Atlanta, GA – The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently released interactive charts and graphs that display summaries of Ohio workers’ compensation injury claims. This effort was conducted in partnership with The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, and provides users with the ability to search general causes of injury, no matter the… [Read more]
Association, Rating & Research News
BLS: Back Injuries Prominent in Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorder Cases in 2016
Washington, DC – The US Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released a new issue of The Economics Daily that looks at the prevalence of different types of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Musculoskeletal disorders are injuries or illnesses that result from overexertion or repetitive motion. They include soft-tissue injuries such as sprains, strains, tears, hernias, and carpal… [Read more]
Best’s Special Report: Downgrades for U.S. Property/Casualty Industry Increase in First Half 2018
Oldwick, NJ -(BusinessWire)- Catastrophic weather events in 2017 helped spur an increase in rating downgrades for the U.S. property/casualty (P/C) industry during the first half of 2018, according to a new A.M. Best report. But the report also notes that overall ratings activity in that same period was modestly favorable, with upgrades outnumbering downgrades. The… [Read more]
MA DPH Study Examines Opioid Overdose Deaths, Finds Some Occupations with Greater Risks
Boston, MA – The rate of fatal opioid overdoses varied significantly by industry and occupation from 2011 to 2015, with construction workers dying from opioid overdoses at six times the average rate for all Massachusetts workers, according to a report recently released by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). Using available death certificate data,… [Read more]
NCCI Releases First Installment of Industry Roundtable
Boca Raton, FL – NCCI recently released the first installment of its Industry Roundtable series, in which NCCI President and CEO Bill Donnell engages with workers compensation leaders on the critical issues and trends impacting the industry today and in the future. In this edition, Donnell speaks with Tracy Ryan, executive vice president and chief… [Read more]
IAIABC Releases “Opioid Policy Inventory” Report on State Efforts to Curb U.S. Opioid Health Crisis
Orlando, FL – States that have taken a multifaceted approach in responding to the opioid epidemic have realized a positive impact, according to a new report released today by the IAIABC at the WCI conference. The report, Opioid Policy Inventory, includes findings from a survey in which 33 states participated and can be downloaded from… [Read more]
Fitch: US Workers’ Comp Profits Strong, Weaker Pricing Ahead
New York, NY – The U.S. workers’ compensation insurance market reported strong underwriting performance for the third consecutive year in 2017, with an industry statutory combined ratio of approximately 92%, according to Fitch Ratings. However, a steady decline in premium rates from increased competition will ultimately lead to weaker underwriting results. Fitch believes that while… [Read more]
CWCI: Opioids Top Drug List in California Workers’ Comp Polypharmacy Claims
Oakland, CA – Efforts to curb opioid use in California workers’ compensation have been successful, but new research by the California Workers’ Compensation Institute (CWCI) shows they remain very common among claims in which injured workers are given multiple concurrent prescriptions, and are the most prevalent type of drug found in polypharmacy claims that involve… [Read more]
A.M. Best Affirms Credit Ratings of American Financial Group, Inc. and Most Insurance Subsidiaries
Oldwick, NJ -(BusinessWire)- A.M. Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) of “aa-” of Great American Insurance Company and its pooling affiliates, collectively referred to as Great American Insurance Companies (Great American). Concurrently, A.M. Best has affirmed the Long-Term ICR of “a-” and… [Read more]
New WCRI Study Explores How Payments to Ambulatory Surgery Centers in GA Changed After 2014 Fee Schedule
Cambridge, MA – A new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) explores how facility payments for surgeries conducted in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) in Georgia changed after the 2014 changes in the medical fee schedule for outpatient services. “This study was in response to requests from Georgia policymakers and stakeholders looking for more… [Read more]