Add one new question to your workers' comp renewal intake process immediately: ask clients how many mental health or stress-related claims they've filed recently. WCRI data shows mental health claims have jumped 47% since 2015, and that shift is changing what underwriters expect to see before you bind coverage. Here's the exact question to ask and why the answer dictates your submission strategy:
The exact question:
'How many workers' comp claims has your business filed in the past three years that involved mental health, stress, or psychological conditions — and what happened with each one?'
That question didn't exist on your renewal checklist before. It needs to be there now.
Why Mental Health WC Claims Are Rising
WCRI documented the 47% increase in mental health-related workers' comp claims in research published this week (Risk & Insurance). The findings are part of a broader body of WCRI research that consistently shows mental health and stress-related conditions are becoming a larger share of total claim frequency and cost across most studied states. The trend predates the pandemic and has continued accelerating.
In my role as a national workers' comp product manager reviewing submissions across multiple markets, I'm seeing underwriters push back harder on mental health claim histories during renewal than they did just two years ago.
The Execution Factor
This is where a separate finding from Risk & Insurance becomes instructive: research on top workers' comp claims performers shows that execution is the deciding factor, not strategy. Carriers and employers with strong claims outcomes don't just have better programs on paper — they execute the basics consistently: timely initial reporting, early intervention, consistent communication, and disciplined return-to-work practices.
Mental health claims are where that execution gap shows up most. A stress claim that gets an immediate, empathetic response and a modified-duty offer resolves in weeks. The same claim that gets delayed, denied, or mishandled can spiral into a permanent disability dispute.
What Changes for Agents
Here's what this means for your day-to-day work:
- Ask the mental health claim question at every renewal. Don't wait for the underwriter to bring it up. Add it to your producer's renewal intake form alongside the standard questions about payroll, class codes, and loss runs. The answer determines whether you're looking at a routine renewal or an account that needs a deeper claims review before you submit it.
- Document the answer. If a client says "none" or "one, years ago," that's fine — record it. If a client says "three in the last two years," that's a signal. Document what the carrier did with those claims, whether there were return-to-work accommodations, and whether the claims closed normally or went to litigation. That documentation becomes your justification for keeping the account in standard markets or your argument for why a carrier should retain it despite a rising mod.
- Flag accounts where mental health claims are driving frequency. Pull the loss runs before you submit the renewal and look for claim codes or descriptions that indicate mental health, stress, or psychological conditions. If those claims are contributing to experience rating, flag the account for a conversation with the underwriter about whether the carrier's claims management approach for these claims is adequate — or whether you need to discuss alternative markets that handle these claims differently.
- Don't assume class code tells the story. A retail store and an office-based professional services firm may share a class code, but their mental health claim exposure is radically different. Ask about the nature of the workforce, turnover, and whether the employer has any mental health benefits or EAP in place. That context changes how you present the risk.
What This Means for Your Placements
The 47% rise in mental health claims isn't a future risk — it's already in your book of business. The agents who catch it early and have a documented conversation with clients about how these claims are handled will be the ones who keep those accounts in standard markets when the alternative is a non-renewal or a rate increase that the client can't absorb. Add the question to your intake form now, before the next renewal cycle hits your desk.
Sources
- Risk & Insurance (2026-09-30T13:00:47Z)
- Risk & Insurance (2026-09-28T13:08:59Z)
Tags: WCRI, mental health, claims management, renewal preparation, workers comp trends