Workers’ Comp Premiums Set To Lower In 2026

After a press release from Florida’s Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR), it is official: Florida employers will see a tenth straight year of decreases in the cost of workers’ compensation insurance and premiums. After input from the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), the state’s regulators saw fit to approve a 6.9 percent decrease in costs. While this is good news for employers, it may or may not be good news for injured workers.

Workers’ Compensation Causes Costs

Most, though not all, businesses in Florida are required to carry workers’ compensation coverage, though the minimum number of employees to mandate it will depend from industry to industry. Employers trade workers’ compensation benefits in exchange for an employee waiving their right to sue their employer over an injury, but this does not always mean that an injured worker will be able to receive benefits if they are ineligible for other reasons.

Every claim against an employer’s insurance will in theory raise costs, so it is not unheard of for some employers to try to duck or invalidate claims in order to keep their premium costs low. Decreases like the one most recently granted can help to keep employers reassured in terms of costs, but the other side of this situation is that when losses are low, insurance carriers may scrutinize bona fide claims beyond what is necessary to keep from having to spend money.

Your Rights Are Unchanged

It is important to understand that a rate change does not affect the rights of the injured worker. If your injury occurred at work, and you meet the other criteria for workers’ compensation benefits, you still have the right to collect those benefits. However, a rate change does affect the way insurers and employers may behave in terms of assessing injuries.

The overwhelming change you may see is a marked increase in caution, manifested in more requests for records, more pressure to consult a certain doctor or pursue a certain treatment, and the like. It is generally legal for an insurer to do this, but the best way to deal with these requests is simply to answer them. The more records you keep about your injury and post-injury treatment, the easier these questions will be to manage.

Contact A Maitland Workers’ Compensation Attorney

Being injured at work can be an intimidating experience, and it can feel frustrating when one has to run the proverbial gauntlet before they receive benefits. Regardless of the rate change, you have the right to seek benefits if you are hurt on the job. A Maitland workers’ compensation attorney from the Hornsby Law Group can help. Call our office today to schedule a free consultation.

Source:

floir.gov/home/2025/11/17/commissioner-mike-yaworsky-approves-6.9–rate-decrease-for-florida-workers–compensation-policies–marking-9th-consecutive-year-of-decreases