This guide is intended to help data submitters prepare to electronically submit USR data to the WCIRB.
Please ensure that the New Member requirements are completed prior to writing business and submitting USR information to the WCIRB.
USR data must be submitted to the WCIRB in accordance with the Workers Compensation Insurance Organizations’ (WCIO), Workers Compensation Statistical Reporting Specifications (WCSTAT) and the California Workers' Compensation Uniform Statistical Reporting Plan—1995 (USRP).
Please complete the pre-testing checklist below prior to beginning testing for electronic submissions. Once the checklist has been completed, contact [email protected] to begin testing.
Electronic USR Submission Testing Checklist
| Task | Description |
| 1. Review the WCSTAT Manual and Supplemental Resources | The WCIO developed the specifications for electronic reporting of USR data and provided the standardized formats and other integral information for exchanging data electronically. The specifications as well as SearchPoint (an interactive application that features content from the WCIO Workers Compensation Data Specifications Manuals) are located on the WCIO website. Data Submitters should also review the WCIRB Data Reporting Handbook – Unit Statistical Reporting and USRP. |
| 2. Authorization for New TPE Access | New TPEs must be authorized to report data on an insurer’s behalf. Please visit Using Third Parties for more information. |
| 3. Obtain a Compensation Data Exchange (CDX) account | Insurers and authorized TPEs must transmit USR submissions to the WCIRB electronically using the CDX system, located on the CDX website. For more information, including how to set up an account, see the CDX page – Need a User Account? section. |
| 4. Authorization for TPE Access in CDX | New TPEs must be granted authorization to report on behalf of the insurer in CDX. For more information, including how to set up an account, see the CDX page – Need a User Account? section. |
| 5. Review Bureau Entry and Edit Package (BEEP) System | If your company does not have a proprietary USR issuing system or has difficulty correctly reporting USR data in WCSTAT format, the CDX’s BEEP1 application may be used. WCSTAT testing using BEEP certifies that the insurer’s staff can input USR information consistent with the WCSTAT standards. Testing must be completed prior to using the BEEP application to submit USR data electronically. Information on BEEP can also be found on the CDX website after logging in. Access to BEEP will be granted along with CDX. |
| 6. Review the CDX file naming conventions | USR submission files must be named in accordance with the file naming conventions listed on the WCIRB’s CDX page. |
Recommendations
- Use a group email address (instead of an individual’s email address) to ensure that others can respond to and have access to correspondence in the absence of the USR Data Submission Contact (e.g., acmedatareporting@ acme.com instead of john.smith@ acme.com).
- Designate a secondary contact who the WCIRB will copy (“cc”) on all correspondence sent to the USR Data Submission Contact.
- Designate an insurer contact who will be accountable for the testing process.
- Review the CDX Online Training Videos for BEEP, which are located on CDX under Online Training or in the registered section under the Help menu.
- We encourage you to use the Validation Mode in Submission Manager in WCIRB Connect® to ensure all preprocessing errors are addressed before submitting a WCSTAT test file for our review. Information on how to use this feature is located in the WCIRB Connect® Submission Manager – Quick Start Guide.
1 BEEP is a web-based application that provides insurers with the ability to input, validate, edit and electronically submit USR data in WCSTAT format through the CDX system to data collection organizations.