May 18, 2021 Related Topics: Medical Costs, Medical Price Index
The 13th edition of this annual report helps compare prices paid for medical professional services across 36 states and monitor price changes from 2008 to 2020, which includes the beginning months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study shows how prices paid for these services compare across states, how the prices have changed, and whether price growth is part of a broader phenomenon or unique to a state. The study also discusses the price comparison results and price trends in relation to the principal policy mechanism for regulating prices—fee schedules.
The report focuses on medical services billed by physicians, physical and occupational therapists, and chiropractors. These services fall into eight groups, including office visits, physical medicine, surgery, major and minor radiology, neurological and neuromuscular testing, pain management injections, and emergency care.
The 36 states in the study 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, 13th Edition (MPI-WC). Rebecca Yang and Olesya Fomenko. May 2021. WC-21-20.
• How do prices paid for medical professional services for treating workers injured in my state compare with other states?
• How are prices in my state changing?
• Is the price trend in my state part of a national phenomenon or are the causes unique to my state and, hence, subject to local policy issues?
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