Cambridge, MA – Medical payments per claim in North Carolina decreased 5 to 7 percent per year since 2014, according to a recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). These decreases likely reflect fee schedule changes for hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and for nonhospital (professional) services. The study, CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks… [Read more]
Association, Rating & Research News
CA WCIRB Releases 2019 Geo Study with Interactive Map
Oakland, CA – The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California (WCIRB) recently released its 2019 WCIRB Geo Study, which underscores regional differences in claim characteristics across California. The web-based interactive map allows you to quickly view key measures across regions. The study’s key findings include the following: After controlling for regional differences in wages… [Read more]
MedRisk Releases 2019 Industry Trend Report on Physical Medicine in Workers’ Comp
King of Prussia, PA – MedRisk has published its 2019 Industry Trend Report on Physical Medicine in Workers’ Compensation. The report examines recent changes, including relevant legislation, regulation and research. “The trend toward non-surgical treatment, fueled by recent conservative care studies and some states’ ‘PT-first’ initiatives, continues to impact the industry,” said MedRisk’s Chief Clinical… [Read more]
CA WCIRB Releases Follow-up Analysis of Medical Provider Fraud in Workers’ Comp
Oakland, CA – The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California (WCIRB) recently released Treatment Patterns of Medical Providers Indicted for Fraud in California Workers’ Compensation, a follow-up analysis to its 2018 study that evaluated the potential impact of medical provider fraud enforcement. While Senate Bill No. 863 and subsequent legislation led to significant reduction… [Read more]
CA DWC Independent Medical Review Report Details Steady Activity and Outcomes
San Francisco, CA – The Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) and its Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) recently posted a progress report on the Department’s Independent Medical Review (IMR) program. IMR is the medical dispute resolution process for the state’s workers’ compensation system that uses medical expertise to obtain consistent, evidence-based decisions. The report describes… [Read more]
NCCI Releases New Insights: Insuring the Uninsurable – Workers’ Comp Residual Market
Boca Raton, FL – NCCI recently released a new Insights article on the Workers’ Compensation Residual Market that examines the structure of the residual market, including NCCI’s role as a Plan and Pool Administrator, and presents countrywide residual market summary statistics. Having workers compensation (WC) coverage is generally required for all employers by statute. But… [Read more]
WCRI: Workers’ Comp Medical Payments in Illinois Higher Compared to Other Study States
Cambridge, MA – The average medical payment per claim with more than seven days of lost time in Illinois was more than 15 percent higher than the median of 18 states studied, according to a recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). For 2017 claims (at 12 months), the average medical payment per… [Read more]
WCRI: Policy Choices Affecting Medical Payments for Different Providers in FL
Cambridge, MA – Medical payments per claim in Florida have been typical of other states for workers’ compensation claims with more than seven days of lost time; however, this result masks several offsetting factors mainly related to fee regulations, according to a recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). The study, CompScope™ Medical… [Read more]
NCCI Releases 2019 Workers’ Compensation Financial Results Update
Boca Raton, FL – At its Annual Issues Symposium (AIS) in May 2019, NCCI presented the State of the Line Report—a comprehensive account of financial results for the workers compensation (WC) line of business. The results presented at AIS 2019 reflected the most up-to-date data available at the time, including NCCI’s preliminary estimates for Calendar… [Read more]
AmTrust Releases 2019 Retail Risk Report
New York, NY – AmTrust recently released the first AmTrust Retail Risk Report, identifying common injuries for retail workers and the resulting lost time. AmTrust analyzed more than 20,000 workers’ compensation insurance claims from the company’s retail clients with loss payments from 2016 to 2018. The AmTrust Retail Risk Report found that the top three… [Read more]