News for Workers' Compensation
Workers' Comp Rates will Increase 2.7% in 2014
Premiums for workers’ compensation insurance next year will increase for the first time in three years the Department of Labor and Industries announced this week. The average 2.7-percent rate increase for 2014 premiums is an increase of less than two cents per hour worked.
L&I confirmed the ...
Posted on: 12/02/2013
Proposed Workers' Comp Increases Vary by Work Classification
The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) proposed an average 2.7% rate increase for 2014 workers’ compensation premiums.
Rates are different for each individual risk classification. Within construction the changes range from a decrease of 12% for the bridge bulkhead and tunnel classifi...
Posted on: 09/24/2013
Workers' Comp Reform has Second Chance
The Senate began the 2013 session on a promising note quickly approving three bills that continue the workers compensation reform that began two years ago. Of the three bills Senate Bill 5127 passed with strong bipartisan support providing optimism that it would also make it out of the House.
Th...
Posted on: 05/13/2013
Senate Passes Workers' Comp Bills; More in the Works
A trio of workers comp reform bills backed by AGC were passed by the State Senate yesterday after scores of AGC members sent messages in support to legislators. Three others may be voted on soon so please contact your Senators about them by visiting this AGC Action Alert.
The bills that passed ...
Posted on: 02/05/2013
Act Now: Senate Voting on Workers' Comp Bills Early Next Week
The State Senate will be voting on a package of workers compensation reform bills strongly supported by AGC. Please take a moment to urge your Senator to vote YES on all of these bills:
SB 5127 - Allows any worker regardless of age (currently only those 55 and older may do so) to accept structu...
Posted on: 01/30/2013
Support Senate Bill 5112: Granting Scheduling Authority for Qualified Retro Plans
Please ACT NOW! The Washington State Senate is expected to vote on Senate Bill 5112 early next week. Please send your Senator a message urging him to support 5112.
Bottom line: SB 5112 is a common sense bill that allows experienced Retro claims managers to schedule Independent Medical Examinati...
Posted on: 01/30/2013
0% Overall Increase in Workers' Comp Premiums Final
Its official: L&I recently announced that there will be no overall increase in workers comp insurance premiums in 2013 thanks to safer jobsites and the reforms pushed by AGC last year.
Note that the average increase is zero but the proposed increases for individual construction classificati...
Posted on: 12/10/2012
Proposed 2013 Workers' Comp Rates Low
Thanks to safer jobsites and the workers comp reforms pushed by AGC L&I announced it is proposing no increase in the average rate for workers’ compensation insurance. If adopted this would be the second straight year with no increase in workers’ comp rates.
Note that the average increase is ...
Posted on: 09/18/2012
AGC Skeptical of 19 Percent Workers' Comp Hike
Last week the Department of Labor and Industries revealed to its Workers Comp Advisory Committee that the workers comp system faces a $3.1 billion gap in funding. Eliminating that gap would require a 19% annual surcharge over and above annual break-even premium increases over the next ten years....
Posted on: 06/26/2012
New Record for AGC Retro Three-Year Refunds
AGC Retro received the highest combined three-year Retro refunds ever of $34529551 - bringing the refunds to date at $148 million!
AGC Retro members joined together at recent events around the state to celebrate their shared success in decreasing injuries improving safety in construction and hel...
Posted on: 06/05/2012
Workers' Comp Improvements Passed by Legislature
This week the Legislature finally ended a months-long impasse and passed reforms of the workers’ compensation system. The Governor is expected to sign the bill into law.
“On balance we have a package of changes that while not perfect will help improve the workers’ comp system’s financial condit...
Posted on: 05/24/2011
Click to Avoid L&I Subcontractor Workers' Comp Assessments
By John Ahlers Ahlers & Cressman PLLC
The Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) imposes assessments against general contractors for unpaid industrial insurance premiums owed by their subcontractors under RCW 51.12.070. This concept is known as “prime contractor liability.” ...
Posted on: 04/26/2011
Call to Action: Tell Legislature to Vote on Workers' Comp Reform
Last week AGC members sent nearly 500 messages to legislative leaders urging them to bring ESB 5566 legislation that provides a flexible benefit option for workers to voluntarily settle workers’ comp claims up for a vote. But we need more messages! If you haven’t yet click Workers’ Comp Action...
Posted on: 04/13/2011
Voluntary Settlement Option for Workers' Comp Blocked by Rep. Sells
Last week it was good news bad news for workers’ comp reform particularly the effort to have Washington join 44 other states in allowing volunteer settlements as an alternative to lifetime pensions for certain injured workers.
The good news is that the Department of Labor and Industries released...
Posted on: 03/29/2011
Where are We on Workers' Comp Reform?
About half way through the 2011 State Legislative session the fate of workers’ comp reform remains unclear.
AGC and the broader business community continue to push for comprehensive reform that includes a tighter definition of occupational disease and allows voluntary settlements for claims. Me...
Posted on: 03/01/2011
Positive Workers' Comp and Unemployment Insurance News from Olympia (Really!)
by David DHondt AGC Executive Vice President
After years of urging state leaders to address the state’s burdensome workers’ comp and unemployment systems the construction industry received some welcome positive news from Olympia this week. On Tuesday the Governor announced policy changes that i...
Posted on: 01/07/2011
AGC Calls for Reform to Combat 20+ Percent Workers' Comp Increases
AGC members and staff strenuously protested the workers’ compensation premium increases of 23-41 percent for the construction industry in 2011 during a public comment period that ended today. In addition to making the case that dramatic increases will be one more drag on the industry that has yet...
Posted on: 01/04/2011
AGC Calls for Legislative Reform to Combat Workers' Comp Increases
AGC members and staff strenuously protested the workers’ compensation premium increases of 23-41 percent for the construction industry in 2011 during a public comment period that ended today. L&I recently announced an average increase for all businesses of 12 percent but the actual increase ...
Posted on: 01/04/2011
Proposed 16 Percent Workers' Comp Increase Highlights Need for Reform
AGC reasserted its call for reform of the state’s workers’ compensation insurance system in light of the huge premium increase announced by the Department of Labor and Industries.
“Economists are saying that 2011 could be the year that the state’s construction economy turns around” said AGC Exec...
Posted on: 11/16/2010
Miss the Workers' Comp Webinar? It's Now Online
On June 8 around 100 representatives of at least 50 AGC member firms participated in a webinar discussing the impact of proposed Initiative 1082 which seeks to allow private insurance carriers to offer workers’ compensation insurance to Washington’s employers. The presenters discussed the Initiat...
Posted on: 06/29/2010
Letter from the AGC President: Workers' Comp Initiative
By Tom Zamzow
As you know an initiative (I-1082) has been filed that would allow private carriers to sell workers’ comp insurance in Washington. This is a significant issue for the construction industry and it is also a complex one. Even though the initiative seems straightforward enough – all...
Posted on: 06/15/2010
Important Notice! Webinar to discuss Workers' Comp Initiative I-1082
This webinar will be your opportunity to hear more about Initiative 1082 which will be on the November ballot. I-1082 would allow private insurers to provide workers’ comp coverage in Washington State. The webinar produced exclusively for AGC by the Property Casualty Insurers Association of Ame...
Posted on: 06/04/2010
Recap of Workers' Comp Initiative Deliberations
AGC’s deliberations regarding I-1082 the workers’ comp privatization initiative have stalled a bit pending a webinar on the topic by private insurance groups. The webinar is an important element of the deliberations as it would shed more light on what a three-way (private carriers L&I and se...
Posted on: 05/25/2010
Meeting for Self-Insured Firms to Discuss Potential Workers' Comp Initiative
Self-insured AGC members are invited to meet Tuesday April 20 1-2:30 p.m. AGC offices in Seattle to discuss the potential impacts of the proposed “three way” workers’ comp insurance initiative. Led by Lori Daigle VP for Risk Management for Sellen Construction and Chair of the Business Regulation...
Posted on: 04/14/2010
Share Your Views on Possible Workers' Comp Initiative via New Blog
With a potential initiative that could open the state’s workers’ comp system to private carriers the time is right for an industry discussion on the merits and impact of a “three way” system (state private carriers self insurance). Please share your views and expertise with others particularly t...