State of the States August 9, 2024

National - Travelers Cos released their Travelers Injury Impact Report. The report analyzed over 1.2 million workers’ compensation claims submitted from 2017 through 2021. According to the report, 35% of workplace injuries occurred during a worker’s first year on the job. To learn more, check out the report here.  

The National Health Interview Survey found that various psychosocial, and physical factors within the workforce cause lower back pain. The survey analyzed more than 17,000 adult workers and discovered lower back pain was higher in employees who worked jobs that had low control over their work, high job demand, job insecurity, work-life imbalance bullying, and nontraditional work shifts.  To learn more, check out this article from Safety and Health. 

According to a 2024 Healthesystems Survey, 45% of workers’ compensation stakeholders identify the growing complexity of claims as one of the industry’s most significant challenges. 

NCCI released the August 2024 Labor Market Insights Report. This report provides a monthly overview of market statistics and its impact on workers’ compensation. According to the report, changing economic conditions and the workforce remains the top two issues within the field.   

Arkansas – Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ office has fined four Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) a total of $1.47 million for underpaying drugstores. The PBMs involved are Caremark, Magellan, Express Scripts, and MedImpact, each receiving penalties of $5,000 for every payment made below NADAC pricing. According to the press release, Caremark is accused of around 217 violations, Magellan of 50, and Express Scripts of 19.

Massachusetts – Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey (D) has enacted H4746, a law ensuring that first responders who sustain serious job-related injuries, leaving them unable to work, will receive full compensation. According to the legislation, first responders include police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and public and municipal licensed healthcare workers. 

S2921 is currently in the Senate. S2921 focuses on expanding harm reduction programs to address the opioid crisis. Specifically, the bill encourages cities and towns to establish harm reduction measures such as drug screenings and needle exchange programs as well as expands overdose reversal drugs.   

New Hampshire - New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu (R) signed HB1278 this week. HB1278 expands medical marijuana access, enabling doctors to recommend cannabis for any condition they deem fit.  Before this bill, patients had to be diagnosed by a doctor with specific conditions to qualify for legal marijuana use. 

New York - Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) published a study exploring how frequently behavioral health support services are used within New York’s workers’ compensation system. 

Wisconsin - The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) and the Office of Insurance Commissioner stated starting October 1, businesses will pay an average of 10.5% less for workers’ compensation coverage. 

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