Jo Abernathy

10% error rate for White Castle 14% error rate for Wendy's McDonalds scrapped their AI deployment What rate of error is acceptable if you have, say, a food allergy? Who is responsible for bodily injury due to an error? The restaurant? The AI-enabled technology company? Most Technology E&O and Cyber policies come with a Bodily Injury exclusion baked into the base form. Crafting bespoke policies with coverage specific to your customer contracts are imperative for technology companies. #technology #contracts

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The Legacy Retirement trap when modernizing technology... I have been involved in what is now being dubbed as technology modernization initiatives for many years. A lot has changed in that time, but one thing is still true. The easiest part in moving to the next generation is often implementing the new platform. Managing change in skills and process in a deliberate way is the next challenge, but that is easy if you don't ignore it. The most difficult and often deferred part of these efforts is the successful removal of all things legacy. So rather than implement a new streamlined capability you end up with complex hybrid processes and technology. And years later, that long time employee has to explain to the new hires why we do things the way we do by offering a history lesson. The elimination of Legacy technology is a requirement to responsibly move to the next generation. Don't leave that for someone else to deal with. plan for it. seek out vendors who specialize in this work as it is a specialization. And don't underestimate the cost of removing decades of technical debt buildup. I'd love to chat more on this topic. What do you think? what % of your modernization projects complete the removal of legacy technology (not as a phase 2, but in the same initiative)?

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Price transparency MRF callout to be aware of. In the files, you could see for inpatient services MS-DRG's and/or APR-DRG's. These are different billing methodologies to be aware of when comparing network rates by NPI. See breakdown below. Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) are a patient classification system that relates the type of patients a hospital treats with the costs incurred by the care. Medicare Severity-Diagnosis Related Groups (MS-DRGs) classify a Medicare patient’s hospital stay into various groups to facilitate payment. These are typically used on the commercial side as well for inpatient services.   APR-DRGs are more comprehensive and include four levels of severity of illness or risk of mortality for each case. These are used on the commercial insurance side if MS-DRG are not chosen. Similar to MS-DRGs, an APR-DRG payment is calculated using an assigned numerical weight that is multiplied by an individual fixed dollar amount. APR-DRGs, however, consider severity of illness and risk of mortality instead of only a complication or comorbidity. More than one significant diagnosis, procedures, age, discharge disposition, and sex can add to the APR’s clinical severity. There are four levels of severity of illness or risk of mortality are: minor, moderate, major or severe.   APR-DRGs and MS-DRGs are both systems of classifying hospital cases based on diagnosis and procedure, and expand upon the basic DRG list by Medicare. #pricetransparency #employeebenefits #costcontainment

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Governmental regulations continue to inundate health plans, each with complex requirements and the need for strategic partner/system selections and ongoing support. At Wendigo Advisors, we've successfully helped clients implement solutions for critical compliance areas such as interoperability, the No Surprises Act, and Transparency in Coverage. Let us navigate these complexities and guide you towards seamless and compliant implementations. Connect with us! #HealthcareCompliance #Interoperability #NoSurprisesAct #TransparencyInCoverage #HealthPlans #RegulatoryCompliance #HealthcareSolutions #WendigoAdvisors

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It's crucial to take responsibility for safeguarding our assets, such as our cars. Tired of the constant worry of your car being stolen or missing out on a ride to work? Rather than just criticizing rising auto insurance costs, take action. We've partnered with a company offering discounts on bollards in the GTA. Reach out for special pricing and start securing your peace of mind today. #AssetProtection #CarSecurity #SafetyFirst #Bollards #CarInsurance

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“A Country Of Addicts”, comment from some random ole man. Long day, been reflecting on recent posts - “20 years ago…” & a recent comment. 20 years, is it even comparable? Much has changed, not all talked about. We’ve consistently heard the main points - COVID, people out of work, increased rates, cost of homes, lack of affordability. How often is the following discussed - From .com, to real estate, to social influencers, to online porn stars, to flipping the script on Wall Street (Think GameStop), to crypto… It became much easier to make money, be a millionaire. Savy, fearless, uninhibited youth, now chase instant wealth, over the American Dream. Cash to burn, they spend, prices rise, Homeowners cash out…upgrade…prices go even higher. The # of Borrower’s buying with large cash downpayments, or outright cash - not “family money”. The gap widens. Few are as lucky. Regardless of market, “whales” control the swings and many chase only to lose… Then lose more trying to recover. Gambling is now front and center in the media, on TV, during sports games…but relax everyone, you have to be 18 or older… The same youth with unprecedented levels of anxiety, depression, and mental illness…searching for the next high… Enjoying student debt forgiveness, while sporting the finest of things, drinking a half mocha latte with a twist. Get a job? Pffft. I’ll make videos on Tik Tok…or OnlyFans…or the like…for followers and the promise of the easy wealth that comes with it. Many are sustaining their lifestyle, or investing, with borrowed money… No, we’re not only taking about the young. For some, sadly, payments have become unmanageable, cash advances on credit cards fill the gaps… Till those payments add to the growing deficit, compounding the issue. A housing shortage, absurd levels of homelessness, with shouts of poverty and wage gaps from the rooftops… While letting in millions more poor to live the same or worse lifestyle. Gap widens We are a country living beyond its means, the Worlds consumers… With our government printing money and being requested to provide even more. As our industry begs to give lower rates and easier access to $? A broader picture of the issues at hand, yes? Add legalized weed. Sadly, there’re legitimate people who need help, and they’ll continue to be overshadowed by those who are/were simply irresponsible. That plain sucks, but foreclosures add inventory. What’s the solution? Anything short of catastrophic change to alter the course? Good luck with that. Do we need to take a lesson from the Big Bells of telecom? There was 1…then 7…then a crapload of CLEC’s…. 20 years later we have “The Big Four”. If our government, would you be okay with a system that fails over and over? Never to “Bell” extreme, but are all us really needed? Should we stop taking about the same excuses, start driving the difficult change and accountability? Good luck with that as well. Idk, difficult times ahead for many.

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Where are you in your claims modernization journey? 🚀 Stop by Booth 119 at Connected Claims USA next week for a conversation! Let's explore how your company is progressing in this area and what your ideal future state looks like. Kyndryl is driving innovation in fundamental insurance business processes, learn how we're collaborating with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to leverage AI and Generative AI. Looking forward to seeing you there! 👋 hashtag #ClaimsModernization #InsuranceInnovation #ConnectedClaimsUSA #AI #AWS #Kyndryl

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An interesting but unsurprising stastistic that crossed my desk this morning [Via CIO.com] 🤔 Dice recently surveyed IT Professionals regarding their feelings about how AI is impacting their employment prospects. Some good hiring manager information there, but a nugget that stood out was that only half felt that their organization's AI initiative was bringing any strategic value to them. More telling was that more than 1/3 felt their push into AI was, to put it charitably, "just for show". 🤷 Perhaps I remain biased as my career in IT began in entry-level support, making my way up the ranks. But I still tend to believe that IT Leadership and non-IT Leadership can be a bit tone-deaf to the folks who actually make tech happen everyday. 👂All too often we tend to downplay the feedback from our Subject Matter Experts because we feel they don't see the "big picture" 🔭 Also, to steal a line from a past favorite geek show, the red-hot fascination with AI still strikes me as a bit of "All This has Happened Before. And All This will Happen Again". ♾️🤖 Don't get me wrong. AI is an exciting technology that in many ways is the evolution of the foundations of data analytics and input/response work that has been going on since ELIZA (👍 to my peeps who know what that was, 👏🙇 if you actually used it). But in many ways, like the evolution of "SAAS" (which was not a very sexy term) to "Cloud" (see... much better), technology companies and vendors have hit on the marketing secret sauce that has everyone lining up to be a part of. All without really asking if that technology is mature enough, accurate enough, or secure enough to provide an ROI worthy of a "right now" deployment. 🧑‍🦯‍➡️ So the result is Enterprises, Orgs, and Public Agencies are all putting some serious $$$ into initiatives that somewhere between 1/3 to 1/2 of the folks who really understand how technology functions in your org are seeing as mostly fancy make-work. 🤑💪 Something to think about if you are leading IT in your organization... 🤔 https://lnkd.in/gQHBY2qS (Original Dice link in the comments)

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100% the heart of the company, and the reason it is difficult to imagine working anywhere else. Meaningful work, bounded by these five important and impactful words. People sometimes lose sight of the importance of what we do here, or discount their individual contribution; but the truth of it is as a company, our business, our mission, is to put people's lives back together after what are some of the most dramatic, traumatic and stressful events of their lives. Our claims people may not be firefighters, or EMT first-responders rushing in to the scene to stem the bleeding; but in many ways, the work we do can be (and often is) more impactful to the lives and well-being of our customers and their families. Accidents are unexpected, traumatic, disruptive. Accidents can be life changing. Accidents happen. We set things right again. We help people get back on their feet. That is the service we provide. In every role (business and IT), from claims, to product, to agent and customer service, we all play our part. Move forward, and live fully.

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I don’t have a crystal ball when it comes to AI and work. I have something better. Having run a tech services company here in the Atlanta area for the last 20 years, I can say while things change, a whole lot can be predictive. Especially one thing: We as leaders and as an industry need to get better at both meeting and anticipating our clients’ needs. Here’s what I’m focusing on as 7 core levers to help us do just that: 1. From Fixing to Strategizing: It’s time to change the narrative. We’ve always been seen as the people who fix things when they break. But that’s just scratching the surface. The future of IT services is about moving beyond maintaining systems and tech and into playing a strategic role in shaping clients’ success. I’m talking about being proactive, not just reactive. 2. Balance and Relevance: Our mission is to use our abilities and technology to have a positive impact on the lives of our clients, employees and community. This means balancing the services we offer so we don’t become just another commodity. We need to design our solutions to stay relevant and valuable, positioning ourselves as strategic partners—not just service providers. 3. Embracing Collaboration: The current workforce demands superior collaboration capabilities. I’m talking everything from seamless file sharing, effective communication tools to integrating new tech without much disruption. We as MSPs are really at the forefront of knowing how collaboration impacts a business. 4. Anticipating Needs: As AI keeps showing us, the pace of technology is evolving rapidly. And so must we. Our job is to anticipate and adapt to these changes, making sure the clients we serve are always a step ahead at minimum. 5. Client-Centric Communication: Engaging with clients the right way from Day 1 is crucial. How they experience us must point back to who we are as a company, understanding our core values and communicating them well. This means we can’t sleep on any touchpoint, from how we show up here on LinkedIn, to the first sales call and, we hope, to how they are served once they become a client. It all needs to feel congruent and consistent while reflecting our vision, values and identity as a company. 6. Knowing Our Ideal Client: I can’t overstate this enough, probably because I’ll admit that in the early stages of Logic Speak, we practically took any business from any client we could get. As we’ve matured, it’s vital to know our ICP like the back of our hands, and be selective. This ensures we build meaningful, strategic relationships that align with not only our mission internally, but how we can serve them well externally. 7. Continuous Learning and Adaptation: If we are committed to serving well, we simply must continually learn, adapt and refine our services to meet evolving client needs. This is what we all signed up for. It’s what our clients demand from us and, frankly, it’s what we should demand of ourselves.

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Avoiding confrontation is in my DNA. It took me a long time to understand confrontation versus providing good feedback to my team are two vastly different things. There are some really good nuggets in this podcast especially for new and developing leaders. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did! Show them you care. #leadership #locktonlife

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No matter how hard companies try, customers will always have problems that require solutions. Right now, most customers feel most comfortable talking to a human to resolve these issues. But that might be changing... Yesterday, I experienced this firsthand at Charlotte airport when my flight was canceled (thanks, Mother Nature!). This happened all over the east coast, leaving passengers with three options: 1. Wait in a long line in the airport 2. Call into the American Airlines customer service line 3. Use the airline's mobile app. I tried the mobile app, but when I didn't have the right options, I called in to customer service. Calling in required some wait time - but definitely shorter than the line you see in the video. (to be honest, I was shocked at how many people were waiting in line - and this is just one terminal! While there will always be a need for in-person customer service, I believe AI is going to revolutionize how we approach resolving customer problems. First, AI needs to get better at not sounding like a robot - and it's getting there. Now, imagine this scenario: You call in. You're greeted by name. You explain your situation. The agent expresses sympathy, assures you they'll get you squared away, and makes a few recommendations. They ask clarifying questions, maybe crack a joke or two, and then offer alternatives that might work for you. (In my case, this involved asking the agent to check flights to nearby airports - Dallas, Waco, and San Antonio.) You make a decision, and the AI updates it instantly, and wishes you well. American Airlines calls their human customer service queue 'Airline Assist,' and we'll likely hear 'Assist' more as we interact directly with AI in various situations. Sounds sci-fi, and maybe a bit spooky - but this shift is already happening - I'm seeing it, and building towards it. The exciting part? Customer service lines will shrink dramatically. The challenge? Customer expectations for these advanced options (and decreased wait times) will adjust accordingly. I know there are concerns, and they're all valid: ❓What about legacy knowledge and personal interactions? ❓How will we maintain product/market familiarity? ❓What if the machine goes haywire or the AI hallucinates? While there are risks to navigate, the real benefits of AI in customer service are immense. And if you're looking for a way to get started in a safe, effective, and change-management friendly way, ask me about CARE. P.S. Like I said in the video, everything worked out in the end. I got rerouted to a nearby city, rented a car, and drove to my hotel in downtown ATX late late late last night. Ready for a great next couple of days!

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How do you drive transformation across a company with $41 billion in annual revenue and operations in the US, Canada, and Europe? In a timely episode of InsurTalk, hosted by Guidewire's Chief Evangelist Laura Drabik, Mojgan Lefebvre, EVP & CTOO at Travelers, shares three strategic pillars of customer-centric transformation. From integrating design thinking to harnessing the power of a modern cloud infrastructure to attracting and retaining top talent, it's a master class in fueling competitive advantage you don't want to miss—listen now! bit.ly/3X143yE

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Tolerance of the Unknowledgeable Phillip C. Stevens A common threat to IT culture is the intolerance of those without knowledge of our field. Yes, I mean threat, but I will come back to that later. What does that intolerance look like? Active intolerance can manifest as mockery and insulting behavior, either to the user or to our coworkers. Passive effects of intolerance are a bit more insidious as they lead us to believe that our users are inferior, bad at their jobs, or lack general intelligence. Passive learned attitudes of intolerance can be the direct result of being in a toxic environment of IT people who denigrate our users. Why is this a threat? Both active behavior and the resulting passive attitudes developed further perpetuate the age old and tired stereotypes about people who are in IT being socially inept. But, it also creates an IT nightmare of our own making: breaking down of communication channels between IT and other parts of our organization. Negative perceptions of IT staff, especially when reinforced by IT staff behavior: -Reduces the likelihood of users wanting to talk to IT. -Amplifies shadow IT by working with a friendlier coworker who may know more IT. -Reduces reporting of issues to IT. What can we do? The hardest part is of course recognizing the behavior is occurring. To me, the most important things to remember and inform how we treat people are: 1. We in IT are subject matter experts who are hired because we know IT. If everyone was skilled at all aspects of IT, there would be no reason for helpdesks, etc. 2. IT knowledge is in fact learned knowledge. No one is born with knowledge of IT systems. 3. Knowledge of one system, or lack thereof, does not reflect the intelligence of an individual. The biggest thing we can DO is work on empathy and respect. Actively recognize that the culture of mocking our users, even behind closed doors, is still inherently toxic behavior. Recognizing at its core, users asking for help are acknowledging that they lack knowledge and recognize that we in IT are the people who can help them. Asking for help is a confession of our need to rely on others and a lack of knowledge, so why should we punish this?

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When working with an employer to help them achieve fiduciary compliance for their health plan under ERISA (or PHSA), I can’t tell you how many times I hear “Well, we don’t want to impact our relationship with our TPA” or similar. Let me explain something very important – your TPA is not your friend. They’re a company that is in the business of making money by providing a service, and that particular industry is rife with misconduct. There are only two possibilities – either your TPA is perfect and honest, or your plan fiduciaries have personal exposure. There is no middle ground. A good TPA that is conscientiously managing your plan should have no problem agreeing to an occasional third-party assessment of how your transactions are being processed – if they do, it should be a giant red flag to you. If you're a fiduciary, take a close look at your plan. Your plan data and transactions belong to you, and plan fiduciaries are *personally* responsible (your house, your wife, your car, your assets, etc.) if the DoL comes knocking and finds a problem. And they won’t take “Well, we don’t want to impact our relationship with our TPA” as an excuse.

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Chubb’s Risk Decisions 360° Report is live! We surveyed more than 500 business leaders across North America to understand the biggest perceived risks to sustainable company growth. Find out what keeps executives up at night: https://bit.ly/4aaUEL1

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