CAMBRIDGE, MA – Increasingly more frequent and higher priced physician dispensing continued to be the major reason for the higher and growing prescription costs in Florida’s workers’ compensation system, according to a new study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). The study, Prescription Benchmarks for Florida, 2nd Edition, found that the average payment per… [Read more]
Association, Rating & Research News
CA Insurance Commissioner Announces Enhanced System For Filing Workers’ Compensation Pure Premium Rates
Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones today announced that the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB) has proceeded with his directive to revise its filing of pure premium rates in order to provide more meaningful and understandable information regarding insurer rates and underlying cost drivers in the workers’ compensation system. The Commissioner has directed the WCIRB to… [Read more]
Work Comp Analysis Group Reaches 10,000-member Milestone
St. Louis — The Work Comp Analysis Group (WCAG) announced today that it has reached the milestone of 10,000 members. The free resource, which was founded in late 2008, is the largest online discussion group dedicated exclusively to workers’ compensation issues on LinkedIn. WCAG is widely recognized in the industry for the quality and variety… [Read more]
New WCRI Report: States Seeking to Manage Pharmacy Prices Might Look At Washington
Cambridge, MA – Rapid growth of costs for prescription drugs for injured workers in some states is a major issue for policymakers, but not in Washington State where costs were among the lowest compared to 17 other states, according to a new study by Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). WCRI’s study, Prescription Benchmarks for Washington,… [Read more]
CA State Fund Wins Four Communications Awards
SAN FRANCISCO /PRNewswire/ — State Compensation Insurance Fund announced recently that it received several prestigious awards at the annual conference of the American Association of State Compensation Insurance Funds. AASCIF, an association of state funds from 27 different states, plus 10 workers’ compensation boards in Canada, held its 2011 conference from June 19-23 in Isle… [Read more]
WCRI Study Finds Preauthorization Lowers Medical Costs Without Hurting Return To Work
Cambridge, MA (PRWEB) – In a recent study, Impact of Preauthorization on Medical Care in Texas, the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found preauthorization lowered medical costs without hurting injured workers’ return to work. The study reviewed the effects of three reforms enacted in Texas between 2001 and 2005 which required preauthorization by the payer… [Read more]
Oklahoma Workers’ Comp Court Releases Annual Report
The Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Court recently released their 2010 Annual Report. The Annual Report provides information regarding 2010 claims filings by various parameters, including but not limited to, NAICS Sectors, Part of Body Injured, Nature of Injury or Illness, etc. Additional information pertaining to Non-Farm Employment by NAICS Sectors is included, as well as information… [Read more]
New WCRI Report: Interstate Variations in Use of Narcotics
WCRI: The overuse of narcotics is a major national public health problem. Medical treatment guidelines recommend that patients who receive ongoing narcotics prescriptions be actively monitored by the physician using urine tests and given psychological evaluations. However, many physicians who prescribed narcotics to injured workers were not using the recommended tools to monitor use, abuse,… [Read more]
ACIC: SCIF Wants Best of Both Worlds
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF) wants the California Legislature to pass special rules that will let them keep their preferential tax status while enabling the entity to operate like a multi-state private carrier, says the Association of California Insurance Companies (ACIC). AB 228 (Fuentes) would give SCIF the authority to provide… [Read more]
NCCI Releases Residual Market Management Summary
NCCI recently announced the release of their Residual Market Management Summary for 2010 and described it as the best source for obtaining facts and figures to understand current situations in the workers compensation residual market plans and reinsurance pools that are serviced by the National Council on Compensation Insurance, Inc. (NCCI). NCCI stated that the… [Read more]