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Data, including losses and payroll by classification, resulting from every workers' compensation insurance policy written in California is reported to the WCIRB in a Unit Statistical Report (USR). These reports, submitted by your insurance company, are the source of the data used by the WCIRB to administer the Experience Rating System and to publish experience modifications.

USRs are reported at specific intervals defined in Part 4, Section I of the California Workers' Compensation Uniform Statistical Reporting Plan—1995  (Uniform Statistical Reporting Plan). When a worker is injured on the job and a workers' compensation claim file is opened, an estimate of the total claim value (present and future) is made by your insurer and is included on the next USR for your policy filed with the WCIRB. 

The first time a claim is valued for unit statistical reporting is 18 months after the policy inception month. This 18-month value is reported on a "first level" USR, which must be submitted to the WCIRB two months after the valuation date, or 20 months after the policy inception month. Claims that are still open as of the first report are required to be valued and reported again 12 months later (30-month valuation, due to the WCIRB at 32 months after the policy inception month) on a "second report." This process continues either until all claims are closed or for a total of 10 reports. Typically, only data contained in the first three reports is used for experience rating purposes.

We welcome your feedback on this guide. Please send comments and suggestions to communications@wcirb.com.