In this 15th edition of the CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks study, North Carolina’s hospital costs per workers compensation claim remained higher than most states in 2012 in the wake of attempts to control them. The report looked at medical costs between 2007 and 2012, a period that includes a 2009 reduction in the state’s hospital fee schedule for outpatient care. It compared results with those of 15 other states (Arkansas, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin). The study covers the period of 2007 to 2012, with claims' experience through March 2013. Findings from other WCRI reports are provided to give the reader a deeper understanding of other aspects of the North Carolina workers’ compensation system, such as narcotics use and ambulatory surgery center (ASC) facility payments.

CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for North Carolina, 15th Edition. Carol A. Telles. October 2014. WC-14-44.