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In all, 33 states have passed laws that reduce benefits, create hurdles to getting medical care or make it more difficult to qualify for workers’ comp." /> <meta property="og:image" content="http://projects.propublica.org/graphics/images/workercomp/1200_630_reform.png" /> <meta property="og:site_name" content="ProPublica"> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Workers' Compensation Reforms by State" /> <meta name="twitter:description" content="See how states cut workers’ comp over the years." /> <meta name="twitter:image:src" content="http://projects.propublica.org/graphics/images/workercomp/1200_630_reform.png" /> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/graphics/stylesheets/workercomp/master.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/graphics/stylesheets/workcomp/chosen.css"> <script type="text/javascript"> window.dataLayer = [{ 'contentType': 'App', 'contentSubtype': 'Graphics', 'publicationDate': 'March 4, 2015 5:00:00', 'articleTitle': "Workers' Compensation Reforms by State", 'authorName': 'Yue Qiu, Michael Grabell', 'seriesName': 'Insult to Injury' }]; 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} header h4 { font-family: "ff-meta-serif-web-1","ff-meta-serif-web-2","Georgia",serif; float: left; font-size: 16px; padding: 3px 0 3px 10px; color: #eee; position: relative; border-left: 1px solid #DDD; margin: 7px 0 0 10px; } </style> </head> <body> <script type="text/javascript" src="//www.propublica.org/js/public/assets/beacons.js"></script> <script src="//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js"></script> <div id="fb-root"></div> <script> FB.init({ appId : '229862657130557', // App ID status : true, // check login status cookie : true, // enable cookies to allow the server to access the session xfbml : true // parse XFBML }); </script> <div class="c-header"> <header role="banner"> <h1><a href="http://www.propublica.org">ProPublica</a></h1> <nav> <ul class="tools-nav"> <li class="facebook social-widget ss-fb" data-title="Workers’ Compensation Reforms by State" data-img="http://projects.propublica.org/graphics/images/workercomp/1200_630_reform.png" data-txt="In all, 33 states have passed laws that reduce benefits, create hurdles to getting medical care or make it more difficult to qualify for workers’ comp." data-desc="Over the past decade, states across the country have been unwinding a century-old compact with America’s workers: A guarantee that if you are injured on the job, your employer will pay your medical bills and enough of your wages to help you get by. In all, 33 states have passed laws that reduce benefits, create hurdles to getting medical care or make it more difficult to qualify for workers’ comp." data-url="http://projects.propublica.org/graphics/workers-comp-reform-by-state" data-hashtag=""><a href="#">Share on Facebook</a></li> <li class="twitter social-widget ss-tw" data-txt="See how states cut workers’ comp over the years." data-url="http://projects.propublica.org/graphics/workers-comp-reform-by-state" data-hashtag=""><a href="#">Share on Twitter</a></li> <li class="donate"><a href="https://www.propublica.org/site/donate3/" target="_blank">Donate</a></li> </ul> </nav> </header> </div> <div id="content" > <div class="wrapper"> <div class="content-full"> <div class="article"> <div class="titles"> <h1> Workers' Compensation Reforms by State </h1> <p class="byline"> by <a href="http://www.propublica.org/site/author/yue_qiu">Yue Qiu</a> and <a href="http://www.propublica.org/site/author/michael_grabell">Michael Grabell</a>, ProPublica, Mar. 4, 2015 </p> <h2><p class="noIframe">Over the past decade, states across the country have been unwinding a century-old compact with America’s workers: A guarantee that if you are injured on the job, your employer will pay your medical bills and enough of your wages to help you get by. In all, 33 states have passed laws that reduce benefits, create hurdles to getting medical care or make it more difficult to qualify for workers’ comp." <em><a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/the-demolition-of-workers-compensation">Related Story »</a></em></p> <span class="callout"> Ever filed for workers’ comp? <a href="http://www.propublica.org/getinvolved/item/help-propublica-investigate-workers-comp">Help ProPublica investigate.</a></span> </h2> </div>   <div class = "chart-wrapper"> <div class = "decrease group"> <div class = "filter"> <div class = "subtitle"><h4>See Which States</h4></div> <div class = "buttons"> <div class = "button btn" id = "decbtn">Cut Benefits</div> <div class = "button btn" id = "stbtn">Stayed the Same</div> <div class = "button btn" id = "incbtn">Raised Benefits</div> <div id = "or" class = "desktop-only">Or</div> <div class = "button btn active" id = "all">See Them All</div> </div> </div> <div class = "instru mobile-only"> Select a state to see details of reforms. </div> <div class = "indiv"> <div class = "instru desktop-only"> Click on the map or select a state to see details of the workers’ comp reforms: </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id = "lookup"> <select data-placeholder="Look Up Your State" class="chosen_select"> </select> </div> <div class = "mapWrapper"> <div class = "vlegend"></div> <span class = "bestdescr">Raised Benefits</span> <span class = "worstdescr">Cut Benefits</span> <div class = "map"></div> <div class = "stepper mobile-only"></div> </div> <div class = "top"> <div class = "mstatename mobile-only"></div> <div id = "header" class = "desktop-only"></div> <div id = "mheader" class = "mobile-only"></div> <div class = "table"></div>  </div> <div class = "explainer_card"> </div> <div class = "methodology"> <h2>Methodology</h2> <p> Over the past 10 months, ProPublica has analyzed reams of insurance industry data, studied arcane state laws, and interviewed hundreds of workers, businesses, attorneys, policymakers, doctors and insurance experts. Journalists obtained often confidential medical and court records and reported on the ground in 10 states and the District of Columbia. </p> <p>To track the impact of the reforms nationwide for this graphic, ProPublica assigned a starting value for each state by combining a ranking of average statutory benefits conducted by Actuarial & Technical Solutions of Bohemia, N.Y., and a report from the U.S. Department of Labor that monitored how many recommendations of a 1972 presidential commission on workers’ comp that each state was following. ProPublica then analyzed state reform laws, using data from the National Council on Compensation Insurance Annual Statistical Bulletin, which rates the effects of legislation on benefit payments. In addition, ProPublica consulted reports from the Workers Compensation Research Institute and conducted interviews with stakeholders to determine how the changes compared to the historical norms provided by state workers’ comp systems. </p> <p>This chart tracks the changes to the major medical and wage-replacement replacement benefits in workers’ comp. States may have adopted additional legislation that is not included here because it didn’t affect the core benefits.</p> </div> <div class = "sourcenotes"> <p><span class = "inline">SOURCES:</span> U.S. Department of Labor, Actuarial & Technical Solutions, National Council on Compensation Insurance, Workers Compensation Research Institute, ProPublica research on state reform laws.</p> <p> <span class = "inline">NOTE:</span> The position of states in the maps on this page are modified from The Washington Post and are used here with permission. </p> <p> <span class = "inline">CORRECTION:</span> An earlier version of this graphic did not take into account two bills in Oregon. 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