State of the States June 5, 2026

National – The Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) will host a webinar and release a Medical Price Index Report:
- On June 11 at 2:00 p.m. EST, WCRI will discuss its latest research on fee schedules and medical pricing. The webinar will highlight findings from the following reports: Designing Workers’ Compensation Medical Fee Schedules, 2025 Edition; WCRI Medical Price Index for Workers’ Compensation, 2026 Edition; and Hospital Outpatient Payment Index: Interstate Variations and Policy Analysis, 2026 Edition. Registration is required. Please click here to register.
Related coverage: A Risk & Insurance article highlights key findings, noting large interstate price variation and emphasizing that fee schedules play a major role in controlling costs.
The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) released two reports on workplace violence:
- Workplace Assaults (Part 1: Trends, Drivers, and Demographics): Found that nonfatal workplace assaults have increased steadily, rising at an average annual rate of 5.3% from 2011 through 2021–2022 and growing as a share of serious workplace injuries. Assaults are highly concentrated in health care and social assistance and are often driven by interactions with patients or individuals under a worker’s care. Most incidents involve physical acts such as hitting or kicking, and women, who make up a large share of these frontline roles which account for about two-thirds of victims.
- Workplace Homicides (Trends, Drivers, and Demographics): Found that workplace homicides remained relatively stable, totaling about 400–500 cases annually (350–400 in private industry) from 2011–2024 and accounting for roughly 8.5%–9.5% of all workplace fatalities. Incidents were most common in public facing occupations such as transportation, sales, food service, and protective services.
Colorado – HB 1272 was sent to the Governor. As a reminder, HB 1272 would require the Department of Labor and Employment to collect data and develop model guidance for preventing heat-related injuries and illnesses. The bill was assigned to the House Health and Human Service Committee.
Connecticut – HB 5385 was enacted by Governor Ned Lamont late last week. If enacted, the bill would establish an eight-member task force to examine the causes of undue delays in workers’ compensation claims filed by police officers and firefighters, including administrative hurdles, shortages of medical providers, and insurer authorization requirements. The task force would be required to report its findings and recommendations to the legislature by January 1, 2027.
Ohio – The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation will hold its annual Medical & Health Symposium from September 16–18, 2026. The virtual event will bring together medical and legal professionals for sessions on occupational health and workers’ compensation, including expert-led presentations, continuing education opportunities, and networking. The event is free to attend, although registration is required.
Vermont – Vermont Governor signed S 173 into law this week. As a reminder, S 173 will allow injured workers to request vocational rehabilitation services if their employers do not provide them within 90 days of the worker being out of work. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2026. effect on July 1, 2026.
Stay connected to all relevant information in workers' compensation and pharmacy by subscribing to our weekly newsletter. For the previous wrap-up, please click here.
Other Posts You Might Be Interested In
Subscribe to email updates
Stay up-to-date on what's happening at this blog and get additional content about the benefits of subscribing.


