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NA Workplace homicide is stable, NA- Rates are decreasing, NA - increased need for mental health professionals Workplace homicide rates stay flat as national murders rise 35% - Beinsure "homicides showed year-to-year volatility, but no sustained upward or downward trend" Commercial P&C Market Shifts Into Reverse as Soft Market Takes Hold - Risk & Insurance "Average premiums across all account sizes fell in Q1 2026 for the first time since 2017" ICA suggests cure for mental strain on workers' comp - Insurance News "Investments in early intervention programs and government action to tackle a shortage of psychiatrists and psychologists are also recommended"

CA - violence in long-term care, RI - cybersecurity in the news, NM - EMTs and others exposed to fentanyl at work Violence spurs 1 in 5 SNF workers' comp claims in CA - McKnight's Long-Term Care News "About 18% of workers’ compensation claims made by skilled nursing facility staff between 2013 and 2021 were related to violence" Class action lawsuit filed against RI's largest workers' comp insurer - MSN "after a company mailing notified 132,000 Rhode Islanders that their personal information had been compromised" 18 EMTs Treated for Exposure to Unknown Substance that Left 3 Others Dead WorkersCompensation.com "EMTs responding to a call in New Mexico were taken to the hospital for treatment after they fell ill from exposure to an unknown substance"

TN - sharp line for out-of-state claims, CA medical reviews increase, NA - AI is happening now.  Nail gun injury appeal sharpens panel-of-physicians rules for workers' comp carriers "Tennessee just drew a sharp line on physical therapists and out-of-state claims" California comp medical reviews rise in 2025 - Business Insurance "Pharmaceuticals remained the largest category of disputed treatment requests, accounting for 30.6% of all issues submitted for review" Workers' Comp and Auto Claims Face a Turning Point: AI, Faster Care ... - Risk & Insurance "AI is no longer a future promise but a present force reshaping claims"

NA- study of risk tiers, NC- fear of fakes and fraudsters, CA - cost of migraine drugs driving concern 15-Year Study Identifying Three Risk Tiers in Small Business Insurance Pricing "The study groups small businesses into easy-to-place, medium-risk and hard-to-place categories based on carrier appetite, claim severity and historical loss ratios." NC Commission Warns About Workers' Comp Scam Impersonating Officials "fraud scheme targeting workers’ compensation claimants across multiple states through the use of official-looking communications and fake hearings.” CWCI: Migraine Drugs Are Now the Third Most Expensive California Workers' Comp Drug "as the use of new, high-cost Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) targeted medications increases"

MD Highway injuries and safety demands, NA the knowledge gap in comp, IA the supreme court rewrites the impairment calculation. Union Leaders Demand Action after 2 Workers Killed Within Days of Each Other "two Maryland highway workers were killed in separate incidents just days apart." A Troubling Knowledge Gap: Overcoming Unfamiliarity with Workers' Comp - Risk & Insurance "Unfamiliarity with workers’ comp is one of the biggest barriers to recovery for injured worker patients." Iowa Supreme Court rewrites how shoulder injury claims get calculated "The commissioner, Mansfield concluded, was wrong to apply the Table 16-18 multiplier to a distal clavicle excision under Table 16-27."

CA Higher combined ratios, CA Kitchen counter silicosis, TN Suspension, NA Workplace safety methods  WCIRB: California Comp Written Premiums 'Relatively Stable' Compared to Pandemic "The combined ratio rose 3 points in 2025 to its highest level in over 20 years" California Stoneworkers With Silicosis Struggle to Get Workers' Comp | KQED "California countertop workers diagnosed with silicosis from engineered stone" Tennessee judge backs employer that suspended workers' comp benefits over missed appointments "A missed deposition was the last straw" Workplace Safety Progress Has Stalled. Here's What Employers Can Do About It. "One of the central issues driving unchanged fatality numbers is that most companies still rely on backward-looking metrics" These are news stories worthy of consideration, discussion, and are subject to interpretation. No endorsement or agreement is implied or expressed by inclusion here. 

NA Workers comp profitable, NA Hospital closure impacts, MN Course and scope Workers' Compensation Remains Profitable as Premium Dips and Severity Climbs "workers' compensation delivered a 91% combined ratio in 2025" WCRI: Hospital closures prolong recovery, increase costs for injured workers "influences injured workers' ability to obtain medical treatment , how quickly they recover," Was Clerk Injured Returning to In-person Work Entitled to Benefits? "Even when an employee is not on the clock and nowhere near the office when she's injured, she may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits."

NA Speaking for the injured, NA Misclassification impacts, NA AI in prediction and reserves Who Speaks for the Laboring Force Anymore? - Risk & Insurance "One need only look at any number of industries where labor shortages and labor unrest are impeding progress." Why Classification Matters - Insurance Journal "robs workers of thousands of dollars per year and reduces revenue for social safety net programs" Memic Sees Uptick After Utilising AI Prediction Model - - Insurance Edge "a marked uptick in reserving accuracy following the implementation of an AI-enabled prediction model"

 CA Consistent cost increases, OR the tail can be long, FL Evolution of rating and rates Study: California Workers' Comp Claim Costs Continue to Rise - Insurance Journal "persistent cost growth due to wage increases, labor market conditions, rising medical expenses and system complexity." Oregon court orders staffing firm to pay 22-year-old workers' comp claim - HRD America "The case is the kind of long-tail workers' compensation fight HR and risk managers know well" The Evolution of the Rating Industries for the Workers' Compensation Employer Classification System "to educate current self-insurers and stakeholders on the classification and rating system used to impute premium."

NA High pharmacy, NA Skills shortage, TN notice defense, NY Deadlines  A 16,000% Problem: Why Workers’ Comp Can’t Get Drug Costs Under Control “Pharmacy costs in workers’ compensation continue to climb sharply” How Workers' Compensation Organizations Can Bridge Critical Talent and Knowledge Gaps "skill shortages, retirements, and talent pipeline challenges converge" FedEx wins workers' comp appeal after employee misses 15-day notice deadline "She did not put the accident in writing that day. She kept working for several weeks before seeing a doctor. " New York Third Department Reaffirms Deadlines for Controverting Workers' Compensation Claims "When an employer files a First Report of Injury (FROI) M-Medical Only, L-With Liability, that is not a waiver of the right to controvert the claim."

NA severity is still an issue, NY failure to respond consequences, NA The depth of catastrophic injuries, CT Comp expands. Injuries are becoming 'more complex,' workers' comp claims show “yet injured workers are still missing an average of 80 workdays.” Trump 2024 Campaign Gets Fined $21000 in a New York Workers' Comp Dispute - NOTUS "after it didn’t respond to allegations" A Mother's Love Knows No Limits - WorkersCompensation.com "She was flung in the air, landing headfirst onto the car’s windshield before being catapulted 30 feet" Connecticut Expands Protections for Workers Including Victims of Assault "legislation addressing wage theft in the building trades, job protections for services workers, and compensation for workers who are assaulted"

LA Exclusive remedy, CA Spine surgeries drop, NA Pharmacy choice, NA Workplace violence increases Could Dow Worker Burned in Explosion Sue for Personal Injury? “the employee didn’t establish that his injury was intentional.“ California Workers' Comp Inpatient Hospitalizations Level Off as Spine Surgeries Continue to Drop "inpatient spinal surgeries, once a major cost driver in the system, are again trending down" Outdated Policy, Modern Costs: Rethinking Pharmacy Choice in Workers' Compensation "The policy was grounded in a very different era of healthcare—one in which patients relied on close, personal relationships with local pharmacists" Group Home Employee Fatally Stabbed at Work, as Attacks on Healthcare Workers Continue "workplace assault measure have increased at an average rate of about 5.3 percent."

CA Costs rise in California, NY Benefits for 9/11 soldiers, FL Two sentenced for fraud  California Workers' Comp Costs Per Claim Rose 6% in 2025, Driven by Growth Across All ... “with indemnity benefits, medical payments and benefit delivery expenses all contributing to the increase” Bill calls for extending Sept. 11 workers' comp to National Guard members - Spectrum News “The bill would amend both New York state's military law and workers' compensation law to extend benefits to National Guard members” Two Orlando Residents Sentenced for $148 Million Construction Payroll Scheme that ... “Rene Escobar was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison. Juana Escobar was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. The court also ordered the defendants to pay $37,174,388 in restitution“

NA Old and new implicated, NA mental claim challenges, RI Rates decline again  Workplace injuries take longer to heal, report finds | Insurance Business “two groups driving the trend: an aging workforce and employees in their first year on the job.” Investigations key as employers navigate rising psych comp claims - Business Insurance “claims for mental injuries are rising due to expanding state laws and shifting workforce demographics,” Workers' comp rates to fall for 11th consecutive year in R.I. - Providence Business News R.I. Department of Business Regulation announced Tuesday the approval of a 2.5% reduction in average workers’ compensation loss costs for 2026.

NA safety confidence slips, NA Misclassification costs, NA Small businesses driven to data  North American Worker Safety Confidence Slips as Stress, Lone Worker Accidents Persist “safety perceptions have declined despite increased employer investment” Misclassification Costs Workers, Social Insurance “As many as 10–30% of employers misclassify workers” How Small Business Insurance is Evolving: Balancing Speed, Data, and Underwriting Discipline “small business insurance is becoming faster and more data-driven”

Comp fraud allegation, KY another fraud allegation, NA Workplace violence, NA Severity offsets frequency gains  Oswego County Man Sentenced for Workers' Comp Fraud - Finger Lakes Daily News "sentenced to probation after admitting to fraudulently collecting workers’ compensation benefits while working." Former Kentucky mail carrier charged in alleged $340,000 workers' comp fraud - MSN "lied to get more than $340,000 in workers' compensation payments, a federal grand jury has charged" Workers' Comp: What to Know About Workplace Violence; Victims Are Most Often “acts of violence rank as the third-leading cause of fatal occupational injuries” Travelers Cos.: Workers' comp claims down, but injuries more severe “the trend is driven by two trends: an aging workforce on one hand, and the vulnerability of new employees”

CA Rate increases, NA PTSD a rising tide, NA Medical costs steady, NA Ketamine for comp Calif. comp rates set for biggest hike in more than a decade - Business Insurance 19.3% increase in two years (2025-2026). How Workers' Compensation Can Better Manage the Rising Tide of PTSD Presumption Claims "A thoughtful, collaborative approach is key to achieving better outcomes." Workers' comp medical costs held steady in Q1 "NCCI experts said they expect workers' comp prices to start closing the gap as the year progresses." Ketamine Therapy for PTSD and Depression: Legal Standards and Coverage ... "there has been a growing trend within the medical community toward the off-label use of ketamine"

NA Aging workforce, NA provider liability increasing expense, NA Comp must change, NA topical pain relief, CA 10.4% rate increase proposal.  Workers' comp best practices evolve for growth of 60+ workforce "The one group that increased in claim volume as a percentage was that 60-plus age category," AMA Research on Claims Shows 'Broken' Medical Liability System "liability insurance premiums have created a long period of heavy financial burden on doctors and escalating expenses in healthcare.: Viewpoint: Decades-Old Approach to Workers Comp Claims Must Change - Insurance Journal "workers’ compensation claims have always been defined by variability. No two injuries are identical, no two workers bring the same medical history," Goldstein: Costly 3% Diclofenac Raises Questions About Who Benefits - WorkCompCentral "A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory" for topical pain relief Workers' Comp Bureau of California Submits Pure Premium Filing of 10.4%...

NY Recordings illuminate crash circumstances, MA worker faces charges, AI in claims adjusting, MN the hybrid work injury, NA Medical inflation steady Air Traffic Control Yelled for Truck to Stop Before Fatal LaGuardia Crash "shortly after allowing the column of vehicles to proceed, air traffic controllers tried to stop them." Massachusetts woman accused of falsely claiming $23,000 "Mackenzie Coonan, 25, of Rutland, Mass., has been charged with first-degree larceny, fraudulent claim or receipt of benefits, and perjury," The Enterprise Playbook for Human-Powered Claims " it reveals why the insurance industry lags in AI adoption and how forward-thinking carriers can gain a competitive advantage" Workers' Compensation Medical Inflation Holds Steady in Q1 2026 as Broader Price Pressures Build "NCCI says the trend is unlikely to last."

FL Payroll challenges, NA ork Comp renewals buck trend, NA Surviving severe injuries increases, IN Conference scheduled, NA Engaging the injured worker Inspector general finds $73K in overpayments to some Jacksonville Housing Authority employees "may have received full salaries and benefits while also collecting workers’ compensation payments." Renewal rates for most lines decrease: Ivans - Business Insurance "Renewal rates for major commercial lines of business except workers compensation decreased quarter-over-quarter, according to a report Thursday from Ivans." Severe injuries reshape workers comp claims - Business Insurance "What was once a relatively rare component of catastrophic claims is becoming more common as advances in medicine result in more workers surviving severe injuries" Indiana Workers' Compensation Conference to Feature the Latest Updates "the average cost of a work-related injury is roughly $40,000," Educate and Engage yo...

CT Clarity in exposure claims, NY finds millions in fraud, NA Drug costs out of control; NY System shifting, MN Work from home Court affirms Employer workers' comp lien on full asbestos tort settlement "The decision clarifies a key question for subrogation in mixed-exposure cases" State report finds $1.9M in workers' comp fraud, arrests surge in 2025 | Fingerlakes1.com "New York investigators uncovered more than $1.9 million in workers’ compensation fraud last year" A 16,000% Problem: Why Workers' Comp Can't Get Drug Costs Under Control "The problem lies in a structural gap that makes workers’ comp uniquely vulnerable to pricing abuse." Inside The Long Retreat of Workers' Compensation in New York "160,000 injured New Yorkers seek workers’ compensation each year — but in recent years, regulators have tilted the scales towards employers and insurers." Injury from 'return-to-office' mandate qualifies for workers' comp...