Workers’ compensation board finalizes rate cut for public employers

October 25, 2014 at 12:02a.m.

COLUMBUS

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation board has finalized an earlier-announced rate cut for public employers.

The move Friday means some 3,800 cities, counties, townships, villages, schools and special districts will pay an average of 9.1 percent less in workers’ compensation costs next year.

In a statement, BWC Administrator Steve Beuhrer said that savings for the offices will total about $19 million.

“The savings through rate reductions, combined with more than $250 million in rebates over the last two years, are sending dollars back to public employers that can be invested into communities across the state,” he said.

Rate reductions will vary by public employer based on how they are classified with the state. For example, cities will see an overall decrease of 13.9 percent, county base rates will decrease 9.7 percent and some emergency-responders will see a rate reduction of 22.4 percent.

The reductions are in addition to rebates approved last month by the BWC board. Of the $1 billion in total rebates, about $126 million will go to public employers.