CBIA Distributes $800K Workers’ Comp Refund
- The Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) approved a $800,000 experience refund for qualifying policyholders in its workers’ compensation program.
- This payout rewards member companies that maintained successful loss ratios of 50% or better over the past year.
- Financial dividends from the program have returned over $9 million to safety-conscious members since 2015.
- The model reduces net operational insurance costs for employers that actively mitigate workplace claims.
Report Analyzes Medical Price Changes Across State Workers Comp Systems
- The 2026 Workers Compensation Research Institute study tracks medical professional service prices across thirty-six states for injured employees.
- Medical cost inflation grew rapidly between 2021 and 2024 before showing signs of moderating in 2025.
- Findings reveal price trends varied significantly across states depending on the presence of fixed regulatory fee schedules.
- These statutory fee structures heavily dictated the final reimbursement rates paid out by regional workers compensation insurers
Iowa Supreme Court Rules Employers Aren’t Bound By Treating Doctor’s Diagnosis
- On May 29, 2026, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that employers can rely on a contrary medical opinion to contest permanent disability claims.
- The case involved an employee seeking workers’ compensation benefits for an alleged permanent back impairment after a workspace fall.
- However, a secondary independent medical examiner found the accident only caused a temporary aggravation of preexisting conditions.
- The court affirmed that employers are not legally bound by the causation analysis of the initial authorized treating physician.