UT: Labor Commission Says WC Costs on the Rise

Joyce A. Sewell, Director of the Industrial Accidents Division of Utah's Labor Commission says the state's workers' compensation costs appear to be on the rise due to increased costs in medical care, particularly in the cost of prescription drugs and new procedures. Sewell also suggested that the nation's jobless rate becomes a factor saying claims rise when there are fewer jobs available to workers, perhaps causing a delay in an injured worker's return to work. Sewell says the Uninsured Employers Fund has experienced approximately a 50% increase in claims in the past year due to the nu...