WCIRB AMENDS JANUARY 1, 2011 PURE PREMIUM RATE FILINGSeptember 27, 2010 On August 18, 2010, the WCIRB submitted a pure premium rate filing to the California Insurance Commissioner proposing a 29.6% increase in the overall pure premium rate level, or "claims cost benchmark", effective January 1, 2011. See related story WCIRB Submits Filing Recommending A 29.6% Increase In Pure Premium Rates Effective January 1, 2011. In the August 18, 2010 filing, the WCIRB advised the Commissioner that it would review accident year experience valued as of June 30, 2010 when it became available and would amend the filing if appropriate. The WCIRB has completed its review of statewide June 30, 2010 experience and today amended its January 1, 2011 filing to propose a change in the claims cost benchmark of +27.7% in lieu of the +29.6% reflected in its August 18, 2010 filing. The 1.9 percentage point decrease in the proposed change in the claims cost benchmark from that reflected in the August 18, 2010 filing is due primarily to a modification to the WCIRB's methodology following receipt of updated information on claim frequency and revised claims count information subsequent to the August 18, 2010 filing that more than offset an approximately 3 percentage point deterioration in loss experience between March 31, 2010 and June 30, 2010. In addition, the WCIRB has withdrawn a proposal to establish Classification 8602 for land surveyors, oil or gas geologists or scouts, and geophysical exploration. A public hearing on the matters contained in the WCIRB's filing will be held October 12, 2010 at 1:00 PM in the 22nd Floor Hearing Room at the California Department of Insurance office located at 45 Fremont Street in San Francisco, California. The amended filing and related documents may be viewed, downloaded or printed from the Regulatory Filings section of the website.