Ohio’s Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) is saving employers millions by (you guessed it) cutting premium rates.

The BWC is the exclusive provider of workers’ comp insurance in Ohio and establishes separate rates for private and public employers. As of this year, the BWC has implemented rate cuts of:

• 1% for public employers (effective January 1, 2026)
• 6% for private employers (effective July 1, 2025)

While Ohio differs from most states in barring private comp insurance, it has one thing in common with almost all of the rest of the US: plummeting premiums.

BWC rates have fallen for private employers every year since 2018. During the same time frame, public employers experienced a decrease almost every year, except for a 0.6% increase in 2023 and in 2025, when the rate remained unchanged in either direction.

The BWC sets rates based on its own internal calculations, in contrast to states like California, where an entity exclusively funded by insurers recently raised rates. California is a baffling exception to a national trend of cheaper coverage, as insurers across the US reap profits from workers’ comp and medical costs remain stable.

OH BWC: Lower Comp Rates for Private & Public Employers

In a mid-year press release, the BWC announced that private employers would collectively save nearly $60 million due to rate cuts that took effect in July 2025.

Governor Mike DeWine credited employers for enabling the rate cuts by prioritizing safety. BWC Administrator and CEO Stephanie McCloud echoed the sentiment, stating:

“We are proud to pass these savings on to employers through another rate reduction. Ohio's businesses continue to keep workplace safety first, and the results speak for themselves year after year.”

In late December 2025, the BWC followed up with another announcement: public employers would also receive a rate cut, effective January 1, 2026, resulting in a collective savings of almost $2 million. As the tables from the BWC below show, the trend has been steadily downward for all Ohio employers for several years.

CA: One of These States Is Not Like the Others

Across the nation, state entities, independent rating bureaus, and the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), which helps establish rates in the majority of states, recommend lowering employer premiums.

Yet, California raised employers’ rates by 8.7% last year at the request of the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB).

There is a broad national consensus on the extraordinary profitability of workers' comp insurance and the relative stability of medical costs for injured workers. Even in California specifically, data on loss costs strongly suggest that comp insurers in that state are performing well.

WCIRB reports feature unverifiable data, inaccurate characterization of “medical” expenses, and fail to factor rampant reimbursement discounting into their calculations. Credible outlets, such as Workers’ Comp Executive, have openly accused the WCIRB of “skewing” data to protect insurers.  

Despite all this, California regulators and legislators seem to trust this insurer-funded agency implicitly, at employers’ expense.

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