Who Is The WCIRB ?
What do they regulate and who is the WCIRB ? I received this question on the WCIRB last night from a California employer that had grown large enough to receive an X-Mod. Congratulations on your company’s growth in a tough economy. Sometimes, it is best to get back to the basics when analyzing Workers Compensation.
The WCIRB is the acronym for the Workers Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California. The organization is very similar to NCCI. They are the data gatherer for info that feeds into each California employer’s Experience Modification Factor (XMod).
Some companies are too small to be rated in California. The minimum pure premium for an X-Mod is presently $25,225. The pure premium figure is not the premiums your company has paid.
The bureau holds conferences/workshops usually four or more times a year. I have found them to be very educational. The staff has always treated me very professionally and would help me as much as possible in any given situation.
One very important fact is the WCIRB only sets advisory rates. They are not directly responsible for how much you are charged in Workers Comp premiums. Your insurance carrier will usually deviate from their recommended rates by filing a Loss Cost Multiplier.
This is from the WCIRB’s About Us web page.
The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California (WCIRB) is a California unincorporated, private, nonprofit association comprised of all companies licensed to transact workers’ compensation insurance in California, and has over 400 member companies. No state money is used to fund its operations. The operations of the WCIRB are funded primarily by membership fees and assessments.
To accurately measure the cost of providing workers’ compensation benefits, the rating agency performs a number of functions, including collection of premium and loss data on every workers’ compensation insurance policy, examination of policy documents, inspections of insured businesses, and test audits of insurer payroll audits and claims classification.
The WCIRB employs approximately 200 people and maintains two offices. The home office is located in San Francisco, and a small Southern California field office is located in Cerritos.
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