Waltham, MA, February 19, 2026—A new report from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) finds that benefit delivery expenses made up about 15% of total costs per indemnity claim in New York for 2021/2024 workers’ compensation claims at 36 months of experience.

“This report updates and builds upon our previous work, examining the recent trends in benefit delivery expenses and key components,” said Sebastian Negrusa, vice president of research at WCRI. “We also drill down further on medical cost containment expenses and litigation expenses, examining key components within each of those categories.”

According to the study, benefit delivery expenses were split evenly between medical cost containment and litigation expenses. For medical cost containment expenses, the study details recent trends in payments per claim and the percentage of claims with bill review, utilization review, and case management services. For litigation‑related expenses, the report examines defense attorney fees, medical‑legal expenses, and ancillary legal expenses.

The study, Benefit Delivery Expenses in the New York Workers’ Compensation System, examines several research questions related to the frequency and costs associated with benefit delivery expenses, including:

  • How have benefit delivery expenses, including medical cost containment and litigation costs, changed over time in New York?
  • How have the key components within these expense categories changed?
  • What policy changes may have contributed to these trends?

The analysis is based on data from WCRI’s Detailed Benchmark/Evaluation database and includes non‑COVID‑19 claims with indemnity payments from injury years 2005 through 2023. The report was authored by William Monnin‑Browder and Carol A. Telles.

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