Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) News

WCRI: Texas Workers’ Comp Medical Costs Per Claim Decreased Since 2014

Medical payments per workers’ compensation claim in Texas decreased from 2014 to 2016 for claims with more than seven days of lost time, evaluated as of 2017, according to a recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). This …

Ambulatory Centers’ Surgery Costs Below Hospitals’, Workers’ Comp Research Finds

There is new evidence that ambulatory surgery centers are less expensive for certain surgeries than hospitals. Payments for similar knee and shoulder surgeries performed in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) were lower compared with hospital outpatient departments in 14 of 18 …

How Workers’ Compensation Outpatient Costs Compare Across States by Fee Regulation

Hospital outpatient payments were higher and growing faster in states with percent-of-charge-based fee regulations or no fee schedules, finds a study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) that compares 35 states. States with percent-of-charge-based fee regulations had substantially higher …

How Prices for Injured Workers’ Medical Professional Care Compare in 35 States: WCRI

Prices paid for medical professional services vary significantly across states, ranging from 26 percent below the median in Florida to 158 percent above median in Wisconsin, according to a 35-state study. States with no fee schedules for professional services had …

WCRI: Work Comp Costs per Claim High, Growing in Louisiana

Workers’ compensation total costs per claim in Louisiana were the highest in a recent study of 18 states conducted by Cambridge, Mass.-based Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI), the organization announced. The study, CompScope Benchmarks for Louisiana, 18th Edition, found the …

How Medical Marijuana Reduces Opioid Use; Saves Lives, Money

Medical marijuana laws could be a boon to those battling the opioid epidemic, according to researchers who have identified a link between increased access to medical marijuana and a reduction in opioid prescriptions. The studies suggest medical marijuana laws (MMLs) …

How Trump Policies Contribute to Dire Scenario for Workers’ Compensation

At a time when the nation’s workers’ compensation system is facing an aging workforce and a pending widespread labor shortage, federal policies on immigration and health insurance promise to exacerbate these challenges and contribute to causing far more claims and …

WCRI: Michigan Medical Payments per Work Comp Claim Relatively Low

Medical payments per workers’ compensation claim in Michigan were among the lowest of 18 state workers’ compensation systems analyzed in a new study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). The study, CompScope Medical Benchmarks for Michigan, 18th Edition, examined …

Workers’ Compensation Still Under Pressure from Drug Repackagers, Compounding Pharmacies

Though the number of physician dispensed prescriptions has declined considerably from just a few years ago, the workers’ compensation industry continues to battle a market seeking to maintain high prices by changing drug strength and formulations. The impact of physician …

WCRI: Wisconsin Medical Payments per Workers’ Comp Claim Higher than Typical

A new study by Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found that Wisconsin’s medical payments per workers’ compensation claim were higher than typical for 2015 injuries evaluated as of March 2016. While growth in Wisconsin’s workers’ compensation medical payments …