If a proposed plan is adopted, employers in the state could face some significant changes to how worker’s compensation sets its premiums.  Right now, Wyoming only factors in how severe a company’s claims are.   This new system—called a split plan-- would hold companies accountable for both severity and frequency, as is the case in most states. 

John Ysebaert with Wyoming Workforce Services says the change will make Wyoming workplaces safer.  “If you think of it in terms of your auto insurance, if you have somebody with ten claims versus one large claim, the one that gets your attention is the one with ten claims because they’re just playing the odds until they have a year with ten large claims.”

Ysebaert says companies with more frequent workplace injuries would see higher premiums.  But he says the new premiums wouldn’t take effect for more than a year, giving employers time to put better safety measures into place.