Areas of Challenge For Workers Compensation System = Future
A very great list of the Top 10 Upcoming Challenge For Workers Compensation was published recently by the Insurance Journal, Check it out here. The Top 10 list was (with a quick explanation).
BTW, I agree with them wholeheartedly:
- Wage and salary stagnation – need payroll growth for premium growth
- Technology and innovation – WC industry lags in this area
- Opioid abuse – hot button
- Marijuana in the workplace – another hot button and will get even hotter
- Manufacturing – new growth = new injuries
- Affordable Care Act – goes without saying
- Terrorism – long term concern
- Workplace Safety– increasing regulation = increasing safety
- Mobile Workplace – a curse and a blessing
- Worker Demographics – Younger workforce has a dwindling supply of workers
My Top 10 areas of challenge are:
- Harder market – without investment returns, WC cannot sustain lowering price pressures
- Captives/Alternative Insurance – every company wants out of the current WC system but is that decision going to pay off in the long-term?
- States that have legalized marijuana – now what does that do for the workplace?
- Employers need to monitor next year’s premium, see #1 in the first list and this article
- Affordable Care Act- the elephant in the room for any healthcare discussion
- 24 hour coverage – WC and health melding
- No young people in WC or Safety Industry
- Deflation of the dollar as a currency
- WC carrier mergers
- WC carrier failures
- Bonus – Spiraling medical costs to even become worse
2021 Update –
The market seems to be somewhat stable than when this article was written seven years ago. The carrier mergers still continue to this day. The challenge for Workers Comp now is to survive intact during the COVID-19 crisis.
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