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Yet another research report indicates reforms adopted in California in the early 2000s are no longer effective in holding down medical costs. The latest study was issued by the California Workers' Compensation Institute.

Calling it a "small step toward rebuilding the state's workers' comp reserves," the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries proposed its lowest workers' comp rate increase in five years.

The Workers' Compensation Court announced a change in the compensation rate.

The Division of Workers' Compensation revised proposed rules regarding the workers' compensation health care provider reimbursement manual and the reimbursement manual for ambulatory surgical care centers.

Employers that improperly label workers as independent contractors or nonemployees may face fines from federal as well as state agencies. That's one of the upshots of a new agreement between the Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue Service.

Practical, hands-on demonstrations may be key to reducing musculoskeletal injuries in the workplace. That's the thinking behind a new training publication from the National Institute on Occupational Safety and Health.

The Workers' Compensation Division issued a bulletin telling insurers how to apply employer-paid medical reimbursement claim costs for individual claims for unit statistical reporting purposes.

Prescription medication costs continue to increase in the workers' comp system, according to the latest research from the National Council on Compensation Insurance. The Florida-based organization's latest assessment of the situation points to utilization as a major cost driver.

Oklahoma employers will likely see their workers' comp rates drop in January. Insurance Commissioner John Doak announced approval of NCCI's proposed 1.7 percent reduction in the lost costs ratio.

The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division proposed to adopt a new rule on confined spaces to include the construction industry.

The Department of Labor proposed changes to forms.

Workers' comp stakeholders who ignore the upcoming change to ICD-10 diagnosis and institutional procedure codes may do so at their peril. Continuing with the ICD-9 codes could have "severe consequences for workers' compensation," according to the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions.

An explosion that killed six workers at a Connecticut construction site was "entirely preventable," according to the head of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board. In response to the tragedy, Connecticut has adopted legislation banning a common practice to clean piping.

The Workers' Compensation Board revised the mileage rate for reimbursement to claimants for travel by automobile to 55.5 cents per mile.

Nearly half a million people were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2009. An estimated one in four crashes -- 1.6 million annually -- involves a driver talking or texting on a cell phone.

Nearly 2 million American workers report having been victims of workplace violence each year. With a reported 506 incidents in 2010, homicides ranked as the fourth leading cause of fatal occupational injuries in the U.S. and the top cause of death for women in the workplace.