New Jersey Lawamakers Introduce Bills Affecting Workers' Comp

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.

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.