National: National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) released two new updates that highlight legal and labor market developments affecting workers’ compensation:
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Court Case Update: Looking Back at 2025: a report that reviews workers’ compensation court decisions from across the country. The report highlights key legal trends such as continued disputes over exclusive remedy protections, COVID19 compensability, first responder presumptions, and the evolving impact of marijuana legalization on the work comp system.
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March 2026 Labor Market Insights Report: these reports aim to provide a monthly overview of key labor market statistics and potential impact on workers’ compensation.
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According to the report, the job market took a noticeable step backward, with 92,000 fewer jobs overall and significant losses in the private sector. Wages are still growing, but the overall job picture looks shaky, and rising global tensions are adding even more uncertainty about where things may be headed.
Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) recently hosted its Annual Conference, held March 3–4, 2026, at the Westin Copley Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts. At the event, speakers highlighted one of the industry’s most urgent challenges: increasing difficulty accessing medical care for injured workers. They reported that provider shortages, specialty backlogs, and administrative obstacles are delaying treatment, complicating claims management, and impacting return‑to‑work timelines.
Utah – A bill that would create a Firefighter Cancer Benefit Trust Fund was sent to Governor Spencer Cox earlier this week. HB 416 aims to reduce workers’ compensation costs while providing earlier financial support to firefighters diagnosed with presumptive cancers. If passed, the fund would be overseen by an 11-member board that must consult with firefighters, fire departments, and workers’ compensation insurers to study funding options and develop benefit distribution mechanisms. The bill passed the Utah Senate 29–0 and the House 58–0 after lawmakers removed language related to coordinating benefits and limiting double recovery, and the board’s recommendations are due by Dec 1.
Virginia – As the General Assembly continues to move through key workers’ compensation proposals, two notable bills saw activity this week.
- SB 771 was signed by the President this week. As a reminder, the bill would increase burial expense coverage from $10,000 to $15,000 and would allow the amount to be adjusted annually based on the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index.
- HB 1313 was "passed by for the day" in the House of Delegates on March 9th. As a reminder, HB 1313 would provide workers’ compensation coverage for the exacerbation of preexisting mental health conditions, even without an accompanying physical injury, for law enforcement officers and firefighters. Specifically, the bill clarifies that coverage for mental health claims includes the worsening of preexisting
disorders.
Washington – HB 2405 was sent to the Governor this week. As a reminder, HB 2405 would create a pilot program allowing early PTSD treatment for workers in high-risk jobs before their claims are formally adjudicated. The bill directs the Department of Labor & Industries to collaborate with mental health experts, streamline administrative processes, and improve access to care for trauma-exposed occupations through 2030.
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