Another Workers Comp Decrease

February 24, 2023

Maine to lower rates

  • Acting Superintendent Timothy Schott approved the National Council on Compensation Insurance, Inc.’s 2023 loss costs for Maine.
  • The proposal called for an average loss cost decrease of 11.9%.
  • The recently filed NCCI loss costs represent a cumulative decrease of 69.2% since the 1992 workers’ compensation reform.
  • If all insurers fully adopt the decrease, Maine businesses could save an estimated $30 million in the year following implementation.
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Questions arise about spreading of respiratory viruses

  • It’s uncertain whether wearing masks or respirators helps to slow the spread of respiratory viruses, according to medical research firm Cochrane.
  • Respiratory viruses are viruses that infect the cells in your airways: nose, throat, and lungs.
  • These infections can cause serious problems and affect normal breathing and can cause influenza, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and COVID-19.
  • Physical measures to try to prevent respiratory viruses from spreading include washing hands often, not touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, and sneezing or coughing into your elbow.
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West Virginia wants to amend workers’ comp

  • West Virginia’s workers’ compensation policies were established to cover liability for workplace injuries.
  • However, if injured workers can meet the burden of proof that their employers acted with “deliberate intent,” then they may be eligible for financial support beyond what workers comp provides.
  • A new bill would amend the state code to limit noneconomic damages in those cases to $250,000.
  • The bill also removes occupational pneumoconiosis as a covered injury and would set a limit on fees and costs recoverable by the plaintiff’s attorneys.
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Wisconsin to hear workers comp testimony

  • The Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Advisory Council wants public comments for recommended legislative changes to the Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation Act.
  • Statutory language establishing the council, its role in advising the department, and its work to submit amendments to the Wisconsin Legislature, took effect in 1968.
  • The council’s most recent agreed-upon bill cleared both chambers of the legislature and was signed by Gov. Tony Evers in 2022.
  • A multimedia initiative to build awareness about the current worker’s compensation system.
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