Governor Lamont Announces Workers’ Compensation Rates Decrease for Eighth Consecutive Year, Saving Millions for Connecticut Businesses

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that Connecticut businesses will see another rate decrease in workers’ compensation insurance in 2022. The Connecticut Insurance Department has approved a filing with decreases of 14.1% to workers’ compensation pure premium lost costs, and an 8.2% reduction in assigned risk rates. The decreases pave the way for insurance companies to reduce the workers’ compensation premiums for individual businesses in Connecticut.

This is the eighth consecutive year of rate decreases in Connecticut. Since Governor Lamont was inaugurated in 2019, Connecticut businesses have experienced savings of more than $140 million in workers’ compensation premiums – a significant savings compared to the $800 million workers’ compensation book of business in the state.

“This further decline in workers’ compensation insurance premiums is good news for businesses, enabling employers to invest more money back into their companies and employees, and providing a boost to our economy,” Governor Lamont said. “It’s even better news for workers, because the decrease reflects the fact that workplaces are getting safer and safer.”

“The loss costs and assigned risk rates have steadily gone down over the last eight years, helping businesses better control workers’ compensation insurance costs – one of their critical operating expenses,” Connecticut Insurance Commissioner Andrew N. Mais said. “This reflects an ongoing decrease in the number of workplace injuries and claims filed. For the duration of these eight years, the cumulative impact has been over $300 million in reduced premium savings.”

In the voluntary market, which is the open competitive market, loss costs (the primary component of workers’ compensation rates) will decrease by an average of 14.1%. Most Connecticut employers purchase workers’ compensation coverage in the voluntary market. In the assigned risk market, which is the market for employers unable to obtain coverage in the voluntary market, rates will also decrease by an average of 8.2%. The continued rate relief in the assigned risk market benefits the many businesses in that market because of poor prior loss history and related reasons. It is particularly good news for new businesses that are often forced to obtain coverage in this market because they lack the business experience to be written in the admitted market.

The Connecticut Insurance Department issued a memorandum and order approving the filing of the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI). The council compiles data annually from the workers’ compensation market in Connecticut and countrywide to propose loss costs/rate adjustments for the ensuing year.

With the approval of the NCCI filing effective January 1, 2022, companies in the voluntary market review their own loss cost experience (actual losses and claim adjustment expenses) and company expenses and submit individual company rate filings to the Connecticut Insurance Department.