Waltham, MA, May 13, 2025 – The recent changes in overall costs per claim in 2022 and 2023 in Florida were largely due to wage growth, according to a recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). In contrast, medical payments per claim were stable from 2020 to 2023 following a decrease in 2020, mainly driven by decreases in utilization of medical services due to pandemic-related factors.

“With stability in medical payments, wage growth in recent years has been the most influential factor on changes in Florida’s total costs per claim,” said Sebastian Negrusa, vice president of research for WCRI. “The state’s experience primarily reflects the tight labor market during the economic recovery from the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The following are some other findings from the study:

• Florida ranked in the middle of the study states on all components of total costs, namely medical payments, indemnity benefits, and benefit delivery expenses per claim.
• Typical medical payments per claim in Florida mask offsetting components: the lowest prices for nonhospital care and the highest prices for hospital outpatient services of the study states.

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Florida, 2025 Edition provides a comprehensive analysis of recent trends in indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses per claim. It also compares Florida’s workers’ compensation system with 17 other states on these key metrics. The study covers claims through March 2024, focusing on non-COVID-19 cases and examining the impact of pandemic-related disruptions and labor market shifts from 2019 to 2023.

The report was authored by Rebecca Yang and is available for download at https://www.wcrinet.org/reports/compscope-benchmarks-for-florida-2025-edition.

ABOUT WCRI

The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) is an independent, not-for-profit research organization based in Waltham, MA. Organized in late 1983, the Institute does not take positions on the issues it researches; rather, it provides information obtained through studies and data collection efforts, which conform to recognized scientific methods. Objectivity is further ensured through rigorous, unbiased peer review procedures. WCRI's diverse membership includes employers; insurers; governmental entities; managed care companies; health care providers; insurance regulators; labor organizations; and state administrative agencies in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

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