CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks, 25th Edition

The factors behind trends in medical payments per claim in 17 state workers’ compensation systems and the impact of legislative and regulatory changes on those costs are examined in this 25th edition of CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks. The studies examine trends in payments, prices, and utilization of medical care for workers with injuries. They provide analyses of recent costs and trends for… Read More >>

Trends in the Delaware Workers’ Compensation System, 2017–2022

This study is the fourth annual report examining key performance metrics of the Delaware workers’ compensation benefit delivery system. The study examines key metrics such as total claim costs, medical payments, indemnity benefits, disability duration, and benefit delivery expenses. It provides a detailed look at how these factors have evolved from 2017 to 2022, based on payments made through… Read More >>

Impact of Attorney Representation on Workers’ Compensation Payments

The workers’ compensation system was designed to be a straightforward way of handling work-related injuries, but legal disputes are still common, often leading to the involvement of attorneys. This study looks at how attorney involvement affects the indemnity payments workers receive to help cover their lost income after a work injury. It uses a method that accounts for the fact that lawyers… Read More >>

Factors Associated with High-Cost Claims

Many studies show that health care costs are concentrated among a small percentage of individuals with diverse needs. This new study defines high-cost claims as claims in the top 5 percent of medical payments at 36 months of injury and identifies key factors that likely contribute to a higher or lower probability of claims becoming high-cost claims. Among the key findings, it highlights the… Read More >>

Use of Behavioral Health Support Services in the New York Workers’ Compensation System

This study examines the prevalence and use of behavioral health support services in the New York workers’ compensation system. It follows regulatory actions that created a system for compensating a wide range of providers offering these services to injured workers. The study expands on earlier WCRI research by providing detailed insights into the billing of behavioral health support services… Read More >>

Registration Now Open for 2025 Annual WCRI Issues & Research Conference

Waltham, MA, Sept. 24, 2024 — The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) is pleased to announce that registration is now open for its 2025 Annual WCRI Issues & Research Conference, scheduled for March 6-7, 2025, at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel in Phoenix, AZ. “Our two-day conference concentrates on our original research on timely issues impacting state workers'… Read More >>

Webinar: Trends in Workers’ Compensation Drug Payments Across States

Waltham, MA, July 10, 2024 ― The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) will host a 30-minute webinar on Thursday, August 1, 2024, at 2 p.m. ET on its study, Interstate Variation and Trends in Workers’ Compensation Drug Payments, 5th Edition. Dr. Vennela Thumula will discuss the study's key findings and take audience questions. “This study provides an overview of the trends… Read More >>

WCRI Webinar: The Impact of Excessive Heat on Workplace Injuries

Waltham, MA, May 21, 2024—The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) will host a 30-minute webinar on Thursday, June 6, 2024, at 2 p.m. ET to discuss findings from the Institute’s new study on how excessive heat affects workplace injuries. “This is a highly relevant topic, especially as U.S. officials prepare for another summer of extreme heat. The study’s insights can help… Read More >>

Webinar to Discuss Impact of Vertical Integration on Prices, Medical Utilization, and Outcomes

Waltham, MA, April 4, 2024—The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) will hold an hour-long webinar on the impact of vertical integration on prices, medical utilization, and outcomes, based on published WCRI reports. The date of the webinar is Thursday, May 2, 2024, at 2pm ET. “Medical markets are increasingly concentrated, meaning patients are more likely to be treated by… Read More >>

WCRI Conference Includes Session on Psychological Risk Factors and Functional Recovery

Cambridge, MA, Jan. 18, 2024―Today, the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) announced that a session on “Psychological Risk Factors and Functional Recovery” will be held at its 2024 WCRI Issues & Research Conference, March 5-6 in Boston, MA. WCRI Policy Analyst Vennela Thumula will present the Institute’s latest research on the topic. “This session provides insights… Read More >>

Member Spotlight: Neil Deblock of Zurich North America

Our latest WCRI Member Spotlight features Neil DeBlock, Vice President and Head of Workers' Compensation at Zurich North America, a proud WCRI member since 1990. In his interview, Neil highlights the critical importance of WCRI's data and studies—especially in areas such as opioid use and state benchmarking—in helping Zurich make informed and impactful policy decisions that… Read More >>

WCRI: Minnesota Workers’ Compensation System Potentially Beginning Rebound from Pandemic Disruptions

Waltham, MA, October 31, 2024 – A recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found that the delivery of medical care to workers injured in Minnesota may be starting to increase after pandemic-related disruptions. Factors suggesting this trend include increasing medical payments per claim and a stable or modest rise in the utilization of most services. “The main… Read More >>

WCRI: Indiana Medical Payments Per Claim Under Workers’ Compensation Higher Than Most States

Waltham, MA, October 24, 2024 – A recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found that medical payments per claim for the treatment of workers injured in Indiana were higher than typical for all claims with experience through March 2023. This was driven mostly by high prices paid for professional (nonhospital) services and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs).… Read More >>

WCRI: Cost of Medical Treatment for Workers Injured in California Near Middle of Study States

Waltham, MA, October 17, 2024—A new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found that workers’ compensation medical payments per claim in California were 10 percent below the median state of the 17-state study sample for claims with experience through March 2023. “California’s ranking among states on medical payments per all paid claims reflects offsetting… Read More >>

WCRI: Utilization of Medical Care for Workers with Injuries Continues to Decline

Waltham, MA, October 10, 2024 ― A new set of studies from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found that utilization of medical services by workers with injuries declined in the majority of the 17 study states. The studies address two aspects of utilization: the percentage of claims receiving a particular medical service, and the number of services provided. “We continue to… Read More >>

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Our WCRI Medical Price Index for Workers' Compensation, 16th Edition, compares prices paid for medical professional services across 36 states and monitors price changes from 2008 to 2023.

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