Waltham, MA—A new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found that Florida’s average indemnity benefit per workers’ compensation claim grew 13 percent in 2022 for claims with 12 months of experience, making it the main driver of growth in overall costs per claim in the state.

“An increase in indemnity benefits per claim in 2022 was a common finding across study states, including Florida,” said Sebastian Negrusa, vice president of research at WCRI. “Faster wage growth and longer duration of temporary disability drove the indemnity growth in 2022, likely related to changing labor market and economic conditions.”

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

• Medical payments per claim remained stable in 2021 and 2022, after a year of decline in 2020.
• Florida’s costs per claim were typical of the study states, a result that masks offsetting factors and may reflect system features.

The analysis in 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, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The report was authored by Rebecca Yang.

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.

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