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Ohio proposes 12% comp premium rate reduction

Posted On: Jan. 25, 2018 1:23 PM CST

Ohio proposes 12% comp premium rate reduction

The Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation asked its board of directors Thursday to reduce private employer premium rates by 12% beginning July 1, the bureau announced.

If approved, the reduction would save private employers $163.5 million over this year’s premiums, which are already at their lowest rates in at least 40 years, according to a press release.

“Ohio is in an outstanding position as the cost of workers comp coverage continues to fall, thanks to fewer workplace injury claims and slow-to-moderate growth in medical inflation,” Sarah Morrison, bureau administrator and CEO, said in a press statement. “We know the less employers spend on premiums, the more they can invest in their communities and in safer work environments for their employees. And when that happens, we all benefit.”

The bureau experienced 86,290 allowed claims in 2017, a near 18% drop from 2011, the bureau reported. This is the lowest number of claims dating from at least 1997, when there were more than 277,000 claims, according to the press release.

Ms. Morrison attributed the declining numbers to several factors, including the bureau’s efforts to promote safe and healthy workplaces, increased safety funding and more employers putting safety education and resources to work. From 2010 to 2015, the bureau’s Division of Safety & Hygiene saw a 71% increase in the number of employers using its safety programs and services, according to the press release.