2023 ASSESSMENT RATES FOR SIX FUNDS

This morning the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) announced the 2023 assessment rates for user funding (Workers’ Compensation Administration Revolving Fund), the Uninsured Employers Benefits Trust (UEBT) Fund, the Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust (SIBT) Fund, the Occupational Safety and Health Fund, the Labor Enforcement & Compliance Fund, and the Workers’ Compensation Fraud Account.  Insurers must apply the following rates against their insureds’ estimated annual assessable premium for policies incepting January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023: 

State law requires insurers to advance the money on behalf of their policyholders (the first installment is due on or before January 1, 2023; the balance is due on or before April 1, 2023), then recoup the funds via surcharges and assessments on all workers’ compensation policies with 2023 inception dates.  DIR included the assessment methodology in a memo issued today, which says that for single carriers that are not part of an insurer group and that reported data to the WCIRB on an individual company basis for 2021, total DWP for assessment purposes is the amount reported for CY 2021 to the WCIRB, “which reflects the premiums charged to policyholders with the exception that it excludes the impact of deductible credits, retrospective rating adjustments, and policyholder dividends.”  For insurers that are part of an insurer reporting group that reported data to the WCIRB for 2021, total DWP for assessment purposes is “the product of (a) the total 2021 written premium reported to the WCIRB on the aforementioned basis and (b) the ratio of your company’s 2021 California written premium as reported in the 2021 Statutory Annual Statement (these amounts include the effect of deductible credits and retrospective rating adjustments) to the total 2021 Statutory Annual Statement of California written premium reported for your insurer group as a whole.”

To cover their share of the assessments self-insured employers and legally uninsured employers should apply the following rates against the total amount of workers’ compensation indemnity paid by their organization.  

DIR’s memo is posted under “What’s New” at http://www.dir.ca.gov/dwc/.  DIR is mailing the memo to workers’ comp insurers and self-insured employers along with invoices for each company’s share of the assessments and surcharges.  Insurers with questions may email them to: DIRDWC_Assessment@dir.ca.gov and California legally uninsured employers may call the Office of Self-Insurance Plans at (916) 464-7000.

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