Waltham, MA, September 10, 2026—Medical payments per claim increased by an average of 4% to 8% per year in most study states from 2022 to 2025, but the pace of growth varied across states, according to new studies from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI).

“During the height of the COVID pandemic, medical payments per claim declined or remained stable,” said Sebastian Negrusa, WCRI vice president of research. “But starting in 2023, we see a consistent pattern of rising prices across states, as well as other factors that were likely behind this growth in medical payments per claim.”

The CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks, 2026 Edition studies examine medical payments, prices, and utilization overall, by provider, and by type of service across 27 states, helping explain why medical costs differ by jurisdiction. Highlights from several of the individual studies include:

  • California: Medical payments per claim increased 12% over the last two years after several years of stability.
  • Florida: Medical payments per claim increased 4%, slower than in most study states despite several offsetting trends.
  • Indiana: Medical payments per claim have been relatively stable since 2022, while ambulatory surgery center (ASC) payments decreased after the introduction of the ASC fee schedule.
  • Minnesota: Unlike most study states, medical prices stabilized in 2024–2025 after a period of rapid growth.

The results reflect the experience of non-COVID-19 claims through March 2025. The 27 study states—Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin—represent about 68% of all workers' compensation benefit payments nationwide. Detailed analyses in the form of individual reports are available for 12 of the states; each of these includes comparative data for all 27 states.

The studies are free for members and available to nonmembers for a fee. Click here for more information.

About WCRI
The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) is an independent, not-for-profit research organization based in Waltham, Massachusetts. WCRI provides objective, high-quality research to help policymakers and other stakeholders make informed decisions about state workers' compensation systems. Its diverse membership includes employers, insurers, government agencies, managed care companies, health care providers, insurance regulators, labor organizations, and state administrative agencies.