Waltham, MA, May 27, 2025 – A recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found that total costs per workers’ compensation claim in Virginia changed little in recent years and have grown less than the typical state of the 18-state study sample.

“This slow growth in Virginia reflects little change in medical payments per claim after the state implemented a medical fee schedule in 2018,” said Sebastian Negrusa, vice president of research for WCRI. “The other components of costs were growing similarly to what we observe in other study states.”

Key findings from the study include:

• Increases in wages and duration of temporary disability were the main reasons behind increases in Virginia indemnity benefits per claim since 2022.
• All components of benefit delivery expenses contributed to the increases in that category in Virginia in 2023, including medical-legal expenses, medical cost containment expenses, and litigation fees.

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Virginia, 2025 Edition, offers an overview of trends in workers’ compensation indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses per claim. It also compares workers’ compensation systems in Virginia and 17 other states across these key metrics. The study covers claims through March 2024, focusing on non-COVID-19 claims and examining the effects of pandemic-related disruptions and labor market shifts from 2019 to 2023.

The report was authored by Bogdan Savych.

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.

###

Return to BlogPress Releases listing