City Reports 23% Increase in Comp Costs

The Southern California city of Santa Monica reported a 23% increase in workers’ compensation medical and indemnity payments in the most recent fiscal year. The city paid about $12.8 million in workers’ compensation benefits during the fiscal year ending in 2019, up from $10.4 million in the prior fiscal year, according to a Dec. 30 annual report posted to its website. Santa Monica also reports nearly two-thirds of its benefit payments cover lost wages. Indemnity costs accounted for $8 million of the total payments last year, up from $5.9 million the year before. Medical costs co...