IAIABC: Please provide an organizational overview (number of employees, years in business, vision)

Jen Ragan, Customer Experience and Insights Director, SAIF Corporation: SAIF is Oregon’s not-for-profit workers’ compensation insurance company. Since 1914, we’ve been taking care of injured workers, helping people get back to work, and striving to make Oregon the safest and healthiest place to work. SAIF serves the entire state, with more than 1,200 employees across six regional offices.

IAIABC: How does your organization serve the workers’ compensation industry?

JR: SAIF is committed to our mission of serving Oregon’s workers and employers by making workers’ compensation widely available, affordable, and accessible, and by providing extraordinary service.

With more than 53,000 policyholders, including more than 51,500 in the voluntary market, SAIF is the largest workers’ compensation insurer in Oregon. We serve employers of all sizes, from small businesses that have only one employee to large companies with tens of thousands of employees.  

SAIF has unparalleled experience serving and providing safety expertise for Oregon’s high-hazard industries, including logging, construction, and agriculture. We also handle more claims than any other workers’ comp carrier in Oregon—nearly 37,000 claims in 2025—and our service levels are consistently higher than competitors.

IAIABC: What do you see as some of the major challenges the industry is facing, and how can we as a community address them?

JR: 

• Medical escalation: Medical costs make up more than half of SAIF’s paid claim costs, with disabling claims accounting for the majority. Medical inflation continues to outpace general inflation. At the same time, the claims we are receiving—and the care they require—are getting more complex.  
• Access to care: According to SAIF’s data, the number of providers serving workers’ compensation has decreased across multiple specialties in the past few years. This is especially true in rural areas. This can delay a worker’s return to work and make claims longer and more expensive. In 2026, SAIF supported a bill to extend attending physician status to nurse practitioners and physician associates, which aligned with data showing they filled provider gaps, particularly in rural communities.  
• Market volatility: Finally, with economic uncertainty, Oregon has seen business closures outpace new establishments in the last few years, including a 25% spike in business bankruptcies from 2025 to 2026 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis. 

IAIABC: Are there any projects/programs/initiatives going on at your organization that you are particularly excited or enthusiastic about?

JR: 

• Mental health pilot: SAIF has partnered with the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association (OFCA) to provide a prevention-focused program addressing post-traumatic stress disorders in first responders. As part of the pilot, we provided a two-day training program to 22 SAIF policyholders focused on post-traumatic growth (PTG), reframing struggle as an opportunity for development and growth. Since inception, we have had over 100 attendees, including more than 50 in leadership roles in their station or department.
• Agriculture safety seminars: This fall, SAIF will be visiting cities across the state to offer free agriculture safety sessions. SAIF has offered agricultural safety seminars during the ag community’s off season for nearly 30 years, helping Oregon’s farm owners, managers, and workers stay safe in one of the most hazardous industries. The seminars are designed primarily for people working in agriculture but are open to anyone interested in safety and health—they don't have to be insured by SAIF.
• Internal data transformation: With our internal data and analytics transformation program, SAIF is focused on improving how data is governed, accessed, and used across the company. This multi-year program has included adopting a new primary business intelligence tool, upgrading the analytics platform, and embedding data governance into day-to-day analytics work.

IAIABC: What's an interesting fact about your organization that most people don't know?

JR: With more than 60 safety and health experts who help employers create safer workplaces, SAIF has built the largest network of workplace safety professionals for any insurance carrier in Oregon. In addition, anyone—not just SAIF policyholders—can access SAIF’s free safety workshops and online resources on saif.com, designed to help create safer workplaces, reduce employee injuries and claims, and better control costs. SAIF also produces free safety videos on our YouTube channel, including Oregon Odd Jobs, which showcases unique Oregon jobs and how they’re done safely.

IAIABC: Why is your organization a member of the IAIABC? What would you tell others about the benefits of membership?

JR: SAIF is a member of the IAIABC because it provides valuable opportunities to collaborate and network with others across the industry who face similar challenges. Through membership, we can learn from peers, share knowledge, benchmark our performance and data, and gain access to resources and training that support continuous improvement.

IAIABC membership offers a strong professional network and a supportive community dedicated to advancing workers’ compensation. Members benefit from opportunities to exchange ideas, learn proven practices from other jurisdictions, access educational resources, and gain insights that help inform solutions. Given the unique requirements of different jurisdictions, the ability to learn from a diverse group of industry professionals is especially valuable.