A group of congressional Democrats led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren recently urged OSHA to abandon proposed changes to federal respirator regulations, arguing the changes could weaken protections for workers exposed to hazardous substances, such as asbestos, lead, and formaldehyde. As a reminder, OSHA is considering proposals that would eliminate medical evaluation requirements for employees using filtering facepiece respirators, including N95 masks, and loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirators, while also revising respirator provisions across several chemical-specific standards. The letter comes as OSHA moves closer to deciding whether to finalize the proposed changes following the close of the rulemaking record earlier this fall.
The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) released the report Medical Treatment Dynamics: A State-Level Analysis, which examined workers' compensation medical treatment patterns from 2016 to 2023. The report found injured workers generally received initial treatment later than in prior years, with average time to first treatment increasing by two days overall, eight days for physical therapy, and ten days for major surgery. The share of claims treated on the injury date declined from 48% to 43%, while initial care increasingly occurred in non-facility settings. Despite these delays, average treatment duration remained essentially unchanged at about 218 days. The study also found significant variation among states and noted that longer delays in initiating physical therapy or major surgery were often associated with longer treatment durations for those claim types.
2026 Midterm Elections – Voters headed to the polls on November 3, and the results produced a significant shift in the political landscape. Democrats are projected to regained control of the U.S. Senate and won back the U.S. House of Representatives, creating divided government for the final two years of President Trump's term. Democrats also secured several unexpected victories in traditionally Republican states, making the election one of the most consequential midterms in recent decades. While these elections do not directly change workers' compensation laws, the outcomes could influence future discussions surrounding labor policy, healthcare, workplace safety, and regulations at both the federal and state levels. As new political leaders take office, workers' compensation stakeholders will be watching closely for potential regulatory and policy shifts.
Federal Election Highlights –
State Elections –
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.