Waltham, MA, April 6, 2026—The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) has released its 2026 Annual Report, highlighting independent research published in 2025 and how it informed policy discussions nationwide.

In her letter, WCRI President and CEO Ramona Tanabe emphasized the importance of objective, empirical research amid rapid changes in health policy, labor markets, and emerging technologies.

“Rapid shifts in 2025—from changes in workers’ health care coverage to the growing impact of artificial intelligence—created new uncertainty for workers, employers, and policymakers,” Tanabe wrote. “These changes highlight why independent, objective research matters.”

The studies WCRI published in 2025 included research documenting rising medical payments, fewer injuries following California’s heat protections, comparable or faster outcomes when advanced practitioners provided initial care, and higher claim frequency after recreational marijuana legalization.

WCRI research was cited in congressional testimony, federal policy discussions, academic journals, and major publications, and was used as a resource in legislative, regulatory, and stakeholder discussions at state and national levels.

Looking ahead, WCRI remains focused on issues central to the future of workers’ compensation and on research priorities highly important to stakeholders.

The Annual Report includes a list of published studies, examples of how the research was used, key research highlights, member interviews, and a full list of supporters who made WCRI’s research possible in 2025. Click here to view the report.

About WCRI

The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) is an independent, not-for-profit research organization based in Waltham, Massachusetts. Founded in 1983, the Institute does not take positions on the issues it studies. Instead, it provides information based on research and data collection that follows recognized scientific methods. Objectivity is ensured through rigorous, unbiased peer review. WCRI’s diverse membership includes employers, insurers, government entities, managed care organizations, health care providers, insurance regulators, labor organizations, and state administrative agencies in the United States, Canada, and Australia

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