This study examines the key factors associated with high-cost workers’ compensation claims involving back and shoulder injuries, where medical expenses exceed $65,000 within 36 months of injury.

In a previous WCRI study, we identified factors that increase the likelihood of high medical payments by looking at all injury types together. This new study refines that analysis by focusing on back and shoulder injuries to better understand what contributes to higher claim costs.

The study looks at four back conditions (neurologic back pain; disc disorders; degenerative back conditions; and sprains, strains, and non-specific pain) and three shoulder injuries (rotator cuff disorders, frozen shoulders, and shoulder osteoarthritis).

The analysis is based on about 194,000 workers’ compensation claims with more than seven days of lost time, from 32 states. These claims involve injuries that occurred between October 1, 2015, and March 31, 2019, with detailed treatment and billing data tracked for up to 36 months after the injury, through March 31, 2022.

Patterns and Trends of High-Cost Claims Involving Back and Shoulder Injuries. Dongchun Wang, Kathryn L. Mueller, and Randall D. Lea. August 2025. WC-25-42.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

As the shortage of primary care physicians grows, more injured workers are receiving initial care from advanced practitioners—nurse practitioners and physician assistants. This study asks a timely question: Does it make a difference?

There’s growing interest in understanding how provider type influences outcomes. Some worry that advanced practitioners may lack the specialized experience to manage certain injuries. This study sheds light on how care provided by nurse practitioners and physician assistants shapes patterns of care and claim outcomes.

WCRI tested these concerns by comparing claim outcomes when the initial provider was an advanced practitioner versus a primary care physician. Key measures included the following:

• Time to first nonemergency office visit
• Number of medical visits
• Use and timing of specialty care
• MRI use within six weeks
• Medical and indemnity payments
• Duration of temporary disability

The analysis for the study draws on detailed claims and medical data from 29 states, covering over 80 percent of workers’ compensation benefits paid in 2022. It includes injuries from October 1, 2012, to September 30, 2022, and tracks outcomes up to 6 or 12 months postinjury.

Advanced Practitioners and Workers’ Compensation Claim Outcomes. Bogdan Savych and Olesya Fomenko. July 2025. WC-25-26.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study examined the association between condition-specific factors and the likelihood of a claim becoming high cost (defined as medical payments exceeding $65,000 within 36 months of injury).

It provides a deeper understanding of how varying levels of rotator cuff tears and their surgical treatment patterns contribute to elevated medical costs. Given the clinical complexity and claims management challenges these injuries present, the findings can inform effective care strategies and resource utilization.

The analysis draws on nearly 50,000 rotator cuff disorder claims from a larger dataset of over 930,000 lost-time claims across 32 states. These claims involved injuries occurring between October 2015 and March 2019, with detailed medical billing and treatment data tracked for three years postinjury.

Patterns and Trends of High-Cost Claims Involving Rotator Cuff Disorders. Dongchun Wang, Randall D. Lea, and Kathryn L. Mueller. July 2025. WC-25-25.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study examines how the high-inflation period of 2021–2023 has affected medical payments in workers’ compensation through 2025—particularly in states that tie their medical fee schedules to general economic inflation measures. The findings are especially relevant as policymakers and stakeholders continue to grapple with inflationary pressures.

The report analyzes how different fee schedule update methods—ranging from broad economic indexes like the Consumer Price Index and wage measures to medical-specific indexes such as the Producer Price Index for health care services—have influenced medical cost growth in workers’ compensation since 2020. While general health care prices rose steadily at about 3 percent per year, the study explores why workers’ compensation medical payments varied more widely across states.

Drawing on multiple data sources, the report uses inflation figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and workers’ compensation data from WCRI’s CompScope™ studies and Detailed Benchmark/Evaluation database, which includes claims from insurers, state funds, and self-insured employers. Nonhospital price trends are tracked through WCRI’s Medical Price Index for Workers’ Compensation, and hospital outpatient trends are based on WCRI’s Hospital Outpatient Payment Index. Fee schedule data come from WCRI’s 2025 fee schedule study, RefMed® data, and Medicare. The analysis covers trends from 2012 through 2025.

Post-Inflation Trends in Medical Payments Through 2025—A WCRI FlashReport. Rebecca Yang and Olesya Fomenko. June 2025. FR-25-03.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

In recent years, interest in the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in workers’ compensation has grown rapidly. This study represents an important step toward understanding how stakeholders perceive the opportunities and risks associated with these emerging technologies by examining their views on the promises and challenges of AI in the workers’ compensation system.

To develop the study, WCRI researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 34 leaders from 20 organizations—including employers, insurers, medical providers, worker advocates, and regulators—supplemented by informal discussions. They also reviewed relevant literature and regulations concerning AI developments and applications.

By outlining current and emerging uses of AI in workers’ compensation and identifying associated risks and potential safeguards, the study aims to provide a common language for stakeholders and inform policy discussions that promote responsible AI use to improve injured workers’ recovery and experience.

Artificial Intelligence in Workers’ Compensation: An Overview of Promises and Challenges. Bogdan Savych and Vennela Thumula. June 2025. WC-25-22.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

As policymakers consider implementing or revising medical fee schedules to control costs in their state workers’ compensation systems, this new study highlights the critical design choices involved in adopting, updating, and reforming these schedules.

Crafting a medical fee schedule requires a delicate balance. If rates are set too low, treating injured workers may become uneconomical for providers, jeopardizing access to care. Conversely, rates set too high may reduce potential savings and weaken the fee schedule’s cost-containment goals.

This study outlines the key decisions public officials face when establishing or revising physician fee schedules. It examines how 44 states with fee schedules and the District of Columbia have addressed these challenges as of March 31, 2025, and analyzes major changes to professional medical service fee schedules since March 2022—particularly in light of elevated inflation in the broader economy.

It also compares fee schedule levels across states for professional services, which account for about 41 percent of workers’ compensation medical costs. The study does not assess whether rates are appropriate or explore broader policy impacts, such as access to care or patterns of medical utilization

Designing Workers’ Compensation Medical Fee Schedules, 2025. Olesya Fomenko and Te-Chun Liu. June 2025. WC-25-41.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

As many states consider revising hospital fee regulations, this new study compares hospital outpatient payments across 36 states and examines the impact of fee schedule reforms from 2005 to 2023. It also includes a benchmark comparing workers’ compensation hospital outpatient payments with Medicare rates and tracks the effects of recent policy changes.

The report captures payments for services provided and billed directly by hospitals, such as outpatient surgeries. It excludes professional services billed by nonhospital providers (e.g., physicians, physical therapists, and chiropractors), as well as payments for pharmaceuticals, durable medical equipment, and services at ambulatory surgery centers.

States included in the study: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Hospital Outpatient Payment Index: Interstate Variations and Policy Analysis, 14th Edition. Olesya Fomenko and Rebecca Yang. May 2025. WC-25-24.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This annual study compares prices paid for medical professional services across 36 states from 2008 to 2024. It focuses on services commonly billed by physicians, physical therapists, and chiropractors, including evaluation and management, physical medicine, surgery, major and minor radiology, neurological testing, pain management injections, and emergency care.

Unlike other indices measuring prices of all medical professional services provided to the general population, this index is a more relevant benchmark of medical inflation in workers’ compensation as it focuses on those services commonly provided to workers with injuries. Since workers’ compensation price regulations are set at the state level, this study provides a state-level price index to help policymakers and stakeholders conduct meaningful comparisons of prices paid across states and to monitor price trends in relation to changes in fee schedules.

This edition covers 36 states that represent 88 percent of the workers’ compensation benefits paid in the United States. These states are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

WCRI Medical Price Index for Workers’ Compensation, 17th Edition (MPI-WC). Rebecca Yang and Olesya Fomenko. May 2025. WC-25-23.

(This is a free report. If you have a member user name and password, please log into the website to access this report. All others can access the report for free by adding it to the shopping cart and going through the checkout process.)

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

As more states adopt recreational marijuana laws (RMLs), this new study examines changes in workers’ compensation claim frequency and outcomes such as per-claim medical payments, indemnity benefits, temporary disability duration, and prescription drug utilization and costs.

This research is important as marijuana use continues to rise. Our study highlights the complex effects RMLs have on work injury risk and workers’ compensation claim costs.

The study’s findings can inform debates on issues such as marijuana rescheduling, occupational treatment guidelines, state THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) regulations, or marijuana taxes. The analysis covers 31 states, using data from workers’ compensation claims filed between October 2012 and March 2022.

Impact of Recreational Marijuana Laws on Workers’ Compensation Benefits. Vennela Thumula, Johanna Catherine MacLean, David Powell, and Sebastian Negrusa. April 2025. WC-25-21.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

These studies help workers’ compensation policymakers and other system stakeholders identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in total costs per claim and key components.

They compare the performance of state workers’ compensation systems in 18 states, focusing on overall medical payments, income benefits, use of benefits, duration of temporary disability, benefit delivery expenses, timeliness of payments, and other metrics.

Additionally, the studies examine how these system performance metrics have changed, mainly from 2018 to 2023, for claims at various maturities. We analyze claims with experience through 2024 for injuries up to and including 2023, and in some cases, we use a longer time frame to supply historical context.

The 18 states in the study are Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. There are individual reports for every state except Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, and Texas.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2024, including non-COVID-19 claims. As a result, the study provides a detailed look at how the pandemic-related disruptions affected non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the early pandemic years (2019–2021) and more recently (2021–2023).

CompScope™ Benchmarks, 2025 Edition. Terence Cawley, Roman Dolinschi, William Monnin-Browder, Evelina Radeva, Karen Rothkin, Bogdan Savych, Carol A. Telles, and Rebecca Yang. April 2025. WC-25-03 to WC-25-16.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This 2025 edition of the CompScope™ Benchmarks study examines changes in the California workers’ compensation system and compares the performance of the California system with 17 other state systems. The report focuses on costs, income benefits, overall medical payments, use of benefits, duration of temporary disability, frequency and payments of permanent partial disability (PPD)/lump-sum claims, benefit delivery expenses, litigiousness, timeliness of payments, and other metrics. It examines how these system performance metrics have changed, primarily from 2018 to 2023 for claims at various claim maturities; in some cases, we use a longer time frame to provide historical context.

Note that the results we report reflect experience on claims through March 2024, including non-COVID-19 claims from the pandemic period. The study, therefore, provides a look at how the pandemic impacted non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims.

CompScope™ Benchmarks for California, 2025 Edition. William Monnin-Browder. April 2025. WC-25-03.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

The study provides policymakers and other system stakeholders in Delaware with ongoing annual monitoring of changes in indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses per claim. It also compares the Delaware workers’ compensation system with 17 other study states on these key metrics.

This edition analyzes claims with injury dates between 2018 and 2023 (evaluated as of March 31, 2024). In some cases, we use a longer time frame to supply historical context for key metrics and to provide a broader context for monitoring changes in Delaware’s system performance. Where relevant, we include findings from other recent Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) studies to provide a more comprehensive picture of the Delaware workers’ compensation system.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2024, including non-COVID-19 claims. As a result, the study provides a detailed look at how the pandemic-related disruptions affected non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the early pandemic years (2019–2021) and more recently (2021–2023).

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Delaware, 2025 Edition. Evelina Radeva. April 2025. WC-25-04.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in Florida identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in total costs per claim and key components, namely indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses.

It compares the performance of the Florida workers’ compensation system with 17 other states, focusing on income benefits, overall medical payments, use of benefits, duration of temporary disability, frequency and payments of permanent partial disability (PPD)/lump-sum claims, benefit delivery expenses, litigiousness, timeliness of payments, and other metrics.

Additionally, the study examines how these system performance metrics have changed, mainly from 2018 to 2023, for claims at various claim maturities. We analyze claims with experience through 2024 for injuries up to and including 2023, and, in some cases, a longer time frame is used to supply historical context. Information from other studies is also used to provide a more complete picture of the system.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2024, including non-COVID-19 claims. As a result, the study provides a detailed look at how the pandemic-related disruptions affected non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the early pandemic years (2019–2021) and more recently (2021–2023).

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Florida, 2025 Edition. Rebecca Yang. April 2025. WC-25-05.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

The study provides policymakers and other system stakeholders in Illinois with ongoing annual monitoring of changes in indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses per claim. It also compares the Illinois workers’ compensation system with 17 other study states on these key metrics.

This edition analyzes claims with injury dates between 2018 and 2023 (evaluated as of March 31, 2024). In some cases, we use a longer time frame to supply historical context for key metrics and to provide a broader context for monitoring changes in Illinois’s system performance. Where relevant, we include findings from other recent Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) studies to provide a more comprehensive picture of the Illinois workers’ compensation system.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2024, including non-COVID-19 claims. As a result, the study provides a detailed look at how the pandemic-related disruptions affected non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the early pandemic years (2019–2021) and more recently (2021–2023).

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Illinois, 2025 Edition. Evelina Radeva. April 2025. WC-25-06.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in Indiana identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses. It compares the performance of state workers’ compensation systems in Indiana and 17 other states, focusing on income benefits, overall medical payments, use of benefits, duration of temporary disability, benefit delivery expenses, timeliness of payments, and other metrics.

Additionally, the study examines how these system performance metrics have changed, mainly from 2018 to 2023, for claims at various claim maturities. We analyze claims with experience through 2024 for injuries up to and including 2023, and, in some cases, a longer time frame is used to supply historical context. Information from other studies is also used to provide a more complete picture of the system.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2024, focusing on non-COVID-19 claims. As a result, the study provides a detailed look at how the pandemic-related disruptions affected non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the early pandemic years (2019–2021) and more recently (2021–2023).

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Indiana, 2025 Edition. Roman Dolinschi and Evelina Radeva. April 2025. WC-25-07.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in Louisiana identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses.

It compares the performance of the Louisiana workers’ compensation system with 17 other states, focusing on income benefits, costs, overall medical payments, use of benefits, duration of temporary disability, benefit delivery expenses, timeliness of payment, and other metrics.

Additionally, the study examines how these system performance metrics have changed, mainly from 2018 to 2023, for claims at various claim maturities. We analyze claims with experience through 2024 for injuries up to and including 2023, and, in some cases, we use a longer time frame to supply historical context.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2024, including non-COVID-19 claims. As a result, the study provides a detailed look at how the pandemic-related disruptions affected non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the early pandemic years (2019–2021) and more recently (2021–2023).

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Louisiana, 2025 Edition. Carol A. Telles. April 2025. WC-25-08.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in Massachusetts identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses. It compares the performance of the Massachusetts workers’ compensation system with 17 other states, focusing on income benefits, costs, overall medical payments, use of benefits, duration of temporary disability, benefit delivery expenses, timeliness of payments, and other metrics.

Additionally, the study examines how these system performance metrics have changed, mainly from 2018 to 2023, for claims at various claim maturities. We analyze claims with experience through 2024 for injuries up to and including 2023, and, in some cases, a longer time frame is used to supply historical context. Information from other studies is also used to provide a more complete picture of the system.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2024, focusing on non-COVID-19 claims. As a result, the study provides a detailed look at how the pandemic-related disruptions affected non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the early pandemic years (2019–2021) and more recently (2021–2023).

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Massachusetts, 2025 Edition. Roman Dolinschi. April 2025. WC-25-09.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This 2025 edition of CompScope™ Benchmarks for Michigan helps policymakers and other system stakeholders identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in a wide variety of performance measures of state workers’ compensation systems. This report provides meaningful comparisons between Michigan and 17 other study states on key measures including income benefits, duration of temporary disability, lump-sum settlements, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses.

It also examines how these metrics have changed from 2018 to 2023. In some cases, we use a longer time frame to supply historical context for key metrics. We also include information from other Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) studies to provide a more complete picture of the system in Michigan.

Note that the results we report reflect experience on claims through March 2024, including non-COVID-19 claims since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States in March 2020. The study, therefore, provides a look at how the pandemic impacted non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims.

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Michigan, 2025 Edition. Terence Cawley. April 2025. WC-25-10.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in Minnesota identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in total costs per claim and key components, namely indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses.

It compares the performance of state workers’ compensation systems in Minnesota and 17 other states, focusing on income benefits, overall medical payments, use of benefits, duration of temporary disability, frequency and payments of permanent partial disability (PPD)/lump-sum claims, benefit delivery expenses, litigiousness, timeliness of payments, and other metrics.

Additionally, the study examines how these system performance metrics have changed, mainly from 2018 to 2023, for claims at various claim maturities. We analyze claims with experience through 2024 for injuries up to and including 2023, and, in some cases, a longer time frame is used to supply historical context. Information from other studies is also used to provide a more complete picture of the system.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2024, including non-COVID-19 claims. As a result, the study provides a detailed look at how the pandemic-related disruptions affected non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the early pandemic years (2019–2021) and more recently (2021–2023).

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Minnesota, 2025 Edition. Rebecca Yang. April 2025. WC-25-11.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

The study provides policymakers and other system stakeholders in New Jersey with ongoing annual monitoring of changes in indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses per claim. It also compares the New Jersey workers’ compensation system with 17 other study states on these key metrics.

This edition analyzes claims with injury dates between 2018 and 2023 (evaluated as of March 31, 2024). In some cases, we use a longer time frame to supply historical context for key metrics and to provide a broader context for monitoring changes in New Jersey’s system performance. Where relevant, we include findings from other recent Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) studies to provide a more comprehensive picture of the New Jersey workers’ compensation system.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2024, including non-COVID-19 claims. As a result, the study provides a detailed look at how the pandemic-related disruptions affected non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the early pandemic years (2019–2021) and more recently (2021–2023).

CompScope™ Benchmarks for New Jersey, 2025 Edition. Evelina Radeva. April 2025. WC-25-12.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in North Carolina identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in total costs per claim and key components.

It compares the performance of North Carolina’s workers’ compensation system with 17 other states, focusing on income benefits, overall medical payments, use of benefits, duration of temporary disability, benefit delivery expenses, timeliness of payments, and other metrics.

Additionally, the study examines how these system performance metrics have changed, mainly from 2018 to 2023, for claims at various maturities. We analyze claims with experience through 2024 for injuries up to and including 2023, and in some cases, we use a longer time frame to supply historical context. For example, major legislation enacted in 2011 focused on indemnity benefits and fee schedule changes enacted in 2015 impacted medical payments. Using longer time frames, we can observe how the legislation impacted trends in indemnity benefit components and medical payments.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2024, including non-COVID-19 claims. As a result, the study provides a detailed look at how the pandemic-related disruptions affected non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the early pandemic years (2019–2021) and more recently (2021–2023).

CompScope™ Benchmarks for North Carolina, 2025 Edition. Carol A. Telles. April 2025. WC-25-13.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This 2025 edition of CompScope™ Benchmarks for Pennsylvania helps policymakers and other system stakeholders identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in a wide variety of performance measures of state workers’ compensation systems. This report provides meaningful comparisons between Pennsylvania and 17 other study states on key measures including indemnity benefits, duration of temporary disability, lump-sum settlements, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses. It also examines how these metrics have changed from 2018 to 2023. In some cases, we use a longer time period to supply historical context for key metrics. We also include information from other Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) studies to provide a more complete picture of the system in Pennsylvania.

Note that the results we report reflect experience on claims through March 2024, including non-COVID-19 claims from the pandemic period. The study, therefore, provides a look at how the pandemic impacted non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims.

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Pennsylvania, 2025 Edition. William Monnin-Browder. April 2025. WC-25-14.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in Virginia identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in total costs per claim and key components. It also helps them monitor the ongoing impact of the medical fee schedule implemented on January 1, 2018.

It compares the performance of the Virginia workers’ compensation system with 17 other states, focusing on overall medical payments, income benefits, use of benefits, duration of temporary disability, benefit delivery expenses, timeliness of payments, and other metrics.

Additionally, the study examines how these system performance metrics have changed, mainly from 2018 to 2023, for claims at various claim maturities. Claims with experience through 2024 for injuries up to and including 2023 were analyzed, and, in some cases, a longer time frame was used to supply historical context. Information from other studies was also used to provide a more complete picture of the system.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2024, including non-COVID-19 claims. As a result, the study provides a detailed look at how the pandemic-related disruptions affected non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the early pandemic years (2019–2021) and more recently (2021–2023).

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Virginia, 2025 Edition. Bogdan Savych. April 2025. WC-25-15.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

The study provides policymakers and other system stakeholders in Wisconsin with ongoing annual monitoring of changes in indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses per claim. It also compares the Wisconsin workers’ compensation system with 17 other study states on these key metrics.

This edition analyzes claims with injury dates between 2018 and 2023 (evaluated as of March 31, 2024). In some cases, we use a longer time frame to supply historical context for key metrics and to provide a broader context for monitoring changes in Wisconsin’s system performance. Where relevant, we include findings from other recent Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) studies to provide a more comprehensive picture of the Delaware workers’ compensation system.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2024, including non-COVID-19 claims. As a result, the study provides a detailed look at how the pandemic-related disruptions affected non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the early pandemic years (2019–2021) and more recently (2021–2023).

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Wisconsin, 2025 Edition. Evelina Radeva. April 2025. WC-25-16.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

Degenerative and comorbid conditions often coexist with primary work-related injuries, complicating treatment and recovery, leading to increased costs and extended duration of temporary disability. 

This study compares claims with and without comorbidities, as well as those involving one or multiple comorbid conditions. It highlights the importance of early detection and intervention to reduce the impact of these conditions on claim costs and outcomes. 

The analysis for this study is based on 930,000 claims with more than seven days of lost time across 32 states. The report includes measures on medical payments, indemnity benefits, and duration of temporary disability.

Degenerative and Comorbid Conditions in Workers’ Compensation. Dongchun Wang, Randall D. Lea, and Kathyrn L. Mueller. March 2025. WC-25-20.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This report from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) and the International Association of Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC) compares workers’ compensation regulations and benefits across U.S. states and Canadian provinces as of January 1, 2025.

In Canada and the United States, workers’ compensation is governed by sub-national legislative bodies and administrative agencies. The differences between jurisdictional laws and regulations can be subtle, and this survey helps professionals understand those differences.

The study builds on years of valuable work by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), which pioneered the use of standardized tables to ensure uniformity across states and consistency over time. After USDOL suspended production for budgetary reasons, WCRI and IAIABC partnered to continue publishing this important resource.

Workers’ Compensation Laws as of January 1, 2025. Karen Rothkin. February 2025. WC-25-19.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This FlashReport examines how medical utilization trends during the COVID-19 pandemic varied by workers' age and job tenure. A significant driver behind trends in medical payments per claim during the pandemic was a decrease in medical utilization. This report offers valuable insights into how these patterns differed across workers of varying ages and tenures.

The study analyzed data from 17 states covering the years 2017 to 2022, with particular emphasis on the pandemic period beginning in 2019. It explores medical service utilization by age and tenure, focusing on key areas such as office visits, emergency care, physical medicine, and major surgeries. The report specifically looks at non-COVID claims, highlighting the broader impact of the pandemic on medical care.

Trends in Medical Utilization as a Function of Age and Tenure—A WCRI FlashReport. Rebecca Yang, Karen Rothkin, Evelina Radeva, and Roman Dolinschi. February 2025. FR-25-02.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This FlashReport provides an in-depth analysis of settlement behaviors in New York, examining the policy changes and other factors influencing these trends. Settlements involving both indemnity and medical benefits are prevalent in New York, particularly in cases with permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits. Understanding these settlements is crucial, as New York’s system includes both schedule loss of use (SLU) and non-schedule awards, determined by the specific body part affected by the injury.

The report’s insights are drawn from WCRI’s Detailed Benchmark/Evaluation database, which comprises claims data from national and regional insurers, as well as claims management organizations. The analysis focuses on open and closed non-COVID-19 indemnity claims from injury years 2005 to 2022, with evaluations conducted at 12 to 60 months of maturity.

Changing Settlement Behavior in the New York Workers’ Compensation System—A WCRI FlashReport. William Monnin-Browder and Carol A. Telles. January 2025. FR-25-01.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study explores shifts in the medical workforce and their impact on injured workers. It highlights challenges such as medical provider shortages and rising health care demand, which can cause treatment delays, prolonged recovery times, and higher workers' compensation costs. These issues, amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic, remain a concern for ensuring timely access to care.

Analyzing workers’ compensation data from 2013 to 2022, the study identifies trends in access to primary care physicians versus advanced practitioners like nurse practitioners and physician assistants. It examines regional differences in advanced practitioner use and the effects of provider supply changes on claim costs, disability duration, and types of care provided. Using WCRI’s Detailed Benchmark/Evaluation (DBE) database, the study offers valuable insights to help stakeholders address changes in the medical workforce.

Changes in the Medical Workforce and Impact on Claims. Bogdan Savych and Olesya Fomenko. January 2025. WC-25-02.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study offers an in-depth look at workers' compensation claims in New York, focusing on the prevalence and costs of various claim types. The results provide a valuable overview of the types of claims that occur in the New York workers’ compensation system, the costs associated with them, and the timing of key payments, including lump-sum settlements. This information is useful for stakeholders to gain a more detailed perspective of the system and provides a helpful basis for evaluating future policy decisions.

The report analyzes workers’ compensation claims at a snapshot of time, claims from 2018 evaluated in 2023 (60 months after injury). It provides a thorough examination of overall claim costs, timing of key indemnity payments, and other essential system performance indicators. The data used to evaluate the frequency, costs, and timing of New York claims by claim type come from WCRI’s Detailed Benchmark/Evaluation (DBE) database. This information was collected from national and regional insurance providers and claims management organizations. The data underlying this report come from 15 companies representing a mix in terms of premium volume and claim share, as well as insured and self-insured employers.

Life Cycle of a New York Workers’ Compensation Claim. William Monnin-Browder and Carol A. Telles. January 2025. WC-25-01.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

As the number of heat-related illnesses (HRIs), such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke, continues to rise, this FlashReport builds on prior WCRI research to better understand HRIs in the workplace and distinguish the effects of excessive heat on HRIs versus heat-related accidents. The findings are especially significant amid ongoing policy debates on heat standards at the state and federal levels. They also suggest that the broader impact of excessive heat on workplace safety extends beyond HRIs, contributing to an increase in other injuries such as falls and cuts.

This study utilizes data from the WCRI Detailed Benchmark/Evaluation (DBE) database, encompassing workers' compensation claims from various insurers, state funds, and self-insured employers across 31 U.S. states. These states account for approximately 80 percent of U.S. workers’ compensation benefits. The DBE database provides comprehensive claims data, including injury dates and locations, while temperature data were used to assess temperature-related patterns and factors in the study.

Heat-Related Illnesses in the Workplace—A WCRI FlashReport. Vennela Thumula and Olesya Fomenko. December 2024. FR-24-04.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

The factors behind trends in medical payments per claim in 17 state workers’ compensation systems and the impact of legislative and regulatory changes on those costs are examined in this 25th edition of CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks.

The studies examine trends in payments, prices, and utilization of medical care for workers with injuries. They provide analyses of recent costs and trends for policymakers and other system stakeholders, reporting how medical payments per claim and cost components vary over time and from state to state. The studies cover the period from 2017 through 2022, with claims experience through March 2023.

The 17 study states—Arkansas, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin—represent about 60 percent of the nation’s workers’ compensation benefit payments. Individual reports are available for every state except Arkansas, Iowa, and Tennessee.

The results we report reflect experience on claims through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the pandemic period (March 2020–September 2022). The study, therefore, provides a perspective of how the pandemic impacted non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the three years after the start of the pandemic.

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks, 25th Edition. Roman Dolinschi, William Monnin-Browder, Evelina Radeva, Karen Rothkin, Bogdan Savych, Carol A. Telles, Rebecca Yang, and Terence Cawley. October 2024. WC-24-25 to WC-24-38.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study assists policymakers and stakeholders in California’s workers’ compensation system by identifying current cost drivers and emerging trends in payments, prices, and utilization of medical services among both nonhospital and hospital providers.

The report compares these medical payment metrics in California with those in 16 other states and analyzes changes from 2017 to 2022. In some instances, we include data from before 2017 to provide historical context for key metrics. Additionally, we draw on findings from other WCRI studies to create a more comprehensive overview of the system in California.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the first three years of the pandemic (March 2020 to September 2022), offering insights into how the pandemic influenced non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims during that time.

The report highlights key policy changes in recent years, including Assembly Bill 1124, which established a drug formulary in January 2018, as well as updates to California’s medical fee schedules for hospital outpatient departments, ambulatory surgery centers, and nonhospital professional services, which may have impacted the report’s findings.

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for California, 25th Edition. William Monnin-Browder. October 2024. WC-24-25.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study assists policymakers and stakeholders in Florida’s workers’ compensation system by identifying current cost drivers and emerging trends in payments, prices, and utilization of medical care received by workers with injuries. It examines these medical services by type of provider and service.

The report compares these medical payment metrics in Florida with those in 16 other states and analyzes changes from 2017 to 2022. In some instances, we include data from before 2017 to provide historical context for key metrics. Additionally, we draw on findings from other WCRI studies to create a more comprehensive overview of the system in Florida.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the pandemic period (March 2020 to September 2022), offering insights into how the pandemic influenced non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims during that time.

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Florida, 25th Edition. Rebecca Yang. October 2024. WC-24-26.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study assists policymakers and stakeholders in Illinois’s workers’ compensation system by identifying current cost drivers and emerging trends in payments, prices, and utilization of medical services among both nonhospital and hospital providers.

The report compares these medical payment metrics in Illinois with those in 16 other states and analyzes changes from 2017 to 2022. In some instances, we include data from before 2017 to provide historical context for key metrics. Additionally, we draw on findings from other WCRI studies to create a more comprehensive overview of the system in Illinois.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the first three years of the pandemic (March 2020 to September 2022), offering insights into how the pandemic influenced non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims during that time.

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Illinois, 25th Edition. Evelina Radeva. October 2024. WC-24-27.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study assists policymakers and stakeholders in Indiana’s workers’ compensation system by identifying current cost drivers and emerging trends in payments, prices, and utilization of medical services among both nonhospital and hospital providers.

The report compares these medical payment metrics in Indiana with those in 16 other states and analyzes changes from 2017 to 2022. In some instances, we include data from before 2017 to provide historical context for key metrics. Additionally, we draw on findings from other WCRI studies to create a more comprehensive overview of the system in Indiana.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the first three years of the pandemic (March 2020 to September 2022), offering insights into how the pandemic influenced non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims during that time.

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Indiana, 25th Edition. Evelina Radeva. October 2024. WC-24-28.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study assists policymakers and stakeholders in Louisiana’s workers’ compensation system by identifying current cost drivers and emerging trends in payments, prices, and utilization of medical services among both nonhospital and hospital providers.

The report compares these medical payment metrics in Louisiana with those in 16 other states and analyzes changes from 2017 to 2022. In some instances, we include data from before 2017 to provide historical context for key metrics. Additionally, we draw on findings from other WCRI studies to create a more comprehensive overview of the system in Louisiana.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the first three years of the pandemic (March 2020 to September 2022), offering insights into how the pandemic influenced non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims during that time.

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Louisiana, 25th Edition. Carol A. Telles. October 2024. WC-24-29.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study assists policymakers and stakeholders in Massachusetts’s workers’ compensation system by identifying current cost drivers and emerging trends in payments, prices, and utilization of medical services among both nonhospital and hospital providers.

The report compares these medical payment metrics in Massachusetts with those in 16 other states and analyzes changes from 2017 to 2022. In some instances, we include data from before 2017 to provide historical context for key metrics. Additionally, we draw on findings from other WCRI studies to create a more comprehensive overview of the system in Massachusetts.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the first three years of the pandemic (March 2020 to September 2022), offering insights into how the pandemic influenced non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims during that time.

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Massachusetts, 25th Edition. Roman Dolinschi. October 2024. WC-24-30.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study assists policymakers and stakeholders in Michigan’s workers’ compensation system by identifying current cost drivers and emerging trends in payments, prices, and utilization of medical services among both nonhospital and hospital providers.

The report compares these medical payment metrics in Michigan with those in 16 other states and analyzes changes from 2017 to 2022. In some instances, we include data from before 2017 to provide historical context for key metrics. Additionally, we draw on findings from other WCRI studies to create a more comprehensive overview of the system in Michigan.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the first three years of the pandemic (March 2020 to September 2022), offering insights into how the pandemic influenced non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims during that time.

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Michigan, 25th Edition. William Monnin-Browder and Terence Cawley. October 2024. WC-24-31.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study assists policymakers and stakeholders in Minnesota’s workers’ compensation system by identifying current cost drivers and emerging trends in payments, prices, and utilization of medical care received by workers with injuries. It examines these medical services by type of provider and service.

The report compares these medical payment metrics in Minnesota with those in 16 other states and analyzes changes from 2017 to 2022. In some instances, we include data from before 2017 to provide historical context for key metrics. Additionally, we draw on findings from other WCRI studies to create a more comprehensive overview of the system in Minnesota.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the pandemic period (March 2020 to September 2022), offering insights into how the pandemic influenced non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims during that time.

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Minnesota, 25th Edition. Rebecca Yang. October 2024. WC-24-32.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study assists policymakers and stakeholders in New Jersey’s workers’ compensation system by identifying current cost drivers and emerging trends in payments, prices, and utilization of medical services among both nonhospital and hospital providers.

The report compares these medical payment metrics in New Jersey with those in 16 other states and analyzes changes from 2017 to 2022. In some instances, we include data from before 2017 to provide historical context for key metrics. Additionally, we draw on findings from other WCRI studies to create a more comprehensive overview of the system in New Jersey.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the first three years of the pandemic (March 2020 to September 2022), offering insights into how the pandemic influenced non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims during that time.

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for New Jersey, 25th Edition. Evelina Radeva. October 2024. WC-24-33.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study assists policymakers and stakeholders in North Carolina’s workers’ compensation system by identifying current cost drivers and emerging trends in payments, prices, and utilization of medical services among both nonhospital and hospital providers.

The report compares these medical payment metrics in North Carolina with those in 16 other states and analyzes changes from 2017 to 2022. In some instances, we include data from before 2017 to provide historical context for key metrics. Additionally, we draw on findings from other WCRI studies to create a more comprehensive overview of the system in North Carolina.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the first three years of the pandemic (March 2020 to September 2022), offering insights into how the pandemic influenced non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims during that time.

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for North Carolina, 25th Edition. Carol A. Telles. October 2024. WC-24-34.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study assists policymakers and stakeholders in Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation system by identifying current cost drivers and emerging trends in payments, prices, and utilization of medical services among both nonhospital and hospital providers.

The report compares these medical payment metrics in Pennsylvania with those in 16 other states and analyzes changes from 2017 to 2022. In some instances, we include data from before 2017 to provide historical context for key metrics. Additionally, we draw on findings from other WCRI studies to create a more comprehensive overview of the system in Pennsylvania.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the first three years of the pandemic (March 2020 to September 2022), offering insights into how the pandemic influenced non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims during that time.

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Pennsylvania, 25th Edition. William Monnin-Browder. October 2024. WC-24-35.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study assists policymakers and stakeholders in Texas’s workers’ compensation system by identifying current cost drivers and emerging trends in payments, prices, and utilization of medical services among both nonhospital and hospital providers.

The report compares these medical payment metrics in Texas with those in 16 other states and analyzes changes from 2017 to 2022. In some instances, we include data from before 2017 to provide historical context for key metrics. Additionally, we draw on findings from other WCRI studies to create a more comprehensive overview of the system in Texas.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the first three years of the pandemic (March 2020 to September 2022), offering insights into how the pandemic influenced non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims during that time.

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Texas, 25th Edition. Carol A. Telles. October 2024. WC-24-36.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study assists policymakers and stakeholders in Virginia’s workers’ compensation system by identifying current cost drivers and emerging trends in payments, prices, and utilization of medical services among both nonhospital and hospital providers.

The report compares these medical payment metrics in Virginia with those in 16 other states and analyzes changes from 2017 to 2022. It also monitors the impact of regulatory changes on the system, including the medical fee schedule implemented on January 1, 2018. In some instances, we include data from before 2017 to provide historical context for key metrics. Additionally, we draw on findings from other WCRI studies to create a more comprehensive overview of the system in Virginia.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the first three years of the pandemic (March 2020 to September 2022), offering insights into how the pandemic influenced non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims during that time.

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Virginia, 25th Edition. Bogdan Savych. October 2024. WC-24-37.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study assists policymakers and stakeholders in Wisconsin’s workers’ compensation system by identifying current cost drivers and emerging trends in payments, prices, and utilization of medical services among both nonhospital and hospital providers.

The report compares these medical payment metrics in Wisconsin with those in 16 other states and analyzes changes from 2017 to 2022. In some instances, we include data from before 2017 to provide historical context for key metrics. Additionally, we draw on findings from other WCRI studies to create a more comprehensive overview of the system in Wisconsin.

The results reflect claims experience through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the first three years of the pandemic (March 2020 to September 2022), offering insights into how the pandemic influenced non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims during that time.

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Wisconsin, 25th Edition. Evelina Radeva. October 2024. WC-24-38.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study is the fourth annual report examining key performance metrics of the Delaware workers’ compensation benefit delivery system. The study examines key metrics such as total claim costs, medical payments, indemnity benefits, disability duration, and benefit delivery expenses. It provides a detailed look at how these factors have evolved from 2017 to 2022, based on payments made through March 2023.

The data used for this report exclude COVID-19 claims, for which the nature or cause of injury was COVID-19. Other WCRI research examined fee schedule changes and included Delaware in price and prescription drug benchmarking studies. Findings from other WCRI studies are included to provide a more complete picture of the Delaware system and to supply historical context for key metrics.

Trends in the Delaware Workers' Compensation System, 2017–2022. Evelina Radeva. September 2024. WC-24-40.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

The workers’ compensation system was designed to be a straightforward way of handling work-related injuries, but legal disputes are still common, often leading to the involvement of attorneys.

This study looks at how attorney involvement affects the indemnity payments workers receive to help cover their lost income after a work injury. It uses a method that accounts for the fact that lawyers are more likely to get involved in cases with more serious injuries or where disputes arise. These underlying factors, which are often hard to measure, have made it difficult to determine the true impact of attorney involvement in the past.

The study analyzes data from workers injured between October 1, 2012, and September 30, 2019, across 31 states. The data reflect experience through March 2022.

Impact of Attorney Representation on Workers' Compensation Payments. Bogdan Savych and David Neumark. September 2024. WC-24-22.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

Many studies show that health care costs are concentrated among a small percentage of individuals with diverse needs. This new study defines high-cost claims as claims in the top 5 percent of medical payments at 36 months of injury and identifies key factors that likely contribute to a higher or lower probability of claims becoming high-cost claims. Among the key findings, it highlights the importance of monitoring claims that exhibit patterns of late occurring resource-intensive care to keep treatment on track as planned and prevent unnecessary delays in recovery.

The data for this study come from the WCRI Detailed Benchmark/Evaluation (DBE) database. The study analyzed more than 720,000 open and closed claims with more than seven days of lost time from 32 states. These claims had injuries from October 1, 2015, to March 31, 2019, with 36 months of experience observed from the date of injury up to March 31, 2022. The DBE database covers approximately 38–77 percent of all workers' compensation claims, varying by state, and the 32 states represent over 80 percent of the workers' compensation benefits in the United States during the study period.

Factors Associated with High-Cost Claims. Dongchun Wang, Kathryn L. Mueller, and Randall D. Lea. August 2024. WC-24-23.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study examines the prevalence and use of behavioral health support services in the New York workers’ compensation system. It follows regulatory actions that created a system for compensating a wide range of providers offering these services to injured workers. The study expands on earlier WCRI research by providing detailed insights into the billing of behavioral health support services in New York.

The data used to identify the prevalence and costs of behavioral health services among injured workers in this study come from WCRI’s Detailed Benchmark/Evaluation (DBE) database. The analysis focused on non-COVID-19 claims with more than seven days of lost time (indemnity claims in New York), primarily for 2020 claims with 24 months of experience. These claims reflect the full range of medical services provided in workers’ compensation cases.

Use of Behavioral Health Support Services in the New York Workers’ Compensation System. William Monnin-Browder and Carol A. Telles. July 2024. WC-24-24.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This new WCRI FlashReport provides comprehensive information for system stakeholders to evaluate shifts in claim characteristics from 2017 to 2022, a period of notable economic and workforce disruptions in the United States. The study provides a series of tables and graphs that characterize claims in terms of age, gender, and tenure at the time of injury, as well as the distribution of injuries by industry and injury type.

The data for this study focus on 8.4 million non-COVID-19 claims from injury years 2017 through 2022 across 31 states, which represents about 80 percent of the workers' compensation benefits paid in the United States. These states include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Overview of Workers’ Compensation Claims Composition—A WCRI FlashReport. Vennela Thumula and Olesya Fomenko. July 2024. FR-24-03.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study provides a high-level view of the changing costs of prescription drugs in workers’ compensation in recent years through the first quarter of 2023 across 28 states. It categorizes prescription drugs into several key groups (dermatological agents, NSAIDs, opioids, anticonvulsants, etc.), which account for the majority of all payments for prescription drugs in workers' compensation. This allows for an analysis of where the prescribing dollars are being spent and whether spending on these drug groups is increasing or decreasing.

The study includes prescriptions dispensed for non-COVID-19 claims with injuries occurring within three years of the prescription fill date and paid under workers' compensation during each quarter. The 28 states included in the study are Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Interstate Variation and Trends in Workers’ Compensation Drug Payments, 5th Edition—A WCRI FlashReport. Vennela Thumula, Te-Chun Liu, and Dongchun Wang. June 2024. FR-24-02.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

There is anecdotal evidence that more serious and complex injuries lead to higher medical costs, longer duration of disability, and suboptimal outcomes. Examining this relationship necessitates a more specific injury classification. Despite previous efforts to classify injuries and illnesses with the goal of facilitating injury research and outcome predictions, injury classifications that are clinically meaningful and sufficiently granular are still lacking.

To address this gap, we developed an alternative injury grouping by considering the more common injuries in workers’ compensation claims and by focusing on injuries that have a higher variability in terms of outcomes. We then examined medical payments, indemnity benefits, and disability duration, as well as the utilization of key medical services on these claims. This grouping allows us to provide insights into the costs and key services associated with these claims, and it paves the way for more narrowly condition-focused studies in the future.

The data used for this study come from claims with more than seven days of lost time, from injuries occurring between October 1, 2015, and September 30, 2019, across 28 states representing more than 75 percent of the U.S. insured workforce.  

An Alternative Grouping of Complex Conditions in Workers’ Compensation. Dongchun Wang, Randall D. Lea, and Sebastian Negrusa. June 2024. WC-24-19.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

In recent years, inflation in the workers’ compensation system has been a concern, as inflation in the overall economy spiked at 9 percent in June 2022. This new report examines the most recent trends in medical inflation to assess whether there was any accelerated medical price growth in workers’ compensation due to a potential lagged effect of the overall inflationary trends. The study offers a framework for workers’ compensation policymakers and stakeholders when considering changes in medical payments in the near- or medium-term.

The study focused on the period from 2012 through 2023 for the discussion of general inflation in the overall population and in the health care sector, as well as the growth in the price component of workers’ compensation medical costs. For the discussion of trends in workers’ compensation medical payments per claim, WCRI studies provide information for claims from 2012 to 2022, with experience through March 2023.

Medical Payments in Workers’ Compensation During the Recent Inflationary Period—A WCRI FlashReport. Olesya Fomenko and Rebecca Yang. June 2024. FR-24-01.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

With rising hospital costs a focus of public policy debates across the country, this study compares hospital outpatient payments across states and monitors the impact of fee schedule reforms from 2005 to 2022. It also includes a benchmark comparing workers’ compensation hospital outpatient payments and Medicare rates.

The study captures payments for services provided and billed by hospitals. Professional services billed by nonhospital medical providers (e.g., physicians, physical therapists, and chiropractors), transactions for durable medical equipment and pharmaceuticals billed by providers other than hospitals, and payments made to ambulatory surgery centers are excluded.

The 36 states in this study, which represent 88 percent of the workers’ compensation benefits paid in the United States, are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Hospital Outpatient Payment Index: Interstate Variations and Policy Analysis, 13th Edition. Olesya Fomenko and Rebecca Yang. May 2024. WC-24-21.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

Since medical costs are a constant focus for policymakers and system stakeholders in state workers’ compensation systems, this annual study provides comparisons of prices paid for medical professional services across 36 states from 2008 to 2023. The study focuses on professional services (evaluation and management, physical medicine, surgery, major and minor radiology, neurological testing, pain management injections, and emergency care) billed by physicians, physical therapists, and chiropractors.

Unlike other indices measuring how prices for professional services change, this index is a more relevant benchmark of medical inflation in workers’ compensation as it focuses on those services commonly provided to workers with injuries. Since workers’ compensation price regulations are set at the state level, this study provides a state-level price index to help policymakers and stakeholders conduct meaningful comparisons of prices paid across states and to monitor price trends in relation to changes in fee schedules.

This edition covers 36 states that represent 88 percent of the workers’ compensation benefits paid in the United States. These states are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

WCRI Medical Price Index for Workers’ Compensation, 16th Edition (MPI-WC). Rebecca Yang and Olesya Fomenko. May 2024. WC-24-20.

(This is a free report. If you have a member user name and password, please log into the website to access this report. All others can access the report for free by adding it to the shopping cart and going through the checkout process.)

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

With U.S. officials bracing for another summer of dangerous heat, this new study measures the extent to which excessive heat has increased the incidence of work-related injuries in recent years by considering injuries like heat exhaustion as well as accidents like falling off a ladder on a hot day. The study uses claims data and weather data from 2016 to 2021 across 24 states. The findings can inform public policy debates on the importance of preventing the effects of excessive heat.

Impact of Excessive Heat on the Frequency of Work-Related Injuries. Sebastian Negrusa, Olesya Fomenko, and Vennela Thumula. May 2024. WC-24-18.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

These comprehensive reference reports measure the performance of 17 state workers’ compensation systems, how they compare with each other, and how they have changed over time.

The reports are designed to help policymakers and others benchmark state system performance or a company’s workers’ compensation program. The benchmarks also provide an excellent baseline for tracking the effectiveness of policy changes and identifying important trends, including the impact of COVID-19.

The reports examine how income benefits, overall medical payments, costs, use of benefits, duration of temporary disability, litigiousness, benefit delivery expenses, timeliness of payments, and other metrics of system performance have changed from 2017 through 2022, with claims experience through 2023.

The 17 states in the study are Arkansas, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. There are individual reports for every state except Arkansas, Iowa, and Tennessee.

Note that the results we report reflect experience on claims through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The study, therefore, provides a look at how the pandemic impacted non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the first three years of the pandemic.

CompScope™ Benchmarks, 24th Edition. Roman Dolinschi, William Monnin-Browder, Evelina Radeva, Karen Rothkin, Bogdan Savych, Carol A. Telles, and Rebecca Yang. April 2024. WC-24-01 to WC-24-14.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in Virginia identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in total costs per claim and key components. It compares the performance of state workers’ compensation systems in Virginia and 16 other states, focusing on overall medical payments, income benefits, use of benefits, duration of temporary disability, benefit delivery expenses, timeliness of payments, and other metrics. The study also examines how these system performance metrics have changed, mainly from 2017 to 2022, for claims at various maturities.

This report monitors the performance of Virginia’s workers’ compensation system in the four years after the medical fee schedule was implemented on January 1, 2018.

Note that the results we report reflect experience on claims through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began (March 2020 through September 2022). The study, therefore, provides a look at how the pandemic impacted non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the first three years of the pandemic.

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Virginia, 24th Edition. Bogdan Savych. April 2024. WC-24-13.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in Texas identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in total costs per claim and key components. It compares the performance of state workers’ compensation systems in Texas and 16 other states, focusing on overall medical payments, income benefits, costs, use of benefits, duration of temporary disability, benefit delivery expenses, timeliness of payments, and other metrics. The study also examines how these system performance metrics have changed, mainly from 2017 to 2022, for claims at various maturities. We analyze claims with experience through 2023 for injuries up to and including 2022, and in some cases, we use a longer time frame to supply historical context.

Note that the results we report reflect experience on claims through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began (March 2020 through September 2022). The study, therefore, provides a look at how the pandemic impacted non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the first three years of the pandemic.

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Texas, 24th Edition. Carol A. Telles. April 2024. WC-24-12.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in Florida identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses. It compares the performance of state workers’ compensation systems in Florida and 16 other states, focusing on income benefits, overall medical payments, use of benefits, duration of temporary disability, frequency and payments of permanent partial disability (PPD)/lump-sum claims, benefit delivery expenses, litigiousness, timeliness of payments, and other metrics. The study also examines how these metrics have changed, mainly from 2017 to 2022, for claims at various maturities. In some cases, we use a longer time frame to supply historical context.

Note that the results we report reflect experience on claims through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the pandemic period (March 2020 through September 2022). The study, therefore, provides a look at how the pandemic impacted non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the first three years of the pandemic.

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Florida, 24th Edition. Rebecca Yang. April 2024. WC-24-02.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study can help policymakers and other stakeholders in Wisconsin identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in payments for indemnity benefits, medical care, and benefit delivery expenses. It compares the performance of workers’ compensation systems in 17 states, focusing on total claim costs, indemnity benefits, overall medical payments, disability duration, benefit delivery expenses, timeliness of benefit payments to workers, and other metrics. The study also examines how these metrics have changed, mainly from 2017 to 2022, for claims at various maturities with experience as of March 2023. A longer time frame may be used to supply historical context for certain metrics. Findings from other WCRI studies are included to provide a comprehensive picture of the system.

Note that the results we report reflect experience on claims through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began (March 2020 through September 2022). The study, therefore, provides a look at how the pandemic impacted non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the first three years of the pandemic.

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Wisconsin, 24th Edition. Evelina Radeva. April 2024. WC-24-14.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study examines changes in the California workers’ compensation system and compares the performance of the California system with 16 other state systems. It focuses on costs, income benefits, overall medical payments, use of benefits, duration of temporary disability, frequency and payments of permanent partial disability (PPD)/lump-sum claims, benefit delivery expenses, litigiousness, timeliness of payments, and other metrics. It examines how these system performance metrics have changed, primarily from 2017 to 2022 for claims at various claim maturities, though in some cases, we used a longer time frame to provide historical context.

Note that the results we report reflect experience on claims through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began (March 2020 through September 2022). The study, therefore, provides a look at how the pandemic impacted non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the first three years of the pandemic.

California implemented several policy changes in recent years. For example, effective April 1, 2021, California introduced a new fee schedule for medical-legal services. Additionally, Senate Bill 1159, signed by the governor in September 2020, provided a presumption of compensability for COVID-19-related claims, subject to certain requirements. The drug formulary required by Assembly Bill 1124 was fully implemented in April 2018.

CompScope™ Benchmarks for California, 24th Edition. William Monnin-Browder. April 2024. WC-24-01.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This report compares the performance of the Indiana state workers’ compensation system with 16 other states, focusing on income benefits, overall medical payments, duration of temporary disability, litigiousness, benefit delivery expenses, timeliness of payment, and other metrics. It also examines how these system performance metrics have changed primarily from 2017 to 2022 (evaluated as of March 31, 2023). In some cases, we use a longer time frame to supply historical context for key metrics and to provide a broader context for monitoring changes in Indiana’s system performance. Where relevant, we include findings from other recent WCRI studies to provide a more comprehensive picture of Indiana’s workers’ compensation system.

Note that the results we report reflect experience on claims through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began (March 2020 through September 2022). The study, therefore, provides a look at how the pandemic impacted non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the first three years of the pandemic.

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Indiana, 24th Edition. Evelina Radeva. April 2024. WC-24-04.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This report benchmarks the performance of the New Jersey workers’ compensation system and 16 other states, focusing on indemnity benefits, overall medical payments, duration of temporary disability, litigiousness, benefit delivery expenses, timeliness of payments, and other metrics.

The summary of major findings and supporting slides compare selected costs for New Jersey with those in other study states and list possible factors that affect New Jersey’s results on those metrics. We also look at changes in key cost components in New Jersey from 2017 to 2022 (evaluated in 2023) to show recent and emerging trends. In some cases, we use a longer time frame to supply historical context for key metrics and to provide a broader context for monitoring changes in New Jersey’s system performance.

Note that the results we report reflect experience on claims through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began (March 2020 through September 2022). The study, therefore, provides a look at how the pandemic impacted non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the first three years of the pandemic.

CompScope™ Benchmarks for New Jersey, 24th Edition. Evelina Radeva. April 2024. WC-24-09.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in Pennsylvania identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in a wide variety of performance measures of state workers’ compensation systems. This report provides meaningful comparisons between Pennsylvania and 16 other study states on key measures including indemnity benefits, duration of temporary disability, lump-sum settlements, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses. It also examines how these metrics have changed from 2017 to 2022. In some cases, we use a longer time frame to supply historical context for key metrics. We also include information from other WCRI studies to provide a more complete picture of the system in Pennsylvania.

Note that the results we report reflect experience on claims through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began (March 2020 through September 2022). The study, therefore, provides a look at how the pandemic impacted non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the first three years of the pandemic.

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Pennsylvania, 24th Edition. William Monnin-Browder. April 2024. WC-24-11.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in Michigan identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in a wide variety of performance measures of state workers’ compensation systems. This report provides meaningful comparisons between Michigan and 16 other study states on key measures including income benefits, duration of temporary disability, lump-sum settlements, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses. It also examines how these metrics have changed from 2017 to 2022. In some cases, we use a longer time frame to supply historical context for key metrics. We also include information from other WCRI studies to provide a more complete picture of the system in Michigan.

Note that the results we report reflect experience on claims through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began (March 2020 through September 2022). The study, therefore, provides a look at how the pandemic impacted non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the first three years of the pandemic.

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Michigan, 24th Edition. William Monnin-Browder with the assistance of Terence Cawley. April 2024. WC-24-07.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

The report for Illinois provides ongoing annual monitoring of how indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses per claim change over time, as well as how the Illinois workers’ compensation system compares with other study states on these key metrics. This edition analyzes claims with injury dates between 2017 and 2022 (evaluated as of March 31, 2023). In some cases, we use a longer time frame to supply historical context for key metrics and to provide a broader context for monitoring changes in Illinois’ system performance. Where relevant, we include findings from other recent WCRI studies to provide a more comprehensive picture of the Illinois workers’ compensation system.

Note that the results we report reflect experience on claims through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began (March 2020 through September 2022). The study, therefore, provides a look at how the pandemic impacted non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the first three years of the pandemic.

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Illinois, 24th Edition. Evelina Radeva. April 2024. WC-24-03.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in Minnesota identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses. The study compares the performance of state workers’ compensation systems in Minnesota and 16 other states, focusing on income benefits, overall medical payments, use of benefits, duration of temporary disability, frequency and payments of permanent partial disability (PPD)/lump-sum claims, benefit delivery expenses, litigiousness, timeliness of payments, and other metrics. The study also examines how these metrics have changed, mainly from 2017 to 2022, for claims at various maturities. In some cases, we use a longer time frame to supply historical context.

Note that the results we report reflect experience on claims through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the pandemic period (March 2020 through September 2022). The study, therefore, provides a look at how the pandemic impacted non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the first three years of the pandemic.

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Minnesota, 24th Edition. Rebecca Yang. April 2024. WC-24-08.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in Massachusetts identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses. It compares the performance of state workers’ compensation systems in Massachusetts and 16 other states, focusing on income benefits, costs, overall medical payments, use of benefits, duration of temporary disability, benefit delivery expenses, timeliness of payments, and other metrics. The study also examines how these system performance metrics have changed, mainly from 2017 to 2022, for claims at various claim maturities. We analyze claims with experience through 2023 for injuries up to and including 2022, and, in some cases, we use a longer time frame to supply historical context. We also include information from other WCRI benchmarking studies to provide a more complete picture of the system in Massachusetts.

Note that the results we report reflect experience on claims through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began (March 2020 through September 2022). The study, therefore, provides a look at how the pandemic impacted non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the first three years of the pandemic.

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Massachusetts, 24th Edition. Roman Dolinschi. April 2024. WC-24-06.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in Louisiana identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses. It compares the performance of state workers’ compensation systems in Louisiana and 16 other states, focusing on income benefits, costs, overall medical payments, use of benefits, duration of temporary disability, benefit delivery expenses, timeliness of payments, and other metrics. The study also examines how these system performance metrics have changed, mainly from 2017 to 2022, for claims at various claim maturities. We analyze claims with experience through 2023 for injuries up to and including 2022, and, in some cases, we use a longer time frame to supply historical context.

Note that the results we report reflect experience on claims through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began (March 2020 through September 2022). The study, therefore, provides a look at how the pandemic impacted non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the first three years of the pandemic.

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Louisiana, 24th Edition. Carol A. Telles. April 2024. WC-24-05.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders in North Carolina identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in total costs per claim and key components. It compares the performance of state workers’ compensation systems in North Carolina and 16 other states, focusing on income benefits, costs, overall medical payments, use of benefits, duration of temporary disability, benefit delivery expenses, timeliness of payments, and other metrics. The study also examines how these system performance metrics have changed, mainly from 2017 to 2022, for claims at various maturities.

We analyze claims with experience through 2023 for injuries up to and including 2022, and in some cases, we use a longer time frame to supply historical context. For example, we examined major legislation enacted in 2011 focused on indemnity benefits, and the fee schedule changes enacted in 2015 that impacted medical payments. A key provision of House Bill (HB) 709 in 2011 capped temporary total disability (TTD) benefits at 500 weeks (in most instances); previously, there was no duration limit on TTD benefits. New medical fee schedule rules became effective in 2015, with reimbursement based on a percentage of Medicare. Using longer time frames, we can observe how components of indemnity benefits and medical payments changed following implementation of that legislation.

Note that the results we report reflect experience on claims through March 2023, including non-COVID-19 claims from the three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began (March 2020 through September 2022). The study, therefore, provides a look at how the pandemic impacted non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in the first three years of the pandemic.

CompScope™ Benchmarks for North Carolina, 24th Edition. Carol A. Telles. April 2024. WC-24-10.

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

Despite the growing recognition of the importance of psychosocial factors in recovery, there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding of their prevalence, impact, and potential interventions, especially within the workers’ compensation system. This study aims to fill some of these gaps.

Psychosocial risk factors include poor recovery expectations after an injury, fear avoidance, poor coping, catastrophizing, and perceived injustice. Some studies have documented that psychosocial factors are a strong predictor of adverse outcomes in patients. These psychosocial risk factors, which often prolong disability and return to work, especially for musculoskeletal injuries, are also referred to as “yellow flags.”

Importance of Psychosocial Factors for Physical Therapy Outcomes. Vennela Thumula, Te-Chun Liu, and Randall D. Lea. March 2024. WC-24-17.

Video

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

With medical benefits representing the single largest cost component for many state workers’ compensation systems, this new study provides a basic understanding of the cost containment strategies used in all 50 states and 3 federal workers’ compensation programs as of January 1, 2024.

The study includes tables of statutory provisions, administrative rules, and processes used by states, which come from surveys completed by state and federal administrators. One of the most popular tables compares fee schedule allowances for eight of the most common medical procedures (e.g., knee arthroscopy, lumbar surgery) in states that regulate fees. New to the report are more details about fee regulations for paying hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers.

Medical cost containment strategies fall into the categories of price management and utilization management—with a goal of either curbing the cost of a particular service or reducing the amount of services provided. Cost containment regulatory initiatives usually entail a balancing act of limiting the cost of services and inappropriate or unnecessary treatment without negatively affecting the quality of treatment or access to care for workers.

Workers’ Compensation Medical Cost Containment: A National Inventory, 2024. Karen Rothkin. February 2024. WC-24-16.

Video

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

As vertical integration of medical providers has increased over the last decade, this study examines how claim costs, disability duration, and the nature of care change when patients see newly integrated medical providers relative to non-integrated providers.

Supporters of vertical integration argue care can be delivered more efficiently and this translates into improved outcomes. Opponents argue that the rising concentration of medical providers may lead to higher payments for medical care, due to lack of competition, without improvements in outcomes. This study addresses these important issues.

The analysis focuses on care provided to workers in 34 states who suffered a work-related injury between 2012 and 2018. It covers the main specialties of medical professionals who treat a large share of workers with injuries, including physicians and non-physicians.

Impact of Vertical Integration in Workers’ Compensation. Bogdan Savych and Olesya Fomenko. December 2023. WC-23-49.

Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study

This study examines the time from injury to first medical service among injured workers across states before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Time to first service provides insights for the understanding of access to medical care for workers with injuries.

The focus of the analysis is on the median number of days from injury to first medical service by major type of provider (such as physicians, physical/occupational therapists, and hospitals); type of service, including emergency department visits, office visits, surgery, and physical medicine; and injury category, such as fractures, neurologic spine pain, and sprains and strains.

This report includes 17 states and covers the period from 2016 through 2021, with claims experience through March 2022, including non-COVID-19 claims from the first and second years of the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020 through September 2021). We focus on claims with more than seven days of lost time and 12 months of experience.

Time to First Medical Service—A WCRI FlashReport. Rebecca Yang, Karen Rothkin, and Roman Dolinschi. November 2023. FR-23-02.

^Video:

Copyright: WCRI

Share this study