Attorney involvement in workers’ compensation claims substantially increases total indemnity benefits paid to workers, a new study of nearly 1 million claims shows.

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As heat increases, so does risk for some workers. The probability of work-related accidents grows by 5% to 6% when maximum daily temperatures rise above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, compared with a day when temperatures range from 65 to 70 degrees, according to an analysis of claims data by the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

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The worker’s compensation program covers medical expenses and lost wages for employees injured on the job. The independent, nonprofit Workers Compensation Research Institute ranks Wisconsin tied with Iowa as the lowest of 17 states studied for the time employees spend away from work after an injury, thanks to strong health care networks and return-to-work programs that support a smooth transition back to the workplace.

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The proportion of work-related injuries among newly hired workers increased from 2017 to 2022, with workers under 25 reporting more frequent injuries than those 55 and older, according to a report released Thursday by the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

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For employers and insurers, the effects of rising heat-related illnesses and claims are a growing concern. California’s insurance department reports that in the past decade, extreme heat waves have cost the state at least $7.7 billion in lost labor productivity, costs related to power outages, infrastructure repairs and premature deaths. In the workplace, the probability of work-related accidents increases by 5% to 6% when the temperature…

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Yet, Constible said, "the research has kept piling up that heat is not only potentially deadly to workers, but also drastically affects their productivity – billions of work hours lost in the U.S. and around the world because it's too darn hot." The probability of work-related accidents rises by nearly 6% when temperatures pass 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius), according to research from the Workers Compensation…

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One recent study found that the probability of work-related accidents increases by 5 percent to 6 percent when the maximum daily temperature rises above 90 degrees Fahrenheit and that the effect is stronger in the South and for construction workers.

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WCRI’s latest report on drugs in workers’ comp has some excellent news...opioid usage dropped 29% from Q1 2021 to Q1 2023.

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A study released last week by the Workers Compensation Research Institute found that excessive heat leads to a significant increase in workplace injuries, including heat exhaustion and incidents like "falling off a ladder on a hot day."

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As the frequency of extremely hot days increases, so does the number of heat-related illness and work injuries, according to researchers at the 2024 Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) issues and research conference.

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The probability of work-related accidents increases by 5 to 6% when the temperature rises above 90 degrees compared to 65-70 degrees, according to a recent study from the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI).

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After Florida lawmakers this year barred local heat protections for workers, a new study cites "strong and robust evidence that excessive heat increases the frequency of injuries" to workers - with risks particularly in the South.

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Employers and insurers in Florida saw a 7% increase in total cost per workers’ compensation claim in 2022 and 2023, to just over $30,000 on average, due largely to higher wages and longer temporary disability benefits duration. That was the finding of an analysis by the Workers Compensation Research Institute, which compared COVID-19 pandemic-era costs in Florida and 16 other states.

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Guest Vennela Thumula, Ph.D., works at the Workers’ Compensation Research Institution – a nonprofit, objective provider of research and analysis – and is the lead author of this year’s WCRI report, “Importance of Psychosocial Factors for Physical Therapy Outcomes.” The role of psychosocial factors is increasingly being recognized as a major factor in recovery.

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WCRI’s just released in-depth analyses in its CompScope series…this year they’ve added details on COVID’s impact in 17 states.

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Injured workers are more likely to experience psychosocial risk factors that can lead to “poorer functional recovery,” according to a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

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Indemnity benefits per workers compensation claim grew at a “rapid” pace of 6% or more in 2022 in 16 out of 17 states analyzed by the Workers Compensation Research Institute, which said data prior to 2021 showed little change.

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“If anything, it makes our jobs more efficient,” said Ramona Tanabe, president and CEO of the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Workers Compensation Research Institute.

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Ramona Tanabe, president and CEO of the Workers Compensation Research Institute, talks about fee schedules in workers comp.

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The case now goes back to the appellate panel to calculate the benefits due to the worker. As of 2022, South Carolina law allows injured workers two-thirds of their average weekly wage, up to $963 for temporary total disability, for a maximum of 500 weeks, according to the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute.

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Ramona Tanabe is our latest guest, right on the heals of the 40th Annual WCRI Issues & Research Conference, March 5-6, 2024, in Boston, MA. This is Ramona's second time as a guest on Deconstructing Comp.

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Ramona Tanabe, CEO of WCRI – a most excellent workers’ comp research organization – was kind enough to carve out a few minutes on the eve of this year’s gathering of the brainiacs to answer a few of your reporter’s questions.

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A study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute published in 2017 found little evidence of average cost difference in between states where employers had control over the choice of provider and states where workers were given the most control of the choice of provider. The study, The Effects of Provider Choice Policies on Workers’ Compensation Costs, surveyed effects of provider choice policies on workers’ compensation costs in 25…

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Cambridge, MA, Jan. 11, 2024―Today, the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) announced that a session on “Excessive Heat and Work-Related Injuries” will be held at its 2024 WCRI Issues & Research Conference, March 5-6 in Boston, MA. WCRI Vice President of Research Sebastian Negrusa and Washington State Department of Labor and Industries Research Director David Bonauto will be presenting.

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Olesya Fomenko and Bogdan Savich collaborated on a very well done study of vertical integration of providers’ impact on work comp, and their research bodes ill indeed.

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Consolidation of health care services into large corporations that own hospitals, clinics and physician practices may hold the promise of more efficient and better-integrated care, but it hasn’t led to better outcomes for workers’ compensation patients, according to a new study by the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute.

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Florida comp insurers and employers are somewhat shielded from the full impact of higher wages on the cost of benefits. State law limits temporary total disability benefits to a maximum of 260 weeks, a significantly shorter time frame than most other Southeastern states provide, the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute reports.

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“Identifying these comorbidities and understanding their impact on recovery may help workers’ compensation stakeholders better understand which low back pain cases are more likely to have poorer outcomes and potentially adapt treatments for workers with high-risk comorbidities,” said Ramona Tanabe, president and CEO of WCRI.

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A new Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) FlashReport examined the time from injury to first medical service among workers’ compensation patients across states and over time for different types of services in 2020 and 2021, the first two years of the pandemic, relative to the pre-pandemic years.

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Workers’ compensation patients who report comorbidities, especially mental health comorbidities (anxiety, depression, sleep dysfunction), had a stronger association with smaller functional recoveries than those who only reported physical health comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity. That’s according to a recent Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) report examining the impacts of common physical and mental…

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While there were some delays for injured workers who needed surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic, a Workers’ Compensation Research Institute study released Tuesday found no pattern of delays in access to emergency care and initial medical evaluations immediately following injuries.

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Did we ever learn a lot during the once-in-a-generation health event that was COVID! Guest Dr. Bogdan Savych of the Workers Comp Research Institute (WCRI) is a policy analyst who is studying the lasting effects of the illness, as well as lingering cases of Long Covid.

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Why does a therapist’s treatment duration vary for patients with the same diagnosis? What conditions have the most impact on patient recovery? Thanks to WCRI’s Vennela Thumula PharmD; Randall Lea MD; and Te-Chun Liu there are answers.

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It’s that time of year…when the brilliant minds at WCRI release the latest CompScope report. The top finding…is likely to surprise many…

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The workers’ compensation system in Georgia was established in 1920, around the time that most other states’ comp systems were born. As in most states, injured workers receive two-thirds of their weekly salary while recovering. In Georgia, the maximum weekly benefit for temporary total disability is $675, less than Florida, Alabama and South Carolina, and it end at 400 weeks unless it’s for a catastrophic injury, the Workers’…

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Georgia law provides workers’ compensation death benefits to dependents that are greater than some surrounding states, less than others. The maximum allowed for a surviving spouse with no dependents is $270,000, more than Florida’s maximum of $150,000, according to the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute.

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A new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found that total costs per claim with more than seven days of lost time in Delaware decreased in 2020 and then increased in 2021, based on claims evaluated as of March 2022. The study found that changes in the availability of medical services and economic conditions were the main factors behind the 2020 and 2021 findings. Reforms enacted in 2014 also had an effect on medical…

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In a Workers’ Compensation Research Institute study, patients who initiated PT more than 30 days after injury had worse health outcomes than those who began therapy within three days. Those who initiated PT later were 47% more likely to have an MRI, 46% more likely to be prescribed opioids, 29% more likely to receive injections for pain management, and 89% more likely to have back surgery. Those are a lot of negative consequences!

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A national study by the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute found that 6% of workers who filed claims for COVID-19 suffered long COVID, meaning they sought additional treatment more than a month after the initial infection.

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An August report from the nonprofit Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found that care for long COVID can be costly. Many workers who developed long COVID continued receiving medical care a year after their infections. At an average of 18 months of post-infection experience, workers with long COVID received more than 20 weeks of temporary disability benefits and received on average about $29,000 in medical care. This was more than…

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That line, from W.B. Yeats’ great poem, “Easter, 1916”, comes to mind when we look back on what COVID has done to the US workforce in a scant few years. The good folks at the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) have cast a critical-statistical eye over the recent COVID-addled period, 2019 to 2022, in their new research report: Changes in the Workforce and Their Impact on Workers’ Compensation Outcomes (free to WCRI…

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For the other news, we turn to a new report from the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI), Long COVID in the Workers’ Compensation System in 2020 and 2021. The report is detailed because long COVID is not simple.

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Isn’t a problem. In most states. Today. That is the headline takeaway from WCRI’s presentation last week…

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Hamm’s assertion that high-cost topicals are unnecessarily driving up costs is backed by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI), which completed a study in December 2021 that found the cost of some topicals for pain management is increasing the cost of workers’ compensation claims dramatically in some states.

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A recent report looked at the prevalence of long COVID and how it is affecting the worker compensation system. The report, by the Cambridge-based Workers Compensation Research Institute, looked at compensation claims between March 2020 and September 2021 and found that 6% of workers who were infected by COVID-19 received treatment for long COVID.

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Six percent of workers who filed workers’ compensation claims for catching COVID-19 between March 2020 and September 2021 have also received care for Long COVID, according to a new report. Of these workers, many of them continued receiving medical care for ongoing symptoms a year after their infections, researchers at the Cambridge-based Workers Compensation Research Institute say, citing work that involved data from 31 states.

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Six percent of workers who filed workers’ compensation claims for catching COVID-19 between March 2020 and September 2021 have also received care for Long COVID, according to a new report.

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WCRI’s report on long COVID’s impact on work comp was release, examining claims with an average of 18 months post-infection…my takeaways include...

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Six percent of workers with compensation claims for COVID-19 developed long COVID, according to a study released Thursday by the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

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The Workers Compensation Research Institute reported earlier this month that the cost of medical care in workers’ comp dipped during the pandemic. Inflation for both work comp treatment and health care in general hasn’t tracked the rate of inflation for the economy as a whole, WCRI said.

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The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development recently announced that Wisconsin companies will pay 8.4% less in worker’s compensation insurance rates starting Oct. 1, 2023, benefiting businesses around the state.

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mostly because insurers and employers have a been asleep at the switch.

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While fast-rising prices in the past year drove up claim costs for auto and property insurers, inflation has been a more ho-hum affair for the workers’ compensation line and health care in general, according to a new report by the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute.

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Wisconsin companies will pay 8.4% less in worker’s compensation insurance rates starting Oct. 1, benefiting businesses around the state, according to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

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While consumer prices for energy, food and housing between 2021 and 2022 saw drastic increases, there’s little evidence such inflationary pressures affected workers compensation medical costs, according to a report released Thursday by the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

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Earlier this year, the Workers' Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) served as the backdrop for a comprehensive and illuminating presentation on the evolution of workers' compensation. Presented by Price V. Fishback, a Ph.D. holder from the University of Arizona, the discourse explored the multifaceted journey of workers' compensation from its nascent stages to its present state. Fishback's exposition particularly zeroed in…

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Wisconsin companies will pay 8.4% less in worker’s compensation insurance rates starting Oct. 1, benefiting businesses around the state, according to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

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An Alabama firefighter who was shot inside his fire station will be laid to rest today, providing a small measure of closure after what authorities have called a targeted attack that left another fireman critically wounded.

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In March 2023, Dongchun Wang from the Workers' Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) presented a study on the extended use of physical medicine for low back pain claims in 28 states across the United States. The study provides valuable insights into the prevalence and severity indicators associated with this type of treatment.

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Tennessee’s workers’ compensation laws are now similar to a number of other states, said Karen Rothkin with the Workers Compensation Research Institute. “23 states plus D.C. and the two federal programs already give remarried spouses about two years of further benefits,” said Rothkin. “Most of them in a lump sum.”

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In May, Ramona Tanabe became president and CEO of the Workers Compensation Research Institute, where she began working in 1996. During her tenure, she has helped the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based institute evaluate the workers comp industry by conducting studies on state policies and trends. Business Insurance Assistant Editor Louise Esola interviewed her recently on her work and what’s to come. Edited excerpts follow.

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Cambridge, MA – Indemnity benefits per claim in Massachusetts decreased 7 percent in 2021 following a sizeable increase in the previous year. Duration of temporary disability was a major driver of indemnity trends in both years, according to a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI).

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Cambridge, MA – The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) recently announced that its 2023 WCRI Annual Report is now available on its website.

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WCRI’s latest research report on hospital costs is a must-read for anyone involved in work comp claims, medical management and actuarial issues. Kudos to Drs Olesya Fomenko and Rebecca Yang for their excellent work.

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently updated its reimbursement rates for medical services, and experts are monitoring how the changes may affect workers compensation medical fee schedules and insurance rates.

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The Workers Compensation Research Institute will discuss findings from a recent study about back pain during an hour-long webinar June 22.

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As health care system mergers become more commonplace, workers compensation experts are monitoring how physician consolidations might affect issues such as medical costs, patient access and quality of care.

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One of my favorite people in workers’ comp is now heading up WCRI…I connected with Ramona Tanabe who was named President and CEO. making her the third leader of this august institution.

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States that don’t have workers compensation medical fee schedules for professional services tend to have much higher prices compared with states that have fee schedules, according to updated findings by the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

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A recent study, "Long COVID in the Workers' Compensation System Early in the Pandemic" from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) examined the prevalence of long COVID among injured workers early in the pandemic by studying the COVID-19 workers' compensation claims that occurred between March 2020 and September 2020.

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Recent changes in the duration of temporary disability in Texas could reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic conditions, according to a recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

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Cambridge, MA – The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) recently announced that it will be hosting a 30-minute webinar on Thursday, May 25, 2023, at 2 p.m. ET on its study Designing Workers’ Compensation Medical Fee Schedules, 2022.

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Ramona Tanabe assumed the role of WCRI’s CEO in May 2023. She shares her thoughts, her goals and career wins that have led her to this position.

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A national labor shortage has created ideal conditions for skilled workers to negotiate for better pay and more flexible work schedules, but also new challenges for employers: Staff members aren’t eager to return to the office; job applicants are demanding higher wages; and mental health has deteriorated for many, in some cases transforming star employees into personnel problems.

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Cambridge, MA – The average total cost per claim in Illinois changed little between 2019 and 2021 for injuries evaluated as of the first quarter of 2022, according to a recent study published by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI).

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The utilization of nonhospital and hospital outpatient services in the Illinois workers compensation system decreased in 2020, the drop attributed to medical facility closures and service limitations during the beginning of the pandemic, according to a new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

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Medical providers who treat injured employees in Massachusetts are paid by workers’ comp carriers according to rates established by the state. Those rates, which can be negotiated, haven’t been updated since 2009, and in many cases, providers’ payments from workers’ comp insurance are less than those from Medicare, which are notoriously low. Overall, workers’ comp rates in Massachusetts are 5 percent below state…

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Nearly a third of injured workers in Massachusetts sought treatment for strains and sprains in a hospital emergency room, while in California and Nevada only 10% did, according to a study by the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute.

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Consolidation of physician services into larger groups owned by hospitals and health care systems is driving up the cost of care in workers’ compensation, according to a new study by the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI).

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Aside from a few very recent studies (kudos to WCRI and NCCI) and rare conference sessions the industry has ignored – and continues to ignore – heat.

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The insurance line of workers’ compensation is described as a “long tail,” since the costs often occur years after the date of loss. Interestingly, the costs associated with “long COVID” are also higher and last longer than a COVID-19 claim with no or minimal initial medical care.

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The closing session of the Workers Compensation Research Institute’s 39th annual Issues & Research Conference on Wednesday highlighted the event's theme of “Disruption, Resilience and Evolution” by focusing on the real-world issues of remote and hybrid work environments.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a variety of workplace disruptions, from forcing employers to build an infrastructure supportive of remote work to figuring out how to deal with hybrid or remote workers experiencing mental health crises, a panel of experts said Wednesday.

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Nearly a third of injured workers in Massachusetts sought treatment for strains and sprains in a hospital emergency room, while in California and Nevada only 10% did, according to a study by the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute.

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Workers’ compensation medical inflation has largely been driven by increases in reimbursements for hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers, according to economist Olesya Fomenko, who spoke about inflation trends during the Workers Compensation Research Institute 39th annual Issues & Research Conference Tuesday

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Even former deniers acknowledge that climate change is impacting claim costs, preparation and handling, according to an interesting dialogue Carol Tele moderated with Jill Leonard of Louisiana and Jeff Rush from California during the Workers Compensation Research Institute’s 39th annual Issues & Research Conference.

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and for the first time in forever I’m not there…apologies to my friends at WCRI; a Board meeting conflicted with this year’s annual meeting.

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Climate change has hit states’ workers compensation systems, as more severe weather patterns, wildfires and other incidents have resulted in lost worker hours and had detrimental effects on mental health, among other things, a panel of experts said.

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One of the big lessons from this labor shortage is the importance of planning ahead. Airline pilots have a mandatory retirement age, and many also retired early after the pandemic. If you are not coming out of the military as a pilot, it takes three years of training to become a commercial pilot. The training is expensive, which limits the pool of candidates significantly. United has started a flight school and is working with others to…

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Low back pain is one of the most common workplace injuries. Most cases can be resolved through physical medicine. Treatment guidelines call for two to three visits a week for four to six weeks and then an evaluation to determine if more therapy is needed.

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At the 2023 WCRI Annual Conference, internationally recognized MIT Economist David Autor opened the event talking about globalization and automation and their impact on jobs, the nature of work, and state workers’ compensation systems.

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At the 2023 WCRI Annual Conference, Dr. Olesya Formenko from WCRI talked about how medical inflation impacts workers’ compensation.

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At the 2023 WCRI Annual conference, Jill Leonard from Louisiana Workers Compensation Corporation (LWCC) and Jeff Rush from California JPIA discussed the impact that severe weather events have on workers compensation.

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At the 2023 WCRI Annual Conference, Dongchun Wang from WCRI presented a study on the extended use of physical medicine (PM) to treat low back pain.

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The Georgia House of Representatives voted this week to raise the maximum workers’ compensation benefit amounts and to increase the maximum payout to dependent spouses. House Bill 480, sponsored by Rep. Lehman Franklin, R-Statesboro, and others, was approved by a vote of 154-15 this week. It now goes to the state Senate.

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Medical inflation is a top concern in workers compensation this year and adjusting medical fee schedules may be one way to address rising costs, although the appetite for change is limited, comp experts say. While some states have introduced legislation to overhaul their schedules, variations in costs among states illustrate the complexity of the issue, they say.

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Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, 7% of people who submitted workers’ compensation claims for the disease developed long COVID, according to a recent study. Experts from the Workers Compensation Research Institute analyzed data on COVID-19 cases diagnosed March 2020 through September 2020 – before the emergence of delta, omicron and other variants of the virus. That analysis included payments for medical care or indemnity benefits…

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The Georgia House of Representatives voted this week to raise the maximum workers’ compensation benefit amounts and to increase the maximum payout to dependent spouses. House Bill 480, sponsored by Rep. Lehman Franklin, R-Statesboro, and others, was approved by a vote of 154-15 this week. It now goes to the state Senate.

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Work comp payers actually care about the patients recovery, return to functionality, ability, and productivity. Work comp HAS to…screwing up recovery = huge financial penalties in the form of claims that last forever, really costly settlements, and migraine-level headaches for all involved.

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Injured workers with low back pain whose injuries are covered by workers' compensation reported the lowest improvement in function following physical therapy compared to patients covered by all other payment systems, according to study released Tuesday by the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

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