Workers Compensation protects your employees should an injury occur during the course of employment. Payments are made to the injured party and can consist of medical payments, loss of wages or therapy. All states require employers to carry Workers' Compensation insurance and each state has individual laws that must be met. At the very minimum, Workers' Compensation insurance policies will cover an employee's medical expenses and reimburse him or her for some percentage of lost wages.
Almost all states are "open market", which means the coverage is underwritten by private insurers; and some states are "closed" or "monopolistic" - this coverage is underwritten by a state-sponsored fund (ND, OH, WA, WV, WY). In states that are open, rates can vary between insurance carriers depending on the type of business the carrier is attempting to attract. In an open market, the rates for workers' compensation are competitive.