Waltham, MA, May 28, 2024—A recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found that Wisconsin’s average indemnity benefit per claim grew nearly 10 percent in 2022, fueled by large growth in the average duration of temporary disability per claim. However, the duration of temporary disability per claim in Wisconsin remained the lowest of the study states.

“Wisconsin’s growth in indemnity was driven by growth in metrics like wages, but mostly by the duration of temporary disability,” said Sebastian Negrusa, vice president of research of WCRI. “Duration of temporary disability in Wisconsin grew by almost an entire week, but the average duration of disability in the state remained shorter than in most states—reigning in indemnity costs.”

The study, CompScope™ Benchmarks for Wisconsin, 24th Edition, provides ongoing annual monitoring of how indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses in Wisconsin compare with those in 16 other study states and how they have changed over time. The following are some other findings from the study:

• Indemnity benefits per claim in Wisconsin were the lowest of the study states at $12,658 per claim.
• Higher prices paid than the typical study state kept Wisconsin’s medical payments per claim among the highest of the study states.

This edition covers injury dates from 2017 to 2022 and payments through the end of March 2023. The 16 other states in the study are Arkansas, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. The report was authored by Evelina Radeva.

ABOUT WCRI

The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) is an independent, not-for-profit research organization based in Waltham, MA. Organized in late 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; labor organizations; and state administrative agencies in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

###

Return to Press Releases listing