at Verisk Health. Employees are encouraged to take classes and seminars, which are paid for by the company, as well as accommodations and travel to said events. 4

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Social Environment Verisk offers many team-building activities for its employees during and after work hours, including picnics and outings and a company softball team that competes with other local businesses. They even go so far as to make trading cards for the softball team. There is an annual Christmas party with an abundance of expensive prizes. On each employees birthday an entire cake is brought in to be shared. There are raffles throughout the year which award tickets to local professional athletic events. Bonuses are rewarded yearly, at a rate of 4-6% of salary, as well as a bonus for referrals.

Conclusion
Verisk Health offers a stimulating work environment free of stress and with high rewards for work. There is a focus on continued education to make its employees excel in their respective field. The Verisk Health Payment Accuracy Division employs a handful of software engineers and programmers that help keep health providers filing honest claims. This helps keep insurance costs down, which has far-reaching benefits for millions of people. Going to work for Verisk Health as a software engineer is an excellent choice for incoming freshmen who want a laid-back environment with excellent benefits, where their work is truly appreciated.

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References

Bryant, K., Gray, L., &Smith, B. (2012). The Price Is Wrong. Profiler Magazine, 9, 16-19.

(D. Dunkley, personal communication, June 14, 2013).

ThinkGeek Inc. (2013). ThinkGeek: The ThinkGeek Annoy-a-tron. Retrieved from http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/8c52/.

Verisk Health, Inc. (2013). Healthcare Risk Management, Healthcare Analytics. Retrieved from http://veriskhealth.com.

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Artifacts