QBE insurance is one of four existing Claim Service Providers (CSPs) that will receive a new, 10-year contract in January, Finance Minister Damien Tudehope announced on Thursday.
A review of Insurance and Care NSW (icare) led by Robert McDougall KC followed allegations in July 2020 aired on the ABC's Four Corners that QBE and Corrective Services had sought to deny worker claims with the hope of forcing them back to work.
The McDougall review noted some accusations made about icare "could most kindly be described as a 'beat-up'".
"The same cannot be said of the second matter raised," the report noted, referring to the QBE incident.
Four Corners reported QBE allegedly being told by Corrective Services to "hit them in the pocket" in a bid to push people with psychological injuries back to work.
Mr McDougall noted the State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) had confirmed the practice did not appear to be systemic or widespread.
"It is to be hoped that nothing like this will occur again," the report noted.
QBE is among the four existing CSPs appointed to manage claims for the nominal insurer icare, along with Allianz, Employers Mutual Limited, and GIO.
Technology firm DXC and claims management company Gallagher Bassett are two new firms joining the existing four.
The 10-year contracts come into effect in January however are subject to provider performance, and additional providers may join in the future.
The contracts are the next step in a major reset of the scheme that will improve its financial sustainability, give employers more choice and improve outcomes for injured workers, Mr Tudehope says.
"Appointing this mix of quality claims service providers builds new capability and capacity in the system and is a key step towards providing a more specialised response to the growing incidence of psychological injury," he said.
The appointment of a dedicated psychological claims provider was also being explored and icare was establishing an internal team to develop and trial new approaches to those claims that could be rolled out to the CSPs.
The NSW upper house standing committee on law and justice is holding a hearing into the state's workers compensation scheme on Monday.
Representatives from multiple unions and professional alliances will give evidence, followed by SafeWork NSW directors and SIRA executives.
