Patterns and Trends of High-Cost Claims Involving Rotator Cuff Disorders

This study examined the association between condition-specific factors and the likelihood of a claim becoming high cost (defined as medical payments exceeding $65,000 within 36 months of injury). It provides a deeper understanding of how varying levels of rotator cuff tears and their surgical treatment patterns contribute to elevated medical costs. Given the clinical complexity and claims… Read More >>

Post-Inflation Trends in Medical Payments Through 2025—A WCRI FlashReport

This study examines how the high-inflation period of 2021–2023 has affected medical payments in workers’ compensation through 2025—particularly in states that tie their medical fee schedules to general economic inflation measures. The findings are especially relevant as policymakers and stakeholders continue to grapple with inflationary pressures. The report analyzes how different fee… Read More >>

Artificial Intelligence in Workers’ Compensation: An Overview of Promises and Challenges

In recent years, interest in the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in workers’ compensation has grown rapidly. This study represents an important step toward understanding how stakeholders perceive the opportunities and risks associated with these emerging technologies by examining their views on the promises and challenges of AI in the workers’ compensation system. To develop the study,… Read More >>

Designing Workers’ Compensation Medical Fee Schedules, 2025

As policymakers consider implementing or revising medical fee schedules to control costs in their state workers’ compensation systems, this new study highlights the critical design choices involved in adopting, updating, and reforming these schedules. Crafting a medical fee schedule requires a delicate balance. If rates are set too low, treating injured workers may become uneconomical for… Read More >>

Hospital Outpatient Payment Index: Interstate Variations and Policy Analysis, 14th Edition

As many states consider revising hospital fee regulations, this new study compares hospital outpatient payments across 36 states and examines the impact of fee schedule reforms from 2005 to 2023. It also includes a benchmark comparing workers’ compensation hospital outpatient payments with Medicare rates and tracks the effects of recent policy changes. The report captures payments for… Read More >>

From Awareness to Action: Creating a Mental Health Action Plan for Your Organization

From stress and burnout to substance use disorders, this Travelers Institute session provided a comprehensive framework for understanding mental health as a continuum. Dr. Jerome M. Adams, the 20th U.S. Surgeon General and Executive Director of Purdue University’s Health Equity Initiatives and Center for Community Health Enhancement and Learning, was joined by Ramona Tanabe, President and CEO… Read More >>

WCRI’s New Studies

WCRI is on the ball. A webinar on Heat-Related Illnesses in the Workplace is scheduled for June 26; register here. Space is limited so don’t get left out in the blazing sun. Read More >>

Webinar: Heat-Related Illnesses in the Workplace

Waltham, MA, June 3, 2025 — With summer approaching, the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) is hosting a free, 30-minute webinar on Thursday, June 26, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. ET to share recent research on the connection between high temperatures and heat-related illnesses (HRIs) in the workplace. “With 2024 confirmed as the hottest year on record, these findings are especially… Read More >>

Webinar: Highlights of the Delaware Workers’ Compensation System

Waltham, MA, May 15, 2025 ― The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) will host a free, 30-minute webinar on Thursday, June 5, 2025, at 2 p.m. ET, focusing on findings from its CompScope™ Benchmarks for Delaware, 2025 Edition. The study’s lead author, Evelina Radeva, will discuss Delaware’s workers’ compensation system and its performance relative to other states. “The… Read More >>

Another Successful Conference in the Books

A huge thank you to our speakers and attendees for making the 2025 WCRI Issues & Research Conference in sunny Phoenix a tremendous success! We hope all our attendees enjoyed diving into our latest research, hearing from expert keynote speakers and panelists, and networking with our diverse audience. Mark your calendars for next year’s conference, scheduled for March 3–4, 2026, in… Read More >>

Study Highlights Specific Factors Driving High-Cost Rotator Cuff Disorder Claims

Waltham, MA – July 8, 2025 – A new study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) identifies detailed factors associated with high-cost claims involving rotator cuff disorders, based on an analysis of clinical characteristics and treatment patterns specific to these injuries. “This study offers a deeper understanding of how various levels of rotator cuff tears and their… Read More >>

Impact of Inflation on Workers’ Compensation Medical Payments from 2020 to 2025

Waltham, MA, June 30, 2025 – A new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) sheds light on how the high-inflation period of 2021–2023 has influenced medical payments in workers’ compensation up to 2025, focusing especially on states that link their medical fee schedules to general economic inflation measures. “With more data now available, we are better equipped to… Read More >>

New WCRI Study Explores Promises and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence in Workers’ Compensation

Waltham, MA, June 25, 2025 — A new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) examines how stakeholders view the promises and challenges of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workers’ compensation system. “In recent years, interest in the role of artificial intelligence in workers’ compensation has grown rapidly,” said Sebastian Negrusa, vice president of research… Read More >>

Striking the Balance: WCRI Study Reveals Key Decisions in Workers’ Comp Fee Schedules

Waltham, MA, June 20, 2025 – As policymakers seek to implement or revise price controls in their state workers’ compensation systems through medical fee schedules, a new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) highlights the critical design choices involved in adopting, reforming, and updating them. “The construction of a medical fee schedule in workers’… Read More >>

From Awareness to Action: Creating a Mental Health Action Plan for Your Organization

From stress and burnout to substance use disorders, this Travelers Institute session provided a comprehensive framework for understanding mental health as a continuum. Dr. Jerome M. Adams, the 20th U.S. Surgeon General and Executive Director of Purdue University’s Health Equity Initiatives and Center for Community Health Enhancement and Learning, was joined by Ramona Tanabe, President and CEO… Read More >>

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WCRI Medical Price Index for Workers’ Compensation, 17th Edition (MPI-WC)

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