Frequently Asked Questions

The Rating Board is a private unincorporated association of insurance carriers responsible for the collection of workers compensation data and the development of workers compensation loss costs and rules regarding the proper application of these rates to workers compensation policies. The Rating Board also administers various individual risk rating plans such as the Experience Rating Plan and the Retrospective Rating Plan. The Workers' Compensation Board is a state agency responsible for the administration of the workers compensation system which includes the adjudication and handling of workers compensation claims. Claimants in need of information concerning their workers compensation claim should contact the Workers' Compensation Board at (800) 580-6665.

Rating Board Manuals are available for download from this website. Manuals are provided in Adobe PDF format. To access this section of the website, click here for NYCIRB Manuals.

The Official New York Workers' Compensation Medical Fee Schedule may be examined at the office of the Department of State, 162 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12231, the Legislative Library, the libraries of the New York State Supreme Court, and the district offices of the Workers' Compensation Board in Albany, Binghamton, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Hauppauge, Hempstead, Manhattan, Peekskill, Queens, Rochester and Syracuse. Copies may be purchased from Ingenix, by writing to the New York Workers' Compensation Medical Fee Schedule, c/o Ingenix, PO Box 27116, Salt Lake City, UT 84127-0116, or by telephone at 1-877-464-3649.

Information on becoming a member of the Rating Board can be obtained by either calling or writing to the Rating Board's Vice President, Finance and Administration at (212) 697-3535, ext 245. A packet will then be sent to the carrier explaining the procedures for joining the Rating Board as well as samples of the necessary paperwork to be completed.

Yes, a request can be made via email to classinquiries@nycirb.org. Please include a complete description of the business operations and the nature of the dispute within the request. The employer name(s), policy number and effective date of the policy in question must also be included in the communication.

An employer should pursue an explanation from the insurer. If an employer is disputing a classification assigned by the Rating Board, they should contact our Classification Department for reconsideration via email at classinquiries@nycirb.org or telephone 212-697-3535 ext. 161.

Contact the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board at http://www.wcb.ny.gov or 877-632-4996.

Sole proprietors, partners, and LLC members are excluded from workers’ compensation coverage when they employ one or more persons who are required to be covered under the law. However, they may elect to be covered under their policy by filing with the New York State Worker’s Compensation Board a notice of the election identifying the named individual(s) on a form prescribed by the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board. Coverage for sole proprietors, partners, and LLC members, having no other persons requiring coverage, may be afforded by obtaining a standard workers’ compensation policy.

Send a detailed e-mail with the file submission number to operations@nycirb.org. You can also call 212-436-2988 or 212-984-0382.

Email your inquiry to cdxinfo@wcribma.org or call CDX Central Support at 919-595-1890.

Yes, you can submit multiple files on the same day. Each file must contain a unique Version Identifier Sequence Number on the Electronic Transmittal Record. Please refer to the WCIO Specification Manual on the WCIO website: www.wcio.org.

Yes, prior to submitting a production data file, the Rating Board requires a test submission. Your file will be processed through our test environment and you will be advised whether subsequent testing must be completed.

The Rating Board requires two or three examples of each policy transaction type.

The Rating Board requires two or three first level reports with at least one first level report should containing a loss record. You should also submit two or three correction level reports with at least one loss correction report. In addition, you should submit a few second level reports.

To identify your designated Online Services carrier administrator, please send an email to onlineservices@nycirb.org.

Yes, multiple carrier administrators are permitted.

Your carrier administrator has checked the “auto notification” box in our Online Services profile.

The role “Carrier Pol” allows a user to create new Policy transactions. The role “Carrier Stat” allows a user to create new Unit Stat transactions. The role “Carrier” allows a user to create both new Policy and Unit Stat transactions.

Rating Modifications differ from year to year. A modification may increase without the inclusion of additional claims. For each rating period, values used to calculate the modification change. An increase or decrease in modification could be the result of a change in the payroll, weighting values, ballast values, expected loss rates, or D Ratio.

Information used in the calculation of the modification by the Rating Board is based on the valuation date for the policy, which is 18 months from the effective date of the policy. The carrier loss runs may reflect development of claims after the valuation period.

A risk may qualify for an experience modification one year but not the following year if they do not meet the premium eligibility requirements.

A risk qualifies for experience rating if (a) the payroll or other exposure within the latest 24 months of the experience period produces a subject premium at authorized rates of at least $10,000, or (b) if the payroll or other exposure within the experience period of more than 24 months produces an average annual subject premium at authorized rates of at least $5,000.

If an insured’s premium during the three-year experience period is less than the amount needed for Experience Rating, but greater than the policy Minimum Premium, the insured is eligible for Merit Rating.

Experience Rating is calculated using several variables, including the insured’s payroll, classifications, claim history, and various rating factors. Merit Rating factors are determined by the number of claims that occurred in the three-year experience period.

A revision may not be available a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to:
• Correction Report has failed due to data errors;
• Revision is beyond the revision period (current and 2 prior years; exception for a recovery, which is current and up to 6 prior ratings);
• Carrier has not submitted corrections as required; or
• Revision has been entered but it does not change the modification.