Delaware Workers’ Compensation Panel Releases Report

A state panel examining soaring workers compensation rates in Delaware is recommending that the state implement a two-year inflation freeze on medical providers’ fee schedules.

The recommendation is included in a report released Monday by the workers compensation task force. The panel also recommends a permanent reduction in the inflation rate allowed for hospital treatment, and reductions in allowed reimbursements in several medical categories.

The task force also says insurance carriers’ requests for rate increases should receive careful scrutiny, and that officials must require insurers to enforce Delaware’s medical cost controls.

The panel was established to address a 34 percent increase in average workers compensation rates over the past two years. Officials say those increases make it harder for Delaware businesses to compete for bids with businesses from neighboring states.