Oregon Compensable Deaths Rise 40%

Oregon registered 42 fatalities accepted for workers’ compensation in 2023, up from 30 in the previous year.
New data from the state’s Department of Consumer and Business Services showed that the average age of workers with fatal claims accepted during 2023 was 47 years, which is five years lower than the 2022 average age of 52.
The number of people working in WC-covered employment rose to 2.02 million from 1.99 million in 2022.
The Oregon workers’ compensation system is a no-fault system, so the compensability of a claim is not dependent upon demonstrating that either the employer or worker was negligent.
There were 16 claims, or more than 38% of the total, for fatalities involving roadway accidents.
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Wyoming’s Workers’ Compensation agency has proposed a 12% decrease in rates for 2025.
Base rate changes at the class level will vary, but businesses may see up to a 25 percent decrease.
Fueling the decrease is recently enacted legislation that allows the agency to consider the investment earnings on the contingency reserve when setting annual rates.
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The New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF) has released an educational pamphlet to assist employers in understanding the impact and implications of Long Covid.
NYSIF said the aim was to help the state’s employers identify strategies that can help them support employees experiencing the syndrome.
The document also explains the importance of filing a workers’ compensation claim when a worker contracts Covid-19 on the job.
A January 2023 NYSIF report analyzed more than 3,100 established workers’ compensation claims and found that almost one-third of all claimants developed Long Covid.
About 18% of workers did not return to work for more than one year.
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MedRisk has completed its acquisition of Conduent’s casualty claims solutions business, which will be branded as StrataCare.
The acquisition includes workers’ compensation and auto casualty bill review solutions and services, medical bills processing and clinical services.
The move expands MedRisk’s portfolio of care and cost management solutions for workers’ compensation and auto insurance carriers, third-party administrators, and self-insured employers.
Conduent said it received $224 million in cash from MedRisk for the business, according to a Wednesday regulatory filing. The company’s Nasdaq-traded shares were up more than 6% following yesterday’s announcement.
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