Work comp – 2012 regulatory changes

Every year any number of states change their workers comp regulations, sometimes a lot, sometimes just a minor tweak. This year there’s some of both.
Illinois has to be on the top of anyone’s list – the changes passed last summer are going to be working their way thru the regulatory – and judicial – systems for some time to come (more on Illinois workers comp reforms here).
This year, the Workers’Compensation Research Institute and IAIABC have collaborated on the annual compendium of state workers comp regs. I asked IAIABC Executive Director Jennifer Wolf Horejsh about the major changes over 2011: she reported “a few states experienced significant reforms in 2011 (KS, IL, MT, MI) that impacted the laws as of 2012.”
Montana’s had high costs for some time, and there were some relatively minor changes in the Big Sky state. Costs appear to be the factor in changes this year; again, Wolf Horejsh
“I would surmise that the major driver of change was system cost of one kind or another. High premiums in Montana and Illinois had been a source of frustration for several years. Of course, medical cost containment is an area that is still discussed frequently among the workers’ compensation regulatory community. The issue of physician-dispensing…is on the radar in some states and I anticipate it will still be an area of continuing reform in the next few years.”
Several states did take action to limit costs on physician-dispensed drugs; Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi are all among those addressing the problem via regulation. (note the report doesn’t include details on reimbursement)