Company Profile

Company Overview

For over 30 years, PERMA has been providing municipal employers across New York State with the best possible workers’ compensation coverage for the most reasonable cost. Since 1982, Public Employer Risk Management Association, Inc. (PERMA) has been devoted to providing workers’ compensation protection and risk management services to public employers throughout New York State. In the past 34 years, PERMA has grown to become the largest self-funded municipal workers’ compensation pool in New York.

There are three keys to our success

1 Comprehensive coverage appropriately priced.
PERMA covers municipal employees under the general workers’ compensation statute, provides unlimited employers liability coverage, and volunteer fire and ambulance worker benefits.

2 As a non-profit organization, we specialize in local government.
PERMA has no profit margin, no stockholders, and we do not have to pay any premium taxes. We are a non-profit association created and governed by local officials. Our board of directors is comprised of members and state association partners.

Currently, PERMA has members who are:
Bridge authorities
Cities
Counties
Development authorities
Fire districts
Libraries
Park districts
Parking districts
Port districts
Sanitation districts
Schools
Towns
Urban renewal agencies
Villages
Water boards and districts
Water pollution control districts
3 We focus on, and emphasize, excellent service and personal attention.
It starts in the claims department, which promptly manages each claim, providing the best care to the injured employee while controlling costs. And it continues with comprehensive risk management services, assigned as critical needs are identified, ensuring a safe workplace, maintaining PESH and OSHA standards, and preventing work-related injuries, illnesses and accidents.

What you see throughout PERMA is personal attention. Taking care of the member and keeping the workplace safe and productive is what PERMA is all about.

NEAMI
PERMA can provide personal attention because of its long-standing relationship with Northeast Association Management Inc. (NEAMI), which has administered PERMA since 1995. NEAMI, with its staff of approximately 80 professionals, provides claims management services, as well as nurse case management, loss control, coverage underwriting and general member services.
NEAMI prides itself on the quality and professionalism of its employees. Only the highest qualified, best-suited people are recruited to serve the PERMA membership. NEAMI enjoys a low turnover rate, and the claims staff receives exceptionally high claimant satisfaction scores – in the 90th percentile year after year.
Self-Insurance
PERMA was founded, and remains today, as a self-insured municipal pool.
Different from traditional insurance, municipal pools are organizations owned and governed collectively by their governmental entities. Municipal pools are formed all over the country to address a multitude of risks, including property loss, employee benefits, and, in PERMA’s case, workers’ compensation.

You can learn more about the rules and regulations that govern PERMA by visiting the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board Self-Insurance Office.