Oregon study on workers' comp — Washington jumps in the rankings
Today the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services released the full 2012 Workers’ Compensation Premium Rate Ranking Study. (A summary was released in October.) The study is done every two years and ranks Oregon’s workers’ comp premium rates against those in other states. We have described the problems with using the Oregon study as […]
Workers' comp, cumulative trauma, and pro sports
Over the weekend, there was an article in the LA Times about athletes and workers’ compensation in California. (I wrote about this issue in August.) All states allow professional athletes to claim workers’ compensation payments for specific job-related injuries — such as a busted knee, torn tendon or ruptured spinal disc — that happened within […]
20th of February 2013
New Brief: More Reforms for Workers' Compensation
On February 4, the state Senate passed three workers’ comp bills. In a new brief today, we take a look at those bills and discuss why reforms are needed, even after the changes made in 2011.
1st of February 2013
More reforms for workers' compensation
Washington’s workers’ compensation benefits paid are the highest in the country, as we’ve documented here and here. And, as the National Academy of Social Insurance says, “several studies . . . demonstrate that the level of statutory benefits is a major determinant of the costs of workers’ compensation in a state.” In 2011, the legislature […]
22nd of January 2013
Potential changes for workers' comp voluntary settlements
In a Seattle Times op-ed over the weekend, two state representatives, Christopher Hurst and Cathy Dahlquist, call for more changes to workers’ compensation. Some reforms to the system were enacted in 2011 (we wrote about them here), and some savings have been realized. As Reps. Hurst and Dahlquist note, The single largest projected saving from […]
10th of December 2012
Unemployment Insurance and Workers' Compensation Rates for 2013
Today the Employment Security Department (ESD) announced that unemployment insurance rates will either stay the same or be reduced for most employers in Washington for 2013. In 2013, 14 percent of employers will move into lower rate classes, 61 percent won’t change, and 25 percent will move into higher rate classes. More than one-third of […]
22nd of October 2012
New Brief: Labor Costs in Washington
In a new policy brief today, we take a general look at some aspects of labor costs in Washington. Unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation have been reformed recently by the legislature, but they remain costly compared to other states. Additionally, Washington’s minimum wage is the highest in the country, and laws regarding prevailing wage, paid […]
30th of August 2012
The NFL and Workers' Comp
Workers’ compensation is a hot topic for us, and so it is for the National Football League. In honor of football season, let’s turn it over to an article by Darren Rovell on ESPN.com today: National Football League teams are facing a significant threat to their finances because of a legal option available to nearly […]
16th of August 2012
No Free Lunch: WA's Workers' Comp Benefits Still the Highest in the Nation in 2010
Earlier this month, the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) released its annual report, Workers’ Compensation: Benefits, Coverage, and Costs. The report has a two-year lag, so the data is from 2010. It shows that in 2010, Washington’s workers’ compensation benefits per covered worker were still the highest in the nation, at $865.67. Alaska was […]
30th of December 2011
The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and Workers' Comp Audit
The State Auditor’s Office has released its 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) Summary. Total government expenses declined 7.42 percent from 2010, with the largest reductions coming from workers’ compensation (-71.44 percent) and unemployment insurance (-21.97 percent). Unemployment compensation activity reported operating income of $171 million in fiscal year 2011 versus a loss of $985 […]