Today’s issue of WorkCompRecap features the release of a new study from CWCI on medical access in the California workers’ comp system that found injured workers’ access to medical care for their initial treatment remained relatively consistent between 2010 and 2020, though average and median wait times for the first doctor visit varied by type of care.
Key findings included that average wait time from employer notice to initial treatment showed some variation across the 11-year span, ranging from 3.3 days for AY 2011 claims to 4.4 days for AY 2020, the first year of the pandemic, but the median number of days to first treatment showed no change. Average wait time for some specialty services was more varied over time, with the average wait time to a first Physical Medicine visit increasing from 31.8 days for AY 2010 claims to 37.5 days for AY 2015, and then trending back down to 31.2 days by AY 2020. The report also looks at several other metrics including time between employer notification and surgery, and average distances from workers’ residences.