In his expanded role, Bonner provides expertise to the medical and vocational rehabilitation practices for the insurer's group disability claims, including guidelines on disability duration, clinical protocols, and continuing education for the claims team. In his role as medical director for workers' compensation, he continues to provide oversight and direction for workers' compensation and liability claims practices regarding medical issues, including quality assurance and clinical case management.
"The Hartford has been building its capabilities to serve and protect businesses and their employees. Dr. Bonner's appointment supports our customer-centric business strategy that's focused on helping maximize employee productivity and removing administrative burden," said Ron Gendreau, executive vice president of Group Benefits in The Hartford's Commercial Markets. "Whether an employee is injured on or off the job, our goal is to provide resources and support to enable them to return to active, productive lives."
Bonner's appointment is part of a broader strategy for The Hartford. His role bridges two cornerstone businesses within The Hartford's Commercial Markets, which was formed earlier this year to capitalize on the company's product, service and distribution strengths in property and casualty and group benefits.
His appointment also supports The Hartford's newly launched approach to managing various types of employee absences. The Hartford Productivity Advantage integrates the insurer's group disability and workers' compensation insurance with its leave management services to help employers minimize lost time while maintaining productivity.
"Our research1 shows workers' compensation is integrated more often now with benefits, such as disability insurance, than in previous years," said Gendreau. "The Hartford has established itself as the No. 1 seller of group disability insurance2 and the fourth largest workers' compensation provider,3 and our people, products and resources are now aligned to provide solutions to this growing trend of benefits integration."
Bonner joined The Hartford's workers' compensation business in June 2002. He earned a doctor of medicine from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia and a master's degree in public health from The Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health. He completed a fellowship in occupational medicine from The Johns Hopkins University Medical Institutions. He is also board certified in occupational medicine and holds a faculty appointment in occupational medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.