Portland, ME – A.M. Best, the premiere rating organization for the insurance industry in the United States, recently affirmed its “A” (Excellent) rating for The MEMIC Group, which includes Maine Employers’ Mutual Insurance Company, MEMIC Indemnity Company and MEMIC Casualty Company. A.M. Best acknowledged in its annual review The MEMIC Group’s strong balance sheet including… [Read more]
Association, Rating & Research News
WCRI: Hospital Outpatient Payments 60%+ Higher in States without Fixed Fee Schedules
Cambridge, MA – Hospital outpatient payments were higher and growing faster in states with percent-of-charge-based fee regulations or no fee schedules, finds a study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). The study, the latest in an annual series, compares hospital payments for a group of common outpatient surgeries in workers’ compensation across 36 states… [Read more]
NCCI Examines Marijuana Legalization: Five Things You Need to Know
Boca Raton, FL – The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) recently released an update on marijuana legalization that addresses the top five questions on the minds of workers compensation industry stakeholders. “Though a majority of states have legalized marijuana in some form, it remains illegal at the federal level and the issue continues to… [Read more]
WCRI: Average Total Cost of CA WC Claims Remained Stable, While Key Components Changed
Cambridge, MA – The average total cost of a workers’ compensation claim in California remained stable since the enactment of comprehensive reforms six years ago, but results mask recent changes in key cost components, according to a recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). Medical payments per claim increased annually for the first… [Read more]
TX Physician to Lead ACOEM, Nation’s Largest Occupational Medicine Society
Anaheim, CA – On May 1, Stephen A. Frangos, MD, MPH, FACOEM, of Houston, Texas, an internationally renowned preventive medicine specialist with expertise in the petrochemical industry and global infectious diseases, was installed as president of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), the nation’s largest medical society dedicated to promoting the health… [Read more]
NCCI State of the Line: Powered by Data-Driven Insights, Workers Comp System Is Delivering
Boca Raton, FL – This week, the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) is holding its Annual Issues Symposium (AIS)—Powered by Insight (May 14–15) in Orlando, FL. This Year’s Word: Delivering NCCI President and CEO Bill Donnell kicked off this year’s event by addressing key top-of-mind issues for carriers, regulators, and other industry stakeholders. The… [Read more]
New WCRI Study: Medical Fee Schedule Adoption, Reform, and Update Processes
Cambridge, MA – The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) recently released a new edition of its study on fee schedules, Designing Workers’ Compensation Medical Fee Schedules, 2019. The purpose of the study is help policymakers who are looking to adopt, reform, or update the medical fee schedule in their state workers’ compensation system. “If you… [Read more]
WCRI: Average FL Workers’ Comp Claim Cost Grew Moderately
Cambridge, MA – Total costs per workers’ compensation claim in Florida grew moderately since 2013, but that result masks recent changes in key cost components related to court decisions and medical fee schedule changes, according to a recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). Indemnity benefits per claim grew faster for claims with… [Read more]
CA CHSWC Releases 2018 Annual Report
Oakland, CA – The Commission on Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation (CHSWC) has released its twenty-fourth Annual Report for 2018. The 2018 Annual Report presents information about the health and safety and workers’ compensation systems in California and makes recommendations to improve their operations. The Annual Report summarizes the state of all the relevant… [Read more]
NCCI Releases Q1 2019 Quarterly Economics Briefing
Boca Raton, FL – NCCI recently announced the release of the Q1 2019 edition of its Quarterly Economics Briefing, which examines the current state of the economy and implications for workers compensation insurance, and is separated into two sections: “Review of Current Conditions” and “Drilling Down”. Review of Current Conditions Key takeaways include: Private sector… [Read more]