Wisconsin Moves to Raise Workers’ Comp Benefits for the First Time in a Decade

Wisconsin Watch – Online Article – November 10, 2025 -Wisconsin Workers Comp Benefit Increase

For the first time in ten years, Wisconsin lawmakers are moving to raise benefits for the state’s most severely injured workers. The proposal could bring long-overdue relief to hundreds of people who have gone nearly a decade without an increase.

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A Long-Awaited Raise for Disabled Workers

If approved, the bill would give permanently and totally disabled (PTD) workers a long-overdue raise. These are workers who will never return to employment but continue to receive workers’ compensation checks for life.

Among them is 77-year-old Jimmy Novy of southwest Wisconsin. He receives $1,575 a month, an amount that hasn’t changed since 2016. If his benefits had tracked inflation, he would have earned almost $21,000 more over nine years.

At the same time, Wisconsin employers have enjoyed ten straight years of premium reductions, saving over $1 billion since 2017. That gap shows exactly why reform is needed.

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What the Bill Would Do

The bill, developed by both employers and labor leaders on the state’s Worker’s Compensation Advisory Council, would make several key updates.

• Expand eligibility: About 210 more PTD recipients would now qualify for supplementary raises. The eligibility cutoff would move from January 1, 2003, to January 1, 2020.

• Increase maximum benefits: The top weekly benefit would rise 57%, from $669 to $1,051, starting January 1, 2026.

• Add annual adjustments: PTD recipients would finally see yearly raises based on when they were injured and how much they earned at that time.

For example, a worker injured in 1985 currently earning $535 per week would receive $840 per week after the increase — nearly $16,000 more per year.

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Real People, Real Impact

For Novy, the raise would increase his monthly check from $1,575 to $2,450 — an extra $10,000 a year.

“That’s about time,” he said, hopeful the change will finally take effect.

Importantly, these payments come from workers’ compensation insurers and self-insured employers, not taxpayer funds.

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Why Now?

Momentum for the bill grew after Wisconsin adopted a medical fee schedule for workers’ comp in the 2025–2027 state budget. That measure limits what healthcare providers can charge for treating injured workers. Once that was settled, both employers and labor leaders agreed it was time to update benefit levels too.

This combination of reforms aims to create a fairer, more balanced system — one that works for both businesses and injured workers.

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A Step Forward — But Still Not Enough

Attorney John Edmondson of Appleton called the proposal “a nice step in the right direction,” but said it came too late for many who struggled or even died waiting.

Currently, 23 states automatically adjust PTD benefits to account for inflation. Wisconsin does not. Here, benefit increases require a new law every two years. Because of that, some workers have waited nearly a decade for relief.

Scott Meyer, who lost both legs in a 1993 workplace accident, now lives in Colorado on a fixed income. He hopes the proposed raises will finally make a meaningful difference in daily life for those who rely on them.

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RescueMeds’ Perspective

At RescueMeds, we understand how much these changes matter. Every week, we see how policy decisions impact injured workers’ access to medication and care.

This legislation represents more than numbers — it represents fairness, stability, and dignity. After years of rising costs and shrinking benefits, Wisconsin’s injured workers deserve better.

By moving forward with this bill, lawmakers have a chance to restore balance to a system that has long favored insurers over individuals.