NCCI’s
2021 Regulatory and Legislative Trends Report provides an overview of key legislative, regulatory, judicial, and other developments affecting the workers compensation system. This publication aligns with the legislative cycle to include the latest countrywide, regional, and individual state actions and trends as of July 31, 2021.
The hot topic for 2021 continued to be COVID-19. NCCI monitored COVID-19 workers compensation presumption and compensability-related legislation in 30 states plus the District of Columbia, as well as at the federal level. Many of these bills propose to establish presumptions that the contraction of or exposure to COVID-19 arises out of and in the course and scope of employment and is a compensable injury or disease.
This year, several states that enacted COVID-19 presumption legislation in 2020 took additional action to extend and/or expand those presumptions. Other states considered establishing new workers compensation presumptions for COVID-19 for certain workers.
In addition, several states proposed legislation this year to create workers compensation presumptions that could be applicable beyond the current COVID-19 pandemic. At least a dozen states considered legislation that would establish workers compensation presumptions for infectious diseases and pandemics.
While COVID-19 legislation was top of mind, the report covers legislative and other activity on additional hot topics including:
- Workers compensation for workplace-related mental injuries
- Legalization of marijuana and reimbursement for medical marijuana in workers compensation
- Single-payer health insurance systems
- The classification of certain workers as employees or independent contractors
The
2021 Regulatory and Legislative Trends Report includes important legislative, judicial, and other activity by regional zones including:
- Highlights from each zone
- Enacted workers compensation-related legislation
- Court cases impacting workers compensation
- New state administrators
- Average approved changes in loss costs and rates
The report also provides additional legislative and other resources available on
ncci.com.
NCCI monitors these activities and provides this report to keep you informed about emerging trends and hot issues affecting workers compensation.
Contact Laura Kersey, Division Executive—Regulatory & Legislative Analysis at
laura_kersey@ncci.com for questions about the
2021 Regulatory and Legislative Trends Report.
This article is provided solely as a reference tool to be used for informational purposes only. The information in this article shall not be construed or interpreted as providing legal or any other advice. Use of this article for any purpose other than as set forth herein is strictly prohibited.
