Oklahoma City, OK – Oklahoma employers could pay less for workers’ compensation insurance next year. The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) has proposed an overall loss cost decrease of 2.3 percent in a filing that many insurers use to develop prices. NCCI credits the reduced loss cost to favorable experience across all industry groups.… [Read more]
Legislative & Regulatory News
TDI-DWC Research Group: Injured Employees Finding Better Access to Healthcare
Austin, TX – Access to medical care has improved for injured employees in Texas according to an September 2018 study from the Division of Workers’ Compensation’s Research and Evaluation Group. The annual study measures the effectiveness of the workers’ compensation system to deliver timely and appropriate medical care to injured employees. The study measures access… [Read more]
WA L&I Proposes Significant Drop in Workers’ Comp Rates for 2019
Tumwater, WA – The price of workers’ compensation insurance in Washington will likely drop significantly in 2019. The state Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) recently proposed a 5 percent decrease in the average premium employers pay for the coverage. If approved, the rate decrease would be the largest drop since 2007. The lower rate… [Read more]
OR DCBS: Workers’ Compensation Costs to Drop for Sixth-Straight Year
Salem, OR – Oregon employers next year, on average, will pay $1.12 per $100 of payroll for workers’ compensation insurance, down from $1.23 in 2018, under a proposal by the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS). That figure covers workers’ compensation claims costs, assessments, and insurer profit and expenses. This will mark the… [Read more]
WV Governor Justice Announces Workers’ Comp Rate Decrease of 13% Filed
Charleston, WV – Gov. Jim Justice recently announced that the National Council on Compensation Insurance has filed for another 13% average decrease in base rates for Workers Compensation Insurance in West Virginia effective November 1, 2018. “This is great news for West Virginia and our business community,” Gov. Justice said. “This is the 14th straight… [Read more]
2017 Colorado Insurance Industry Statistical Report Released
Denver, CO – The Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI), part of the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), has released its “2017 Colorado Insurance Industry Statistical Report.” In 2017, Colorado citizens spent over $35 billion on premiums to 1,434 companies, and this report details the financial status and market share of those companies selling various lines… [Read more]
CA DWC Posts Updated MTUS Drug List Effective October 1
San Francisco, CA – The Division of Workers’ Compensation’s (DWC) Administrative Director George Parisotto has issued an Order updating the Medical Treatment Utilization Schedule (MTUS) Drug List effective October 1, 2018 pursuant to Labor Code section 5307.29. The Administrative Director’s update Order adopts changes to the MTUS Drug List, based on the American College of… [Read more]
AK Governor Walker Signs Workers’ Comp Reform Legislation into Law
Anchorage, AK – Bipartisan legislation to reform Alaska’s workers’ compensation system was recently signed into law during a ceremony held in conjunction with the annual AFL-CIO Summer Convention. Alaska Governor Bill Walker put forward House Bill 79 to modernize the system and to clearly define for the first time in Alaska’s history who can be… [Read more]
KS Attorney General State’s Supreme Court to Review Workers’ Comp Case
Topeka, KS – Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt recently asked the Kansas Supreme Court to review a decision by the Court of Appeals that overturned a 2013 state law on workers compensation. Although the state was not a party to the original case, the Kansas Supreme Court last week granted the attorney general’s motion to… [Read more]
Justice Department Announces Release of New Fentanyl Safety Video for First Responders
Washington, DC – The Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance recently released the Fentanyl Safety Recommendations for First Responders’ companion training video Fentanyl: The Real Deal. The video was produced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to help first responders protect themselves when the presence of fentanyl is suspected or encountered on the… [Read more]