LWCC Reducing Overall Rates by 4.1%

Louisiana Workers' Compensation Corporation (LWCC) announced tthat it will implement an overall rate reduction of 4.1 percent beginning Oct. 1, 2010.

This marks the sixth consecutive year that LWCC has reduced overall rates, and it comes on the heels of returning a $15 million dividend to qualifying policyholders for 2009. Once this year's rate decrease takes effect, LWCC will have reduced overall rates by more than 55 percent since its first year of operation in 1992.

The most significant reduction this year will be for policyholders in LWCC's Small Accounts Program tier that pay an annual premium of $5,000 and under. These policyholders will receive an overall 15.3 percent rate decrease, reflecting LWCC's ongoing commitment to lowering rates for small businesses through increased automation and other efficiencies achieved over the past two years.

The 15.3 percent reduction is an average for policyholders participating in the Small Accounts Program, so not all policyholders in this category will experience a decrease of that size.

More than 9,000 policyholders participate in the Small Accounts Program, according to LWCC President and CEO Kristin W. Wall.

Including its $15 million dividend returned to policyholders for 2009, LWCC has paid $136 million in dividends to policyholders over the past seven years.