The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California will increase the fee for special inspections from $200 to $500 per location inspected.
Special Inspections, conducted at the request of an insurer, broker or agent of record to confirm classifications, are performed outside of the WCIRB’s routine inspection process. They are scheduled in response to a specific request to inspect policyholder locations. Special inspections don’t require that the policyholder be experience rated.
The new fee takes effect July 1.
The updated fee aligns with the cost to complete an inspection, will apply to each location inspected and will be charged to the requesting party, according to the WCIRB.
The average workers’ compensation rates for the Tennessee voluntary market should drop about 2% this year, marking the 13th straight year for lower rates in the state. It’s also the smallest decrease in years.
“Safer workplaces where Tennessee workers are receiving fewer injuries on the job are helping contribute to the latest loss-cost reduction,” Tennessee Insurance Commissioner Lawrence said in a bulletin. “These reductions indicate a healthier workplace for Tennesseans as they result from decreases in lost-time claim frequency and more stable claims costs.”
The commissioner approved a 2% loss-cost decrease recommended in September by the National Council on Compensation Insurance. Lawrence also signed off on a 1.1% average decrease in average assigned risk rates for the state, according to recent orders.
The reductions took effect March 1 and follow a 3.6% average loss cost decrease for 2025; a 9.4% decrease for 2024; a 10.2% decrease in 2023; and a 5.6% decrease in 2022.
Workers’ compensation rates have fallen steadily over the last two decades across the country, although many states saw relatively tiny decreases in 2025 and 2026. Research suggests safer workplaces and fewer litigated claims have contributed to fewer injuries and reduced costs for employers and insurers.
Tennessee recently ranked 39th among states in the average premiums, with rates well below the U.S. median, according to the 2024 Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, which studies comp rates. That was a drop from 35th place in 2022, making Tennessee one of the least-expensive states on comp costs