Register Now for TAN’s Texas Nonsubscriber Forum

Register Now for TAN's Texas Nonsubscriber Forum

The Texas Alliance of Nonsubscribers will host its annual meeting, the Texas Nonsubscriber Forum, on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Dallas Public Library, 1515 Young Street.

This year’s agenda will feature timely discussions on:

  • Key issues and emerging trends affecting nonsubscriber strategies.
  • Recent legal developments and court rulings.
  • OSHA compliance updates and common employer pitfalls.
  • A preview of the 2026 Texas elections and their impact.
  • The current and future economic outlook.
  • Top business priorities from the 2025 legislative session.
  • … And more.

In addition to expert insights, the meeting will offer valuable networking opportunities with industry peers. Lunch will be provided.

Attendance is free for TAN members and officially invited guests. You may register to attend by clicking here.

DOL Releases Regulatory Agenda

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has released its semiannual regulatory agenda, signaling its intent to focus on new regulations for joint employer determinations, independent contractor classification, minimum wage and overtime exemptions, and pharmacy costs, among others.

The Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions includes nearly 150 proposals under DOL jurisdiction. Some of the major proposals include the following:

  • Improving Transparency Into Pharmacy Benefit Manager Fee Disclosure: The department will look at ways to improve transparency around the direct and indirect compensation PBMs receive from employer-sponsored health plans.
  • Transparency in Coverage: The department will examine ways it can improve market transparency in pricing and cost-sharing information for consumers.
  • Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Retirement Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights: The department will consider the extent to which fiduciaries may prioritize environmental, social and governance factors in investment decisions.
  • Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings: The department is continuing to examine how to establish standards specifically related to heat-related injury and illness prevention.
  • Joint Employer Status under the Fair Labor Standards Act: The department will look at the circumstances under which a business can be held liable as a joint employer. DOL says it will issue a new proposed rule in December that would guide enforcement.
  • Employee or Independent Contractor Classification Under the FLSA: The department will examine the circumstances under which a worker should be classified as an employee or independent contractor for the purpose of federal wage and hour requirements.

The full list of proposals is available here.

Report Reveals Employee Knowledge of How Workers' Compensation Works

Nearly one in two American workers (49%) believe that filing a workers’ compensation claim could put their job at risk, according to a recent survey.

The survey from Atticus reveals a lack of knowledge in all age demographics about how workers’ compensation works. For example, just 29% of respondents correctly answered that it is an employer’s insurance carrier, not the employer, who pays once a workers’ compensation claim is approved.

Additionally, 79% believe that the workers’ compensation system would force an employer to fix an unsafe working condition if it led to an injury.  

According to the survey, 12% of respondents have applied for workers’ compensation. Their claim outcomes were as follows: approval (72%), denial (11%), awaiting a decision (10%), withdrawal (3%), and unsure (3%).

On average, it took five weeks for applicants to receive their first workers’ comp payment after submitting the paperwork. Nearly one in 10 workers (9%) waited eight weeks or more to receive their first workers’ comp payment.

When asked if workers’ comp covered their basic needs, just 31% said it did fully, while 51% said it helped somewhat. Another 17% reported struggling significantly to meet essentials like rent, food and bills while on workers’ comp.

Some 54% of workers describe their experience with the workers’ compensation system as positive, while 27% say their experience was negative. About two in three workers (66%) say they were satisfied with the quality of medical care they received through workers’ compensation.

More than three in five workers (62%) say their employer was supportive during the workers’ comp claim process.

More information about the survey is available here.

Two Reports Indicate Employer Health Care Costs to Increase Nearly 10% in 2026

Total health benefit costs per employee in 2026 are expected to increase at their highest level in 15 years, according to a pair of separate reports.

Aon projects U.S. employer health care costs will increase 9.5% in 2026, to more than $17,000 per employee. A separate survey from Mercer projects a 6.5% increase — if employers take steps to mitigate costs. Without mitigating action, Mercer projects a 9% increase.

Aon attributes the increased cost to a continued rise in chronic conditions, such as musculoskeletal and cardiovascular disease, alongside an increase in high-cost conditions such as cancer. It notes prescription drug spending is also rising, driven by greater use of costly brand name and specialty medications. Notably, demand for GLP-1 therapies has surged as uptake accelerates for treatment of diabetes, obesity and other chronic conditions.

Mercer’s projections are based on results from more than 1,700 U.S. employers that responded to its 2025 National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans by Aug. 12.

Survey results indicate that while the majority of employers will make changes to reduce cost increases in 2026, many are pursuing longer-term — even disruptive — strategies to slow cost growth.

The survey found that 59% of employers will make cost-cutting changes to their plans in 2026, up from 48% in 2025 and 44% in 2024. Generally, these changes involve raising deductibles and other cost-sharing provisions, which can lead to higher out-of-pocket costs for plan members.

However, many employers will also pursue strategies to slow cost growth without shifting cost to employees. When employers were asked to identify top priorities for managing health programs over the next few years, the two most common were cost management strategies: “Greater focus on managing high-cost claims,” followed by “Measuring the performance of health programs to ensure they provide value.”

The third-highest priority that employers identified is a benefit enhancement, “Making behavioral healthcare more accessible,” with about two-thirds of large employers (those with 500 or more employees) planning to prioritize this strategy.

More information about the Aon report is available here.

More information about the Mercer survey is available here.

Total Employee Costs Reported by State

Private industry employers in Texas and three nearby states — Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma — reported average compensation costs of $39.85 per hour in June 2025, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

This figure is below the national average of $45.65 per hour, and regionally, only one area of the country, comprising Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee, reported lower costs, at $33.45 per hour. At the other end of the spectrum, employers in the New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania region faced the highest costs, at $56.72 per hour.

Nationwide, wages and salaries accounted for 70.2% of total compensation ($32.07), with benefits making up the remaining 29.8% ($13.58). In the Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma region, the breakdown was similar: $28.65 in wages and salaries (71.9%) and $11.20 in benefits (28.1%).

The report is available here.

Survey Examines Distracted Driving by Commercial Drivers

Some 21% of commercial drivers say they frequently are distracted when driving on the job, according to a recent survey.

Additionally, 53% of respondents say they regularly take work phone calls, and roughly a quarter are reading/responding to work text messages (28%) or emails (24%) while driving.

According to the survey from insurer Nationwide, common driver distractions include adjusting GPS systems, using cell phones (calls, texts and social media), eating or drinking, and fiddling with the radio or music. 

Staffing shortages may also fuel riskier behavior. Four in 10 drivers (44%) say their employer is struggling to hire or retain qualified drivers, compared to 39% the year previous. Some 41% of drivers in the current survey believe staffing shortages have negatively impacted their own driving, a 20-point increase from 2024.

When asked how that increases pressure on commercial drivers, the following were the most often mentioned:

  • Increased workloads (72%)
  • Longer driving hours (71%)
  • Difficulty meeting deadlines (57%)
  • Decreased training quality (54%)
  • Reduced focus on safety (49%)

The survey also noted positives in commercial driving behavior. Dash cam usage among company drivers jumped 29 points year-over-year. Dash cams are now installed in 84% of work vehicles.

More companies are also enforcing hands-free device policies (44%) and using continuous motor vehicle record monitoring (71%) to proactively address risk.

More information about the survey is available here.

Job Hugging Replaces Job Hopping

The tightening labor market has resulted in workers deciding their current job is not so bad. Job hopping has been replaced by job hugging.

A recent report from the Bank of America Institute says job hopping has slowed, and the pay raise associated with a job change has fallen below the 2019 level. Job hoppers received a 7% average pay increase in July, the most recent month for which data are available. That is more than 3 percentage points below the 2019 average level.

According to Bank of America data, the number of job hoppers who are paid on a monthly frequency has been cooling, down 0.09% in July from last year. The report says industries such as finance and information have a greater share of workers with this frequency of pay period, suggesting that job changes in these industries are decreasing.

According to BofA Global Research, job prospects are likely to remain tough for younger workers as global trade tensions heighten economic uncertainty and some sectors swiftly embrace AI, potentially crowding out entry-level positions.

The most recent Job Retention Index from Eagle Hill appears to confirm the findings. The Retention Index shows a decline in employees’ perceptions of the external job market and that most employees plan to stay at their current job for at least six months. Eagle Hill attributes the job hugging sentiment to a growing pessimism employees hold about employment opportunities outside of their current organizations.

The Bank of America Institute report is available here.

The Eagle Hill Retention Index is available here.

Workplace Violence Still Top Concern of Employees

Some 30% of workers surveyed said they have witnessed workplace violence happen to another employee (up from 25% in 2024), and 15% said that they had been the target of workplace violence themselves (up from 12% in 2024), according to a new survey.

On a positive note, the survey found workplace violence training is on the rise, with 75% of employees reporting they’ve received training, compared to 70% in 2024.

The survey from Traliant also found 13% of employees feel unsafe at work. The top contributing factors were:

  • Lack of procedures and training (41%)
  • Toxic workplace culture (41%)
  • Physical job safety hazards (41%)
  • Concerns of violence (32%) and retaliation (33%)

When asked what employers could do to make workers feel safest in the workplace, employees commonly mentioned the following:

  • 50% cited physical security measures.
  • Some 49% said access to emergency action plans and procedures.
  • 49% cited a “speak‑up” culture where reporting is encouraged.
  • 42% mentioned safety technology.
  • 42% cited in‑person drills.
  • Some 37% said online training.

The survey is available for download here.

State News

WorkersCompensation.com
Alaska Top Court Upholds Waiver Rule on Cross Examination of Medical Reports Request
The Alaska Supreme Court held that the failure timely request cross examination of doctors who filed medical reports in a workers’ compensation case resulted in an employer’s waiving its opportunity to cross examine. Click here for full article.

Safety + Health
Annual Report Shows Occupational Diseases Topped 31,000 in Connecticut
An estimated 31,016 cases of work-related disease in Connecticut occurred in 2023, according to an annual report from the state’s Workers’ Compensation Commission. Click here for full article.

Business Insurance
Mother Can Pursue Civil Suit for Fatal Shooting of Son: Georgia Appeals Court
The Georgia Court of Appeals revived a mother’s civil suit for the fatal shooting of her son, who was pursuing a job as a security guard at an apartment complex. Click here for full article.

KRWG
New Workplace Information Poster Required by Year’s End
New Mexico Workers Compensation Administration Director Heather Jordan talks about the new required poster and concerns the WCA has regarding workplace safety. Click here for full article.

Insurance Journal
NC Postal Worker Pleads to Lying About Work While Gaining $500K in Benefits
A 74-year-old former postal worker in North Carolina is facing up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to falsifying information about her post-injury employment and costing the federal workers’ compensation program as much as $500,000 in indemnity and medical benefit payments. Click here for full article.

General News

Yahoo! Autos
Tesla Sued for $51 Million After Worker Knocked Unconscious by Factory Robot
Tesla once again finds itself at the center of controversy. A robotics engineer is suing Elon Musk’s company after being hit by a robot and suffering severe injuries. Click here for full article. 

Florida Phoenix
Workers Comp Rates in Florida Expected to Decrease in 2026
Workers’ compensation insurance rates in Florida should decrease by an average 6.9% in 2026 under a proposal by the National Council on Compensation Insurance. Click here for full article.

Legal Talk Network
A Teacher Injured in a School Shooting: When Is the School Responsible?
Workers’ Compensation has traditionally been a bargain, a “deal” workers and employers agree to. Workers injured on the job are compensated quickly and in exchange they don’t sue their employers. Click here for full article.

Occupational Health & Safety
BLS Data Highlights Leading Workplace Injury and Fatality Trends
A deep dive into Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data on workplace injuries and fatalities underscored some of the most pressing risks facing employees in 2023. Click here for full article.

AMA
AMA Guides® to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment: an overview
For over 50 years, the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment have been the trusted source that physicians, patients, insurers and regulators rely on for fair, equitable and consistent impairment rating guidance. Click here for full article.

Reuters
How AI Is Impacting Workers’ Compensation Claims
With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, we are seeing implementation of its use across various industries. The legal field is no different. In the workers’ compensation arena, which deals with complicated legal and medical issues, AI has been helpful in streamlining the claim process. Click here for full article.

Safety + Health
Study Links Good Workplace Relationships to Fewer Injuries and Illnesses
Workers who have stronger connections with co-workers and management are less likely to be injured or have health-related issues, according to the results of a recent study out of Japan. Click here for full article.

WorkCompCentral
Zachry: Injured Workers Aren’t Always Lying
As a claims examiner, when I was taking statements from injured workers, I used to believe that when they didn’t disclose previous accidents or surgeries, they were intentionally withholding information. Click here for full article.

WorkersCompensation.com
Was Painter who Flipped Car Leaving BP Plant Entitled to Workers’ Comp?
An employee is generally covered by workers’ compensation if he’s injured while on his employer’s premises. But what if he’s injured on the road after his workday ends? Click here for full article.