Today’s issue of WorkCompRecap features the release of a new analysis of OSIP data from CWCI that examines how the total number of job injury claims reported by California public self-insured employers decreased slightly last year as a result of the pandemic, but greater numbers of lost-time claims and rising severity fueled by higher indemnity costs drove up total workers’ comp paid and incurred losses for cities, counties and other public agencies in the state.
Key findings included that despite covering 4.4% fewer workers, public self-insureds’ total claim payments at the first report increased 7.3% over FY 2019/20. CWCI noted that while overall public self-insured claim volume was down compared to a year earlier, the decline was completely due to a 19.7% drop in medical-only claims, which are relatively inexpensive. More costly lost-time claims increased by 15.5%, likely due to the addition of COVID-19 claims to the mix, as the public self-insured workforce includes many essential workers.