NU Online News Service, Aug. 20, 3:21 p.m.EDT

The National Council on Compensation Insurance said it isproposing an overall rate level decrease of 6.8% for workers'compensation insurance in Florida.

NCCI's filing was delivered to the Florida Office of InsuranceRegulation, which is expected to schedule a public hearing on therecommendation for October.

The NCCI proposed rates that would be effective January 1, 2010,citing as reasons for a decrease, a continued, although somewhatmoderated, decrease in claims frequency and a drop in the averageclaim cost.

It is the seventh experience-related decrease NCCI has proposedsince Florida workers compensation rates hit a high point prior tocomp reform legislation in 2003.

Assuming the filing is approved as proposed, the overall averagerate impact at an industry group level would be as follows:

Manufacturing, -4.7 percent; contracting, -10.8 percent; officeand clerical, -6.2 percent; goods and services, -3.8 percent; andmiscellaneous, -6.7 percent.

Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty reacted positivelyto the NCCI proposal, "I am very pleased to receive another requestfor a reduction in workers' compensation rates,This is welcome newsto Florida employers during these challenging economic times," hesaid.