Care West Insurance Company’s average rate increase by +8.45% — effective 9/1/2026
09/16/2026
Care West Insurance Company has filed new California workers’ compensation base rates with the California Department of Insurance for policies effective September 1, 2026.
How are average rates changing?
| Issuing Company | Average Rate
9/1/2025 | Average Rate
9/1/2026 | % Change |
|---|
| Care West Insurance Company | 8.76 | 9.50 | +8.45% |
*Average rate calculation does not include per capita or per race rates (7707 – Firefighters – volunteers, 7722 – Police, Sheriffs – volunteers, or 8278 – Jockeys).
Does the average change apply to every policy?
Not necessarily. A carrier’s average rate change provides useful context, but individual class rates may move differently. The effect on a specific policy depends on the classifications and exposures involved.
The examples below show how some of Care West Insurance Company’s individual advisory rates are changing compared with the prior policy period.
| Class – Description | Advisory Rate
9/1/2025 | Advisory Rate
9/1/2026 | % Change |
|---|
| 9070 - Residential Care Facilities–elderly | 9.31 | 10.88 | +16.86% |
| 8827 - Home Care Services | 4.93 | 5.62 | +14.00% |
| 8804 - Substance Use Disorder Recovery Homes | 5.13 | 5.50 | +7.21% |
| 79 - Strawberry Crops | 5.12 | 5.12 | 0.00% |
| 40 - Vineyards | 7.65 | 7.64 | -0.13% |
| 8823 - Residential Care Facilities for Children | 6.98 | 6.91 | -1.00% |
What does this mean for an individual account?
The average rate increase is only a starting point. To understand the potential effect on a specific policy, review the applicable classifications and compare how those rates changed.
With WorkCompare, users can generate a Pre-Quote Estimate to evaluate how current rate changes may affect potential pricing before formal quotes arrive.