Spotlight: California Workers’ Comp Costs Expected to Fall

Insurers’ costs for compensating California workers hurt on the job should fall 6.2% next year, state Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush said. Although insurers are free to set rates, Quackenbush’s announcement serves as a guideline that is expected to foreshadow lower workers’ comp premiums for state businesses. Quackenbush attributed the reduced costs to legislative reforms adopted in 1993, when premiums peaked at $9 billion, and a continuing crackdown on fraud and abuse.