National –
• Liberty Mutual Insurance released its 2026 Workplace Safety Index, analyzing the leading causes of the most serious workplace injuries in the United States based on injuries that result in employees missing more than five days of work. The report found that the direct cost of the most disabling workplace injuries and illnesses reached $58.74 billion, with the top 10 injury causes accounting for nearly 85% of those costs, or $49.9 billion. According to the Index, the top four causes of loss remained unchanged from the previous year, while slip or trip without a fall rose to fifth place and intentional injury by a person returned to the top 10 rankings for the first time since 2012.
- Workers' Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) released its CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks, 2026 Edition, analyzing medical payments, prices, and utilization for workers' compensation claims across
27 states. The study found that medical payments per claim increased by an average of 4% to 8% annually in most states between 2022 and 2025, with growth rates varying by jurisdiction. The analysis covers Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin, which together account for about 70% of workers' compensation benefit payments nationwide. The findings are based on
non-COVID-19 claims through March 2025 and include detailed state-specific analyses and comparative data across all 27 states. - National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) released its 2026 Legislative and Regulatory Trends Report, which reviews workers’ compensation related legislative and regulatory activity across the United States through July 31, 2026. The report analyzes thousands of bills and regulations and examines topics including worker classification, portable benefits, mental injury, single-payer health insurance, marijuana reimbursement, hallucinogens/psychedelics, workplace safety, artificial intelligence, workers’ compensation alternatives, and zero-estimated exposure policies. It also provides summaries of enacted legislation and legislative activity by geographic region, including the Midwestern, Northeastern, Southeastern, and Western regions.
- Optum Workers’ Compensation released an article How to Rein In Physician-Dispensed Pharmaceuticals in Workers’ Comp: A Path Forward, examining physician-dispensed pharmaceuticals and regulatory efforts to manage their use in workers’ compensation systems. It notes that approximately 41 states adopted controls such as reimbursement limits, supply restrictions, prior authorization requirements, or pricing rules to address physician dispensing and related pharmacy issues.
Oklahoma – The Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission announced its 2026 educational conference, which will be held in Stillwater on October 27-28. Registration is required, and the attendee registration fee is $325. Additional information, including registration and conference materials, is available through the Commission’s event page.
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.