Waltham, MA, Nov. 14, 2024 – A recently released study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found that utilization of hospital services in the treatment of workers injured in Pennsylvania is declining for many key services to a greater extent than most of the other 16 study states.

“Most states have seen decreasing utilization of medical services, especially hospital services, since the onset of the pandemic,” said Sebastian Negrusa, WCRI’s vice president of research. “Pennsylvania’s decreases are larger than most, particularly in major surgery and hospital outpatient services.”

The study, CompScope™ Medical Benchmarks for Pennsylvania, 25th Edition, examines medical payments, prices, and utilization in Pennsylvania compared with 16 other states. The report also examines how these metrics have changed over time. Some key findings include the following:

• Medical payments per claim, which have decreased 2-3 percent per year since 2019, changed little in 2022.
• Payments per claim for nonhospital services grew moderately in 2022, driven by growth in prices paid for professional services.
• Increases in prices paid for professional services reflected, in part, fee schedule updates that were larger than in previous years.
• Overall medical payments per claim in Pennsylvania were typical of the study states.

This report analyzes claims data through March 2023, offering insights into the pandemic's impact on non-COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims during its first three years. The interstate comparison data cover 17 states, accounting for 60 percent of all workers’ compensation benefits paid nationwide.

For more information or to download a copy of the report, visit https://www.wcrinet.org/reports/compscope-medical-benchmarks-for-pennsylvania-25th-edition. The report was authored by William Monnin-Browder.

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; state labor organizations; and state administrative agencies in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

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