Your injury on duty claims in good hands with RMA

An injury on duty affects individuals’ lives in many profound ways, particularly if they are left disabled as a result of the injury. The personal journey in dealing with the consequences of physical injury is unique to each individual

Rand Mutual (RMA) understands these challenges and has thus adopted a culture of caring, compassionate compensation when assisting injured workers.

It is the obligation of all SHEQ experts to help avoid injuries on duty. However, in the unfortunate event that injuries occur, RMA exists to assist and manage the claims that arise from the injury or disease.

Founded on June 1, 1894, RMA is a non-profit mutual assurance company, which is owned by its policy holders. RMA operates in terms of section 30 of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA), 130 of 1993 as amended, under license from the Minister of Labour.

RMA is the administrator of choice for injury on duty (workmen’s compensation) claims in South Africa, currently administering these claims for the mining and related industries, as well as the iron, metal, steel and related industries.

The core of RMA’s administration business is the receipt, adjudication and administration of workmen’s compensation claims, including the payment of medical costs, one-off disability payments and the ongoing payment of pensions in the case of severe disability and death.

With 122-years’ experience under its belt, RMA has refined these services to such an extent that the following turnaround times are standard (provided all liability is accepted and all relevant information and supporting documentation has been provided):

• Medical invoices (provided tariff codes are correct) can be paid within seven days;

• Temporary disability benefits can be paid within six weeks; and

• A smooth transition from temporary disability to permanent disability can be provided, where required.

The company currently manages around 18 000 pensioners, including beneficiaries (widows and children) of those workers lost to fatalities. An understanding of these pensioners has led RMA to provide above and beyond the COIDA requirements.

This includes a mobile prosthetic clinic that travels around South Africa and neighbouring countries to assist pensioners (particularly in rural areas) on site with their prosthetic needs (including repairs, maintenance and manufacturing).

RMA has also built its own state-of-the-art, 122-bed Rand Mutual Care Facility in Welkom to ensure proper and appropriate care of its custodial care pensioners, as well as pensioners requiring annual prosthetic reviews.

In addition to providing benefits according to what the COIDA prescribes, RMA also provides a range of insurance solutions to bridge the gap not covered by COID benefits and other mainstream insurance solutions. These include funeral cover, cover
for workers travelling to and from work, top-up cover and cover for workers injured during a riot or strike.

As a company that is compassionate and caring, RMA goes the extra mile to ensure that beneficiaries and their families receive the care and compensation to which they are entitled when they have sustained either a work-related injury or occupational disease.

For this to be done effectively, however, RMA needs to receive timeous and correct reports. No injury is too small, because, if the employee has underlying conditions, even a small cut today can be a big claim tomorrow.