Proposed New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Bills
- New Jersey lawmakers have introduced several bills impacting workers’ compensation during the 2026-27 legislative session.
- Key proposals require coverage for medical cannabis and establish personal liability for unpaid employer insurance.
- Other measures seek to adjust cost-of-living benefits for disabled workers and alter mandatory retirement ages for judges.
- Additional bills focus on limiting medical fee dispute timelines and modifying volunteer compensation limits.
Court Reverses Order for Non-Medical Travel Benefits
- A tetraplegic claimant requested workers’ compensation benefits to cover extra attendant and medical equipment costs for a trip to visit family.
- While a psychotherapist supported the trip, the Judge of Compensation Claims (JCC) determined the travel itself was not medically necessary under the statute.
- Despite this, the JCC ordered the employer/carrier to pay for the travel expenses, citing industry responsibility.
- The First District Court of Appeal reversed, ruling that because the trip was not deemed medically necessary, it was not compensable.
BLS Data Shows Changes Coming for Workers’ Comp Costs
- The government just dropped its latest regional payroll data, and it has some big takeaways for workers’ comp.
- First, rising wages across the country mean employers will likely see higher insurance premiums since coverage is tied to total payroll.
- On top of that, these bigger paychecks mean higher payouts for injured workers on wage-replacement claims.
- Finally, the BLS announced they a
- Will stop tracking workers’ comp costs entirely in future reports.