Managing Benefits Plans

In 2005’s fourth quarter, more companies renewed their workers’ compensation coverage at lower rates. This is a finding of the membership survey of the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers (Washington, DC; www.ciab.com) in which 58% of agents and brokers nationwide report their clients had lower premiums in the quarter, while 21% indicated that premiums rose. In fact, 75% of clients in the Southwest, including California, cited declines in premiums (see table).