This study helps policymakers and other system stakeholders identify current cost drivers and emerging trends in indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses in Florida.

The study compares the performance of the Florida workers’ compensation system with 17 other states, focusing on costs, income benefits, overall medical payments, use of benefits, duration of temporary disability, frequency and payments of permanent partial disability/lump-sum claims, benefit delivery expenses, litigiousness, timeliness of payment, and other metrics.

The study also examines how these system performance metrics have changed, primarily from 2011 to 2016, for claims at various claim maturities. Claims with experience through 2017 for injuries up to and including 2016 were analyzed, and, in some cases, a longer time frame was used to supply historical context.

Two significant decisions (Castellanos and Westphal) were issued by the Florida Supreme Court in 2016. These decisions are expected to affect costs and litigation expenses in the state’s workers’ compensation system. With data reflecting up to 10–12 months of experience after the two decisions, the findings from this study primarily reflect system performance prior to these decisions.

CompScope™ Benchmarks for Florida, 18th Edition. Rui Yang. April 2018. WC-18-02.

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