Nashville, TN – The Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation recently released its Calendar Year (CY) 2022 Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Annual Report, which provides an update on the impact of the Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Act of 2013, and gives a snapshot of changes and progress occuring in calendar year 2022.
The 2013 Workers’ Compensation Reform Act requires the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation to provide each member of the General Assembly with a report on the Bureau’s findings on the impact of the reform.
The BWC noted that the results have been positive and consistent with the legislative intent of being fair to both employees and employers.
Highlights of this year’s report include the following:
- The mediation program’s percentage of settlements continued to rise in 2022. Tennessee’s approach to mediation has captured the interest of and has been duplicated by other states.
- The ombudsman program assisted over 16,000 employees and employers in 2022. The program includes ombudsman attorneys who can provide limited legal advice.
- The most recent data shows that approximately 72% of injured workers returned to work after their injury and settlement in post-reform cases, compared to 61% in pre-reform cases1.
- The average medical expenses paid per claim were $27,409 for post-reform claims settled in 2021 and $26,654 for post-reform claims settled in 2022.
- PPD decreased 5.3% per average claim in 2022 ($12,450) from 2021 ($13,156), TTD increased 5.2% per average claim in 2022 ($14,118) from 2021 ($13,417)
- The Bureau has conducted education and training programs across the state for employers, insurance adjusters, and medical providers. BWC’s REWARD program, which provides training to employers on best practices in returning an injured worker to employment, and its Next Step program, a vocational recovery/educational assistance program, have been very successful.
The BWC concluded that the results of the 2013 Reform Act have been positive and resulted in a timelier workers’ compensation system that provides assistance to self-represented parties and is more consistent and less costly.
Read the free report: TN BWC 2023 Workers’ Compensation Annual Report or download the pdf.
Source: TN BWC