Join Us in Dallas for the 2026 Texas Nonsubscriber Forum

Join Us in Dallas for the 2026 Texas Nonsubscriber Forum

Mark your calendar and make plans to join fellow nonsubscriber employers and industry professionals for the 2026 Texas Nonsubscriber Forum, hosted by the Texas Alliance of Nonsubscribers (TAN) on Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the downtown Dallas Public Library.

This year’s forum will feature a robust program of timely discussions, expert perspectives and practical strategies to help employers navigate the evolving challenges of managing occupational injury programs. From emerging trends and legal developments to innovative approaches and proven best practices, the forum is designed to provide information that nonsubscriber employers can put to work in their own programs.

Topics on this year’s agenda include:

  • Technology and AI in Action: Enhancing Nonsubscriber Programs
  • Workplace Safety & OSHA: Staying Ahead of Compliance Risks
  • The Economy Ahead: Trends, Challenges & What to Watch
  • The Legal Landscape: Key Cases & Developments for Nonsubscribers
  • Building a Credible File: Documentation That Holds Up
  • Better Care, Better Outcomes: Medical Management in Nonsubscriber Programs
  • From Election Day to Opening Day: What’s Ahead for Texas in 2027

Beyond the presentations, attendees will have the opportunity to exchange ideas, share experiences, and network with nonsubscriber employers, attorneys and other industry professionals from across Texas.

Attendance is free for TAN members and invited guests, and lunch will be provided. Seating is limited, so we encourage you to register now to reserve your place.

Click here to register.

Treatment in TDI Network Receives Higher Marks Than Nonnetwork Care

Injured employees treated within a Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) certified workers’ compensation healthcare network generally received faster care, reported greater satisfaction, returned to work sooner, and incurred lower medical costs than those treated outside networks, according to a new report.

The biennial workers’ compensation report card was prepared by the Workers’ Compensation Research Group, within TDI’s Division of Workers’ Compensation.

According to the report, network claims had lower overall costs across claim and healthcare service categories after six months than nonnetwork claims. Network claim costs averaged $2,941, compared to $3,297 for nonnetwork.

Nonnetwork claims for lost time averaged $8,901, compared to $7,409 for claims involving a network provider.

Some 63% of workers treated within networks reported satisfaction with their care, compared to 59% of workers treated outside a network.

Among injured employees who used network health care services, 65% said they had no difficulty finding a treating doctor they liked, seeing a specialist, obtaining needed tests or treatments, or securing timely approval for care. By comparison, 56% of employees using nonnetwork services said they had no difficulty getting the care they needed.

Injured employees treated outside networks reported missing an average of 14 weeks of work because of a job-related injury or illness, compared with eight weeks for employees treated within networks.

The report is available here.

WC Insurers Post Strong Results in 2025

Workers’ compensation insurers posted another strong year of underwriting profits in 2025, helped by continued loss-reserve releases and improved workplace safety, according to a new AM Best report.

AM Best’s market segment report, “Favorable Loss Development Drives Workers’ Compensation Profits,” says price cuts appear to be accelerating as insurers compete to retain profitable accounts. But the report warns the U.S. workers’ compensation market may be approaching an inflection point as combined ratios rise, reserve redundancy narrows, and premiums trend lower.

According to the report, workers’ compensation insurers recorded a combined ratio of 93.2 in 2025, outperforming every major long-tailed casualty line and the commercial lines segment overall. Only private passenger auto and homeowners’ multiperil posted better results among major property-casualty lines.

Favorable loss development from older accident years drove the segment’s underwriting profit and exceeded the favorable development reported by any other individual property-casualty line.

Other report highlights include:

  • Second-quarter 2026 results indicate profits are narrowing. The midyear direct incurred loss ratio reached a five-year high, signaling that bottom-line results could continue to weaken.
  • The Hartford Group overtook Travelers Group as the largest workers’ compensation writer in 2025 after Travelers reduced its book by 3.7%. Competition in the market remained intense throughout the year.
  • California remained the nation’s largest workers’ compensation market, accounting for more than 20% of premiums — more than the next three states combined.

The full market segment report is available here.

Report Highlights Practices of High-Performing WC Claims Organizations

Top-performing claims organizations in workers’ compensation stand out because they execute their priorities more effectively, according to the 13th annual Workers’ Compensation Benchmarking Study Report from Rising Medical Solutions.

The 2025 report draws on a nationwide survey of claims leaders conducted in late 2025 to examine why organizations pursuing similar priorities achieve different outcomes. Comparing higher performers with claim closure ratios of 101% or more with lower performers at 100% or below, the study found that execution accounts for the largest performance differences.

The report identifies the following four patterns that show how higher-performing claims organizations turn strategy and priorities into daily practice:

  • They choose better. Higher performers use frontline insight and operational data to identify opportunities, set investment priorities, and select high-value initiatives.
  • They reduce friction. Higher performers are more successful at identifying operational pain points and designing solutions that cut administrative work, simplify workflows and strengthen day-to-day claims handling, leading to greater staff efficiency.
  • They drive adoption. Higher performers involve frontline employees throughout implementation, using pilot programs and feedback loops to test and refine solutions before expanding them organization-wide. Their leaders also are more likely to model behaviors that encourage innovation and change.
  • They build strength. Higher performers invest more in employee development, knowledge transfer, leadership readiness, and organizational capabilities that support continued improvement and future results.

Information for downloading the report is available here.

OSHA Releases Opioid Overdose Response Fact Sheet

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released a fact sheet aimed at helping employers and workers respond quickly to opioid overdoses in the workplace.

The agency said opioid emergencies can occur anywhere, including on the job, and preparation can save lives. The new guidance explains how workplaces can recognize an overdose and respond immediately. It recommends several workplace preparedness measures, including the following:

  • Keep FDA-approved overdose-reversal medications, such as naloxone or nalmefene, readily available. The medications can quickly restore normal breathing and generally have no effect when opioids are not present.
  • Store overdose kits in visible, accessible locations alongside automated external defibrillators and standard first-aid supplies.
  • Train workers to recognize overdose symptoms, including slow or stopped breathing, blue lips or skin, pinpoint pupils and unresponsiveness.
  • Prepare workers to administer the medication, position the person safely, and provide supportive care until first responders arrive.

OSHA stressed that overdose-reversal medications do not replace emergency care. Responders should call 911 immediately because the drugs’ effects are temporary and professional medical treatment remains necessary.

The fact sheet is available here.

Study Shows Trend of Mental Health Claims in WC

Mental health claims as a share of paid workers’ compensation claims climbed 47% from 2015 to 2024, but remain rare, according to a report in Business Insurance summarizing a new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI).

The study found that mental health claims increased from 0.23 to 0.34 per 100 paid claims during the period studied, according to Business Insurance.

WCRI said the study analyzed claims in 31 states for injuries from October 2014 through September 2024. It included cases in which a mental health condition was the primary occupational injury, but excluded cases in which mental health problems followed a physical injury.

Business Insurance said the study found about 40% of paid mental health claims involved more than seven days of lost time. For those claims, average indemnity payments at 24 months totaled $21,206, compared with $16,013 for workers’ compensation claims with similar lost time. Average medical payments were lower, at $13,316 versus $16,814.

The cost comparisons did not account for differences in wages, injury severity or other claim characteristics.

Common diagnoses included PTSD, adjustment disorders, other stress reactions and anxiety. Treatment included psychological evaluations, psychotherapy, prescription drugs and general medical care.

Researchers warned that the rise in claims does not necessarily reflect an increase in underlying mental health injuries. Changes in reporting, awareness, coverage rules and the mix of claims could also be factors.

Information for downloading or purchasing the study is available here.

Workers Say More Visibility in Workplace Is Rewarded

Seven in 10 U.S. workers believe employees with greater visibility receive more recognition than colleagues who quietly deliver strong results, according to a new survey from MyPerfectResume.

More than half of respondents said they have used tactics to look busy or productive, and one in five reported spending at least a quarter of the workday managing appearances instead of doing meaningful work.

More than eight in 10 (84%) said they respond to messages immediately, mainly to signal attentiveness, and 82% have worried that appearing “too idle” could hurt their job security or career growth.

The survey found that 25% of respondents strongly believe highly visible employees are rewarded more than those who quietly produce strong results. An additional 45% said they somewhat agree.

Overall, 56% of workers said they have used at least one tactic to appear busy or productive. Delaying simple tasks was the most common, cited by 25%. Another 17% reported using messages, online activity, busy work or meetings to create signs of productivity.

More than three-quarters of respondents reported feeling at least some pressure to appear productive or constantly available. The responses were:

  • 12% said they constantly feel pressure.
  • 18% said they often feel pressure.
  • 26% said they sometimes feel pressure.
  • 21% said they rarely feel pressure.
  • 23% said they never feel pressure.

Employers Expanding Leave Benefits

Employers are expanding leave benefits as workers face increasingly complex and competing demands, according to a new NFP survey. The report found that 76% of employers offer some form of caregiving leave, up from 71% last year.

However, only 26% of employers said they were very confident they could administer leave accurately and in compliance with regulations. The survey also found a gap between employers’ views of their leave programs and how they believe workers see them. While 63% of employers described their benefits as generous, only 48% said their employees would agree.

Menopause remains one of the most overlooked workforce issues, the report said. Fifty-four percent of employers were unaware of emerging menopause-related legislation, even as more states adopt requirements involving workplace accommodations, insurance coverage, antidiscrimination protections and employee education.

Few organizations currently offer menopause accommodation, but 34% said they would consider providing support within the next five years, up from 25% last year. Employers are also broadening their definition of family support. Among those offering bereavement leave, 35% now cover miscarriage or a failed IVF procedure, up from 28% when NFP first tracked the benefit in 2023.

As leave programs grow more sophisticated, administration remains a significant challenge. Among employers that manage leave internally without dedicated software, 46% spend three to five hours processing each request, up from 37% last year. The increase points to a growing operational burden as programs become more complex.

The findings also show rising interest in technology and centralized support. Thirty-two percent of employers offer employee support hubs that connect leave management with broader well-being resources. Another 50% said they are considering such hubs or would be open to adopting them.

The survey is available for download here.

State News

Business Insurance
California Proposes Penalties, Tighter Rules for Medical Provider Networks
California workers compensation medical provider networks could face new penalties for treatment delays and disclosure failures under proposed rules that would also tighten physician participation requirements. Click here for full article.

Delaware.Gov
Navarro Announces a Decade of Consecutive Workers’ Comp Rate Decreases
Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro announced today that workers’ compensation insurance rates will decrease for the tenth year in a row, effective December 1. Click here for full article.

Business Insurance
Idaho High Court Revives Injured Worker’s Lawsuit Against Contractor
An Idaho construction worker’s negligence lawsuit against a roofing contractor was improperly dismissed under the exclusive remedy provision of the state’s workers compensation law, the Idaho Supreme Court ruled Thursday. Click here for full article.

Business Insurance
Worker’s Mental-health Impairment Must Count in Comp Award
An Iowa drywall worker who was denied additional workers compensation benefits despite suffering permanent physical and mental impairments is entitled to a reassessment of his disability, an Iowa appeals court ruled Wednesday. Click here for full article.

WILX
Union Representing State Workers Says MIOSHA Cites MDOT in Fatal Work Zone Crash
A union representing state workers has claimed safety investigators have cited the Michigan Department of Transportation following a fatal work zone crash earlier this year. Click here for full article.

Washington State Standard
Nuclear Waste Made Workers Sick. Despite a Law Meant to Help, the DOE Keeps Fighting their Claims.
Lonnie Rouse shuffled into a wood-paneled conference room at the Washington state Capitol in March 2018. It had been nearly a decade since medical experts diagnosed him with a neurological disease they attributed to his exposure to chemicals at work. Click here for full article.

General News

Financial Review
NSW Extends Workers’ Comp Review as Premiums Crush Builders
The Minns government has extended part of its review of NSW’s workers compensation scheme after being hit with a deluge of submissions from the construction industry and other sectors with the most at stake. Click here for full article.

Business Insurance
Opioid Prescriptions Plunge, but Questions Remain Over Alternative Pain Treatments
The workers compensation sector’s decade-long push to reduce opioid prescribing has sharply curtailed use of the drugs. The harder task, though, is determining whether changes in pain treatment are helping injured workers recover and return to work while avoiding new risks and costs. Click here for full article.

Business Insurance
Two Charged in Alleged $19 Million Federal Comp Fraud Scheme
A Texas physician and a retired postal employee have been charged with conspiring to defraud the federal workers compensation program through approximately $19 million in medical claims, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday. Click here for full article.

EIN News
Workers’ Compensation Attorney Who Opened His Firm in 1995 Unveils Work Injury Notice Standard
Stewart Law Offices today unveiled the Work Injury Notice Standard, the order of steps the firm walks injured employees through in the first days after an on-the-job accident. Click here for full article.

WorkersCompensation.com
Dressed for Danger: What Halloween Costumes Do to Movement, Vision, and Workplace Safety
A Halloween costume can change the physical conditions under which someone performs a familiar job. A mask narrows the available visual field. Different shoes change the relationship between the feet and the floor. Click here for full article.