Workers’-compensation developments in Regulation, tracked across U.S. jurisdictions — each story grounded in the primary record with original analysis of what it means for the market.
In J-H Alliance Inc. v. IWCC, the First District affirmed that a COVID-19 furlough did not sever a claimant's second job, so both employers' wages counted toward her benefit rate — pushing combined average weekly wage to $757.67.
The Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission's official rate schedule fixes a $1,507.01 maximum and $376.75 minimum weekly benefit for injuries on or after July 1, 2026, with a 2.65% COLA effective October 1, 2026.
The NYS Workers' Compensation Board set the maximum at $1,281.50 and the minimum at $384.45 for dates of injury from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, tracking a higher state average weekly wage.
The April 13, 2026 release makes two narrow changes — an updated CDC life-expectancy table link and added ZIP codes for major medical centers — but the life-table refresh resets the actuarial input behind every federal Medicare Set-Aside projection.
Acting Administrative Director Nicole Richardson's order updates the workers' comp formulary's drug guidance to track the latest ACOEM Traumatic Brain Injury Guideline.
The Department of Financial Services alleges Jacques G. Denomme routed payroll through two money-service businesses over two years to understate exposure; he is charged, not convicted, and the case heads to the Martin County State Attorney.
DWC's approved UR regulations codify the SB 1160 first-30-days and AB 1124 formulary exemptions, tighten plan accreditation and oversight, and rewrite investigation rules for claims administrators.
The Department of Labor & Industry's annual Pennsylvania Bulletin notice fixes the year-of-injury benefit ceiling and the percentage used to update medical reimbursements, both effective January 1, 2026.
The Division of Workers' Compensation's automatic annual update lifts the office and facility conversion factors from their 2025 levels, raising the reimbursement baseline for physician services across the Texas comp system.
The state-fund agency will draw on its contingency reserve to hold the hike below projected 2026 claim costs, with the new hourly rates taking effect January 1.
DCBS set the advisory pure premium at an average 87 cents per $100 of payroll and trimmed the Workers' Benefit Fund assessment to 1.8 cents per hour, both effective January 1.
DLI set the statewide average weekly wage at $1,423 effective Oct. 1, 2025, pushing the maximum weekly benefit to $1,536.84 and the minimum to $307.37.
The N.C. Industrial Commission's maximum weekly compensation rate rises to $1,446.00 for injuries on or after January 1, 2026, up $66 from the 2025 ceiling of $1,380.00.
The Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation's 2025 rule amendments, effective July 1, replace the no-liability "throw-away sheet" with a signed Compensation Memorandum, let attorneys petition for fees on medical expenses, and extend a rehabilitation-supplier objection window to 20 days.
Enrolled HB 2797 lets certified mental health nurse practitioners and certified psychiatric physician assistants diagnose compensable PTSD for first responders, and removes the program's expiration date.