Minnesota Workers’ Comp System Rated ‘A+’

Minnesota ranks highest in the nation in terms of workers’ compensation performance, according to the Encinitas, Calif.-based Work Loss Data Institute (WLDI), which has released its 2010 State Report Cards for Workers’ Compensation.

Using eight years of data from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Forms 300 and 200, which cover all OSHA recordable injuries and illnesses, WLDI said Minnesota performed the best of all the states for 2007. Nevada and Arizona came in a close second and third. All three states received a grade of “A+” based on an average of their 2007 scores.

Puerto Rico came in last, then Rhode Island. New York and New Jersey were close to the bottom.

For the report, states were evaluated based on: incidence rates; cases missing work; median disability durations; delayed recovery rate; and key condition: Low Back Strain. According to WLDI, the report cards help employers, insurers, third-party administrators, state governments and consultants answer the questions, “Who is doing well and why?”

WLDI also ranked states using a tier system. The Tier I states are Arizona, Iowa, Minnesota and Utah. Tier I means that the state had an average grade of “B+” or better, and a trend going up or level. Those four states were doing great and continuing to improve.

Five states fell into the opposite category – Tier VI – which means they had an average grade of “D-” or worse, and a trend going down or level. The worst performers for the years 2000-2007 were: Illinois, Kentucky, Oklahoma, New York and Wyoming.

Work Loss Data Institute is an independent database development company focused on workplace health and productivity. A summary of state tier rankings is available at www.worklossdata.com/SRC2010tiers.htm.

Topics Workers' Compensation Minnesota