The governor of Ohio has indicated that because of the fund's recent strong economic performance, he plans to reimburse Ohio employers over $1 billion from the state's workers' compensation fund. Of these funds, which the governor is calling a rebate on employers' premiums, $115 million will go directly to public employers like municipalities and schools.
This rebate from the workers' compensation fund comes at an opportune time for the state's public employers. These employers are still trying to figure out how they will absorb the extra cost imposed upon them by the federal government's Affordable Care Act, which takes effect in 2014. The rebate will help cover some of this additional cost.