2017 Azbee Awards of Excellence

Category

Print > Impact/Investigative > Upper Midwest

Awarded to

Louise Esola, Reporter

Entry details

Who Pays to Heal Mental Injuries of First Responders?

Issue date (if applicable): 12/1/2016
Publication name: Business Insurance
Publishing company: Business Insurance Holdings
Website home page: www.businessinsurance.com

Please describe the publication's mission and readership:

Business Insurance covers the risk management and commercial insurance sectors. Through its monthly magazine and website, the publication provides breaking news, news analysis, features and multimedia coverage. The publication's target readership is risk managers, i.e. the people at large organizations responsible for buying and managing the property/casualty insurance and related purchases.

Please describe the enterprising work that went into this entry and its significance or impact on readers:

Recent mass shootings in Orlando, Florida, and San Bernardino, California, have resulted in comprehensive news coverage and numerous debates about such issues as terrorism, gun control and security. One issue that has not received widespread coverage, but is an issue of crucial importance to Business Insurance's risk manager readers, is how the shootings affect employees that suffer mental injuries as a result of the shootings and how their care is paid for. In an in-depth feature package, BI reporter Louise Esola tracked down people directly affected by the shootings and professionals responsible for their care. Talking with them and with experts in workers compensation, she found that first responders face a tough fight finding workers comp coverage for their mental injuries and the workers comp industry is poorly equipped financially to deal with the issue. For other employees, while workers comp coverage may be available, it can still be tough for employees to prove their injuries and receive the care and compensation they need. Louise's package tells the story from all angles and shines a light on an issue that an increasing number of risk managers are having to address.

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