Changes in the Workforce and Their Impact on Workers’ Compensation Outcomes

As the U.S. economy experienced important disruptions in the last few years, the workers’ compensation system has likely been affected in various ways. This new WCRI study provides insights into…

Long COVID in the Workers’ Compensation System in 2020 and 2021

This study examines the prevalence of long COVID among workers with COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims that occurred between March 2020 and September 2021. For each claim, we collected information…

Insights into Medical Inflation in Workers’ Compensation—A WCRI FlashReport

The steep growth in consumer prices for energy, food, and housing over the last few years created concerns about potential rising inflation in medical care. This study examines to what extent the recent…

Hospital Outpatient Payment Index: Interstate Variations and Policy Analysis, 12th Edition

This study compares hospital outpatient payments across states and monitors the impact of fee schedule reforms from 2005 to 2021. It also includes a benchmark comparing workers’ compensation hospital…

WCRI Medical Price Index for Workers’ Compensation, 15th Edition (MPI-WC)

This annual study compares prices paid for a similar set of medical professional services for treating injured workers across 36 states and monitors price changes from 2008 to 2022. The study focuses…

CompScope™ Benchmarks, 23rd Edition

These comprehensive reference reports measure the performance of 17 state workers’ compensation systems, how they compare with each other, and how they have changed over time.

The reports…

Workers’ Compensation Prescription Drug Regulations: A National Inventory, 2023

Many states are grappling with the appropriate prescription of controlled substances, using an array of different regulatory strategies, overseen by different agencies. This report gathers in one place…

Workers’ Compensation Providers: Describing the Marketplace

This study helps policymakers and stakeholders get an informed view about access to providers in their states by describing the medical workforce treating workers with injuries. The study shows how…

Impact of Medical Provider Consolidation on Workers’ Compensation Payments

Medical markets are increasingly concentrated. This means that patients are more likely to be treated by physicians at sites owned by hospitals and health systems. This raises a policy concern that…

Factors Associated with Extended Use of Physical Medicine Services for Workers with Low Back Pain

Physical medicine (PM) services are commonly used in treating workers with low back pain (LBP) and other musculoskeletal injuries.

This report documents the prevalence of extended use of PM services…

Patient-Reported Functional Outcomes after Low Back Pain—A Comparison of Workers’ Compensation and Other Payors

Patient-reported outcomes have assumed a place of high importance among governmental and non-workers’ compensation payment systems. They are a new way to provide insights into workers’ recoveries…

Long COVID in the Workers’ Compensation System Early in the Pandemic

While most patients infected with COVID-19 recover quickly, some patients do not return to their usual state of health after the initial period of infection. 

Early in the pandemic, many…

Initial Medical Treatment at Emergency Department or Physician Office: Interstate Comparisons and Early COVID-19 Impact—A WCRI FlashReport

Oftentimes workers resort to emergency departments (EDs) to receive their initial medical services after a work-related injury. For some injuries, workers may be more likely to use ED services rather…

Monitoring Trends in the New York Workers’ Compensation System, 2022 Edition

Originally established to monitor changes in the New York system following substantial legislative reforms in March 2007, the report has evolved into a tool for tracking key metrics of system performance…

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks, 23rd Edition

The factors behind trends in medical payments per claim in 18 state workers’ compensation systems and the impact of legislative and regulatory changes on those costs are examined in this 23nd…

Trends in the Delaware Workers’ Compensation System, 2015–2020

In 2014, Delaware passed House Bill 373, which made changes to the workers’ compensation medical reimbursement system. This report examines the performance of the Delaware workers’ compensation…

A Primer on Behavioral Health Care in Workers’ Compensation

The COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on the importance of behavioral health. In particular, workers’ compensation stakeholders recognize that unaddressed behavioral health issues might delay…

Designing Workers’ Compensation Medical Fee Schedules, 2022

As policymakers seek to implement or change price controls in their state workers’ compensation system with a fee schedule, this study highlights the important design choices faced in adopting,…

Telemedicine: Patterns of Use and Reimbursement, 2020Q1–2021Q2 — A WCRI FlashReport

Although COVID-19 cases in the U.S. have plateaued, it is commonly anticipated that the utilization of telemedicine will remain at levels higher than pre-pandemic. Multiple legislative actions at the…

Interstate Variation and Trends in Workers’ Compensation Drug Payments: 2018Q1 to 2021Q1—A WCRI FlashReport

This FlashReport presents data on payments for prescription drugs paid in workers’ compensation for key therapeutic groups of drugs by quarter. The drug groups, which represent the large majority…

Hospital Outpatient Payment Index: Interstate Variations and Policy Analysis, 11th Edition

This study compares hospital outpatient payments across states and monitors the impact of fee schedule reforms from 2005 to 2020. It also includes a benchmark comparing workers’ compensation hospital…

WCRI Medical Price Index for Workers’ Compensation, 14th Edition (MPI-WC)

This annual study compares prices paid for medical professional services across 36 states and monitors price changes from 2008 to 2021, which includes just over a year of medical services delivered…

Chiropractic Care for Workers with Low Back Pain

As an increasing number of workers with injuries receive physical medicine treatment, of which chiropractic care may be a large part, this study describes the prevalence of chiropractic care and provider…

CompScope™ Benchmarks, 22nd Edition

These comprehensive reference reports measure the performance of 18 state workers’ compensation systems, how they compare with each other, and how they have changed over time.

The reports…

Workers’ Compensation Laws as of January 1, 2022

This report is an essential tool to identify the similarities and distinctions between workers’ compensation regulations and benefit levels in effect as of January 1, 2022, in U.S. states and…

Telemedicine: Patterns of Use and Reimbursement—A WCRI FlashReport

With telemedicine rising as an important alternative for access to care during the pandemic, this WCRI FlashReport examines the utilization patterns of telemedicine services and the prices paid for…

An Overview of the Delaware Workers’ Compensation System and the Effects of the 2014 Reforms

This is the first WCRI annual report on the Delaware workers’ compensation system. It contains metrics for evaluating the results of Delaware’s 2014 system reforms, mostly related to the…

Monitoring Trends in the New York Workers’ Compensation System, 2021 Edition

Originally established to monitor changes in the New York workers’ compensation system following substantial legislative reforms in March of 2007, the report has evolved into a tool for tracking…

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks, 22nd Edition

The factors behind trends in medical payments per claim in 18 state workers’ compensation systems and the impact of legislative and regulatory changes on those costs are examined in this 22nd…

WCRI FlashReport—Indemnity Benefits, Use of Medical Care, and Economic Conditions

This new FlashReport shows how indemnity benefits and medical utilization changed during the prior economic downturn and subsequent recovery. It also presents multiple measures describing changes in…

Outcomes Associated with Manual Therapy for Workers with Non-Chronic Low Back Pain

Manual therapy (MT), a hands-on therapy that improves range of motion and reduces pain, has been commonly used in treating workers with musculoskeletal injuries. However, patterns and outcomes of this…

Topical Analgesic Use in Workers’ Compensation

Topical analgesics are an important option for treating certain musculoskeletal and neuropathic pain conditions experienced by workers with injuries, as other commonly prescribed pain medications are…

Off-Label Use of Gabapentinoids for Work-Related Injuries

With a growing number of workers receiving gabapentinoids (e.g., Neurontin®, Lyrica®) for managing pain arising from work-related injuries and increasing safety and abuse concerns, this study…

Effects of Opioid-Related Policies on Opioid Utilization, Nature of Medical Care, and Duration of Disability

This new study examines the effects of must-access prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) and recent regulations limiting the duration of initial opioid prescriptions on various outcomes for…

The Early Impact of COVID-19 on Medical Treatment for Workers’ Compensation Non-COVID-19 Claims

In our previous work, we examined the effect of the spread of COVID-19 along with the accompanying massive decline in economic activity on workers’ compensation claim composition. In this new…

WCRI FlashReport — Interstate Variation and Trends in Workers’ Compensation Drug Payments: 2017Q1 to 2020Q1

This FlashReport presents data on payments for prescription drugs paid in workers’ compensation for key therapeutic groups of drugs by quarter. The drug groups, which represent the large majority…

WCRI Medical Price Index for Workers’ Compensation, 13th Edition (MPI-WC)

The 13th edition of this annual report helps compare prices paid for medical professional services across 36 states and monitor price changes from 2008 to 2020, which includes the beginning months of…

Hospital Outpatient Payment Index: Interstate Variations and Policy Analysis, 10th Edition

This study compares hospital outpatient payments across states and monitors the impact of fee schedule reforms from 2005 to 2019. It also includes an additional benchmark comparing workers’ compensation…

CompScope™ Benchmarks, 21st Edition

These comprehensive reference reports measure the performance of 18 state workers’ compensation systems, how they compare with each other, and how they have changed over time.

The reports…

WCRI FlashReport—Payments to Ambulatory Surgery Centers in Georgia: Role of Recent Fee Schedule Changes

This FlashReport examines recent trends in payments to ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) in Georgia and the role of recent fee schedule changes, including changes to Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective…

Workers’ Compensation Medical Cost Containment: A National Inventory, 2021

With medical benefits representing the single largest cost component for many state workers’ compensation systems, this study provides a basic understanding of the cost containment strategies…

The Early Impact of COVID-19 on Workers’ Compensation Claim Composition

This study addresses how the massive slowdown of economic activity early in the pandemic impacted workers’ compensation, and to what extent COVID-19 claims have arisen in the workers’ compensation…

Reoperation & Readmission Rates for Workers’ Compensation Patients Undergoing Lumbar Surgery

Post-surgery readmissions and reoperations are the primary quality indicators being used by commercial, governmental, and a limited number of workers’ compensation payors in their value-based…

Monitoring Trends in the New York Workers’ Compensation System, 2020 Edition

Originally established to monitor changes in the system following substantial legislative reforms in March of 2007, this report has evolved into a tool for tracking key metrics of system performance…

Early Predictors of Longer-Term Opioid Dispensing

Despite substantial reductions in recent years, opioids continue to be widely dispensed to workers with work-related injuries in several states. Longer-term opioid dispensing for workers with work-related…

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks, 21st Edition

The factors behind trends in medical payments per claim in 18 state workers’ compensation systems and the impact of legislative and regulatory changes on those costs are examined in this 21st…

The Timing of Physical Therapy for Low Back Pain: Does It Matter in Workers’ Compensation?

As an increasing number of workers with injuries are receiving physical therapy (PT), this study examines the association between early initiation of PT and utilization of medical services, costs of…

WCRI FlashReport—Interstate Variation and Trends in Workers’ Compensation Drug Payments: 2016Q1 to 2019Q1

This FlashReport presents data on quarterly payments for prescription drugs paid in workers’ compensation for key therapeutic groups of drugs over a three-year period from the first quarter of…

Workers’ Compensation Prescription Drug Regulations: A National Inventory, 2020

Across the country, states are grappling with an array of different regulatory strategies, overseen by different agencies, to address drugs prescribed to workers for their injuries.

This report…

WCRI Medical Price Index for Workers’ Compensation, 12th Edition (MPI-WC)

This annual study creates an index for the actual prices paid for professional services over a 12-year span from 2008 to 2019 based on a marketbasket of commonly used services for treating workers with…

Hospital Outpatient Payment Index: Interstate Variations and Policy Analysis, 9th Edition

This study compares hospital outpatient payments across states and monitors the impact of fee schedule reforms from 2005 to 2018. It also includes an additional benchmark comparing workers’ compensation…

CompScope™ Benchmarks, 20th Edition

These comprehensive reference reports measure the performance of 18 state workers’ compensation systems, how they compare with each other, and how they have changed over time.

The reports…

WCRI FlashReport — How Do Claim Costs, Components of Costs, and Worker Outcomes Differ by Age?

As the American workforce ages and workers are more likely to continue working into their later years, this new FlashReport shows how multiple measures of workers’ compensation system performance…

Monitoring Trends in the New York Workers’ Compensation System, 2019 Edition

This is the 12th annual report to track key performance metrics of the New York workers’ compensation benefit delivery system.

Originally established to monitor the system following reforms…

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks, 20th Edition

The factors behind trends in medical payments per claim in 18 state workers’ compensation systems and the impact of legislative and regulatory changes on those costs are examined in this 20th…

Do Treatment Guidelines Influence Early MRI and Decompression Surgery for Low Back Pain?

Evidence-based treatment guidelines are widely considered to be useful in the delivery of consistent and cost-effective care, especially for several medical procedures used in treating low back pain…

Evaluation of the 2015, 2016, and 2017 Fee Schedule Changes in Delaware

This new report provides policymakers and other stakeholders with the ability to examine all three rounds of the Delaware fee schedule changes enacted in House Bill (HB) 373. The objective of the fee…

Monitoring Trends in the New York Workers’ Compensation System, 2005-2015

This is the 10th annual report to regularly track key metrics of the performance of the New York workers’ compensation system after the 2007 reforms, which, in addition to other important provisions,…

CompScope Medical Benchmarks, 18th Edition

These reports can help identify changes over time in the provision of workers’ compensation medical care; detect areas where medical payments per claim, prices, or utilization may be higher or…

Recession, Fear of Job Loss, and Return to Work

Recessions typically mean fewer job opportunities and a greater likelihood that an injured worker will not be able to find suitable return-to-work employment. In a particularly severe recession, therefore,…

Social Determinants of Health in Workers’ Compensation—WCRI Research Notes

This study attempted to assess the importance of social determinants of health (SDOH) factors, but since we do not have SDOH data for individual workers, we could only rely on information on county-level…

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Wisconsin, 23rd Edition

This study can help policymakers and other stakeholders in Wisconsin identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in payments for indemnity benefits, medical care, and benefit delivery expenses.…

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Virginia, 23rd Edition

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in Virginia identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in total costs per claim and key components. It compares the performance of…

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Texas, 23rd Edition

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in Texas identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in total costs per claim and key components. It compares the performance of state…

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Pennsylvania, 23rd Edition

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in Pennsylvania identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in a wide variety of performance measures of state workers’ compensation…

CompScope™ Benchmarks for North Carolina, 23rd Edition

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in North Carolina identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in total costs per claim and key components. It compares the performance…

CompScope™ Benchmarks for New Jersey, 23rd Edition

This report benchmarks the performance of the New Jersey workers’ compensation system and 16 other states, focusing on indemnity benefits, overall medical payments, duration of temporary disability,…

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Minnesota, 23rd Edition

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in Minnesota identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses. The…

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Michigan, 23rd Edition

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in Michigan identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in a wide variety of performance measures of state workers’ compensation…

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Massachusetts, 23rd Edition

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in Massachusetts identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses.…

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Louisiana, 23rd Edition

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in Louisiana identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses. It…

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Indiana, 23rd Edition

This report compares the performance of the Indiana state workers’ compensation system with 16 other states, focusing on income benefits, overall medical payments, duration of temporary disability,…

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Illinois, 23rd Edition

The report for Illinois provides ongoing annual monitoring of how indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses per claim change over time, as well as how the Illinois workers’…

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Florida, 23rd Edition

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in Florida identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses. It compares…

CompScope™ Benchmarks for California, 23rd Edition

This study examines changes in the California workers’ compensation system and compares the performance of the California system with 16 other state systems. It focuses on costs, income benefits,…

Monitoring Trends after Adoption of New York’s Drug Formulary

This report is a part of a series of studies that examine the impact of drug formularies in five states (Arkansas, California, Indiana, Kentucky, and New York) that implemented formularies in 2018 and…

Monitoring Trends after Adoption of Kentucky’s Drug Formulary

This report is a part of a series of studies that examine the impact of drug formularies in five states (Arkansas, California, Indiana, Kentucky, and New York) that implemented formularies in 2018 and…

Monitoring Trends after Adoption of Indiana’s Drug Formulary

This report is a part of a series of studies that examine the impact of drug formularies in five states (Arkansas, California, Indiana, Kentucky, and New York) that implemented formularies in 2018 and…

Monitoring Trends after Adoption of California’s Drug Formulary

This report is a part of a series of studies that examine the impact of drug formularies in five states (Arkansas, California, Indiana, Kentucky, and New York) that implemented formularies in 2018 and…

Monitoring Trends after Adoption of Arkansas’ Drug Formulary

This report is a part of a series of studies that examine the impact of drug formularies in five states (Arkansas, California, Indiana, Kentucky, and New York) that implemented formularies in 2018 and…

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CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for North Carolina, 23rd Edition

This study can help policymakers and other stakeholders in the workers’ compensation system to identify cost drivers and emerging trends in payments and utilization of medical services among nonhospital…

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Louisiana, 23rd Edition

This study can help policymakers and other stakeholders in the workers’ compensation system to identify cost drivers and emerging trends in payments and utilization of medical services among nonhospital…

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for California, 23rd Edition

This study can help policymakers and other stakeholders in the workers’ compensation system to identify cost drivers and emerging trends in payments and utilization of medical services among nonhospital…

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Virginia, 23rd Edition

This study can help policymakers and other stakeholders in the workers’ compensation system to identify cost drivers and emerging trends in payments and utilization of medical services among nonhospital…

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Minnesota, 23rd Edition

This study can help policymakers and other stakeholders in the workers’ compensation system to identify cost drivers and emerging trends in payments and utilization of medical services among nonhospital…

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Massachusetts, 23rd Edition

This study can help policymakers and other stakeholders in the workers’ compensation system to identify cost drivers and emerging trends in payments and utilization of medical services among nonhospital…

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Texas, 23rd Edition

This study can help policymakers and other stakeholders in the workers’ compensation system to identify cost drivers and emerging trends in payments and utilization of medical services among nonhospital…

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for New Jersey, 23rd Edition

This study can help policymakers and other stakeholders in the workers’ compensation system to identify cost drivers and emerging trends in payments and utilization of medical services among nonhospital…

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Indiana, 23rd Edition

This study can help policymakers and other stakeholders in the workers’ compensation system to identify cost drivers and emerging trends in payments and utilization of medical services among nonhospital…

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Michigan, 23rd Edition

This study can help policymakers and other stakeholders in the workers’ compensation system to identify cost drivers and emerging trends in payments and utilization of medical services among nonhospital…

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Illinois, 23rd Edition

This study can help policymakers and other stakeholders in the workers’ compensation system to identify cost drivers and emerging trends in payments and utilization of medical services among nonhospital…

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Pennsylvania, 23rd Edition

This study can help policymakers and other stakeholders in the workers’ compensation system to identify cost drivers and emerging trends in payments and utilization of medical services among nonhospital…

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Florida, 23rd Edition

This study can help policymakers and other stakeholders in the workers’ compensation system to identify cost drivers and emerging trends in payments and utilization of medical services among nonhospital…

Changes in the Workforce and Their Impact on Workers’ Compensation Outcomes

As the U.S. economy experienced important disruptions in the last few years, the workers’ compensation system has likely been affected in various ways. This new WCRI study provides insights into…

Long COVID in the Workers’ Compensation System in 2020 and 2021

This study examines the prevalence of long COVID among workers with COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims that occurred between March 2020 and September 2021. For each claim, we collected information…

Insights into Medical Inflation in Workers’ Compensation—A WCRI FlashReport

The steep growth in consumer prices for energy, food, and housing over the last few years created concerns about potential rising inflation in medical care. This study examines to what extent the recent…

Hospital Outpatient Payment Index: Interstate Variations and Policy Analysis, 12th Edition

This study compares hospital outpatient payments across states and monitors the impact of fee schedule reforms from 2005 to 2021. It also includes a benchmark comparing workers’ compensation hospital…