Waltham, MA, February 25, 2025 —The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) has released a new FlashReport exploring how medical utilization trends during the COVID-19 pandemic varied by workers' age and job tenure.

"Decreases in medical utilization were a key driver of trends in medical payments per claim during the pandemic," said Dr. Sebastian Negrusa, vice president of research at WCRI. "This report offers valuable insights into how these trends differed across workers of various ages and job tenures."

The FlashReport, Trends in Medical Utilization as a Function of Age and Tenure, analyzed data from 17 states spanning 2017 to 2022, with a focus on the pandemic period since 2019. The report answers the following key questions:

• Did COVID-19 impact medical utilization differently for various age or job tenure groups?
• What were the trends in medical utilization during the pandemic for these groups?
• Did changes in age and tenure distributions of injured workers contribute to the overall decrease in medical utilization?

The study examines medical service utilization by age and tenure, focusing on office visits, emergency care, physical medicine, and major surgeries. The report focuses on non-COVID claims and explores the pandemic’s impact on medical care.

For more information or to purchase a copy, visit www.wcrinet.org. The study was authored by Dr. Rebecca Yang, Dr. Karen Rothkin, Evelina Radeva, and Roman Dolinschi.

About WCRI:

The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) is an independent, not-for-profit research organization based in Waltham, MA. Organized in 1983, the Institute does not take positions on the issues it researches; rather, it provides information obtained through studies and data collection efforts, which conform to recognized scientific methods. Objectivity is further ensured through rigorous, unbiased peer review procedures. WCRI's diverse membership includes employers; insurers; governmental entities; managed care companies; health care providers; insurance regulators; state labor organizations; and state administrative agencies in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

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