Cambridge, MA, October 19, 2023 – A new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found that medical payments per workers’ compensation claim in Indiana changed little between 2016 and 2021.
October 19 2023
Cambridge, MA, October 19, 2023 – A new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found that medical payments per workers’ compensation claim in Indiana changed little between 2016 and 2021.
October 18 2023
Today, our colleague Kathy Fisher is presenting WCRI research at the 15th Annual Workers Compensation and Safety Conference hosted by the Illinois Chamber and Illinois Self-Insurers' Association. Kathy's presentation will address the impact of the pandemic on the workers’ comp system using WCRI research on long COVID, and workers’ comp trends in Illinois.
October 13 2023
A new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found that total costs per claim with more than seven days of lost time in Delaware decreased in 2020 and then increased in 2021, based on claims evaluated as of March 2022. The study found that changes in the availability of medical services and economic conditions were the main factors behind the 2020 and 2021 findings. Reforms enacted in 2014 also had an effect on medical…
October 12 2023
Cambridge, MA, October 12, 2023 — A new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found that total costs per claim with more than seven days of lost time in Delaware decreased in 2020 and then increased in 2021 (claims evaluated as of March 2022). Changes in the availability of medical services and economic conditions were the main factors behind the 2020 and 2021 findings.
October 11 2023
WCRI Senior Analyst Carol Telles will be presenting research on how the Louisiana workers' compensation system compares to other states at LABI's 2023 Workers' Comp Seminar, Oct. 12-13 in Baton Rouge, LA. Learn more at https://buff.ly/3ZP7bOY. #workerscomp
October 10 2023
In a Workers’ Compensation Research Institute study, patients who initiated PT more than 30 days after injury had worse health outcomes than those who began therapy within three days. Those who initiated PT later were 47% more likely to have an MRI, 46% more likely to be prescribed opioids, 29% more likely to receive injections for pain management, and 89% more likely to have back surgery. Those are a lot of negative consequences!
October 09 2023
Cambridge, MA, Oct. 10, 2023―The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) announced today that registration is open and acclaimed Harvard economist David Cutler will keynote the 2024 WCRI Issues & Research Conference, March 5-6 at the Westin Copley Hotel in Boston, MA.
October 05 2023
Cambridge, MA, October 5, 2023 ― Medical payments per claim decreased more than 3 percent in most of the 17 study states for 2021 injuries with experience through March 2022, according to a new set of studies by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). The main driver of this was a decrease in utilization of medical services, likely the result of the pandemic.
October 04 2023
A national study by the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute found that 6% of workers who filed claims for COVID-19 suffered long COVID, meaning they sought additional treatment more than a month after the initial infection.
September 29 2023
An August report from the nonprofit Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found that care for long COVID can be costly. Many workers who developed long COVID continued receiving medical care a year after their infections. At an average of 18 months of post-infection experience, workers with long COVID received more than 20 weeks of temporary disability benefits and received on average about $29,000 in medical care. This was more than…
September 21 2023
That line, from W.B. Yeats’ great poem, “Easter, 1916”, comes to mind when we look back on what COVID has done to the US workforce in a scant few years. The good folks at the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) have cast a critical-statistical eye over the recent COVID-addled period, 2019 to 2022, in their new research report: Changes in the Workforce and Their Impact on Workers’ Compensation Outcomes (free to WCRI…
September 21 2023
For the other news, we turn to a new report from the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI), Long COVID in the Workers’ Compensation System in 2020 and 2021. The report is detailed because long COVID is not simple.
September 14 2023
Cambridge, MA, Sept. 15, 2023 – The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) will hold a 30-min. webinar on its study Long COVID in the Workers' Compensation System in 2020 and 2021 on Tues., Oct. 3, 2023, at 2:00 pm ET. Author Dr. Bogdan Savych will share findings from the study and take audience questions.
September 11 2023
Isn’t a problem. In most states. Today. That is the headline takeaway from WCRI’s presentation last week…
September 01 2023
Hamm’s assertion that high-cost topicals are unnecessarily driving up costs is backed by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI), which completed a study in December 2021 that found the cost of some topicals for pain management is increasing the cost of workers’ compensation claims dramatically in some states.
August 31 2023
A recent report looked at the prevalence of long COVID and how it is affecting the worker compensation system. The report, by the Cambridge-based Workers Compensation Research Institute, looked at compensation claims between March 2020 and September 2021 and found that 6% of workers who were infected by COVID-19 received treatment for long COVID.
August 31 2023
Cambridge, MA, August 31, 2023 – A new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found the recent economic trends and the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic had important impacts on the workers’ compensation system.
August 21 2023
Six percent of workers who filed workers’ compensation claims for catching COVID-19 between March 2020 and September 2021 have also received care for Long COVID, according to a new report. Of these workers, many of them continued receiving medical care for ongoing symptoms a year after their infections, researchers at the Cambridge-based Workers Compensation Research Institute say, citing work that involved data from 31 states.
August 21 2023
Six percent of workers who filed workers’ compensation claims for catching COVID-19 between March 2020 and September 2021 have also received care for Long COVID, according to a new report.
August 18 2023
WCRI’s report on long COVID’s impact on work comp was release, examining claims with an average of 18 months post-infection…my takeaways include...
August 17 2023
Six percent of workers with compensation claims for COVID-19 developed long COVID, according to a study released Thursday by the Workers Compensation Research Institute.
August 17 2023
Cambridge, MA, August 17, 2023 – A new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found that 6 percent of workers with COVID-19 developed long COVID, and many of these workers continued receiving medical care a year after their infections. This study expands prior evidence from early in the pandemic, showing persistent rates of long COVID for infections through 2021.
August 14 2023
Join the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) for a 30-min. webinar on Wed., Sept. 6, 2023, at 2:00 pm ET as authors Olesya Fomenko and Rebecca Yang discuss findings and answer questions from Insights into Medical Inflation in Workers’ Compensation—A WCRI FlashReport.
August 14 2023
The Workers Compensation Research Institute reported earlier this month that the cost of medical care in workers’ comp dipped during the pandemic. Inflation for both work comp treatment and health care in general hasn’t tracked the rate of inflation for the economy as a whole, WCRI said.
August 09 2023
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development recently announced that Wisconsin companies will pay 8.4% less in worker’s compensation insurance rates starting Oct. 1, 2023, benefiting businesses around the state.
August 07 2023
August 04 2023
While fast-rising prices in the past year drove up claim costs for auto and property insurers, inflation has been a more ho-hum affair for the workers’ compensation line and health care in general, according to a new report by the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute.
August 04 2023
Wisconsin companies will pay 8.4% less in worker’s compensation insurance rates starting Oct. 1, benefiting businesses around the state, according to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.
August 03 2023
While consumer prices for energy, food and housing between 2021 and 2022 saw drastic increases, there’s little evidence such inflationary pressures affected workers compensation medical costs, according to a report released Thursday by the Workers Compensation Research Institute.
August 03 2023
Cambridge, MA, August 3, 2023 – The steep growth in consumer prices for energy, food, and housing over the last few years created concerns about potential rising inflation in medical care. A new Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) study found that, overall, there was no evidence of faster growth in workers’ compensation medical prices and payments in most states over the high inflation period of 2021-2022.
August 02 2023
Earlier this year, the Workers' Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) served as the backdrop for a comprehensive and illuminating presentation on the evolution of workers' compensation. Presented by Price V. Fishback, a Ph.D. holder from the University of Arizona, the discourse explored the multifaceted journey of workers' compensation from its nascent stages to its present state. Fishback's exposition particularly zeroed in…
August 01 2023
Wisconsin companies will pay 8.4% less in worker’s compensation insurance rates starting Oct. 1, benefiting businesses around the state, according to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.
July 26 2023
Please save the date for the WCRI 40th Annual Issues & Research Conference, March 5-6, 2024, at the Westin Copley Hotel in Boston. Our two-day program highlights presentations of WCRI's latest research findings while drawing upon the diverse perspectives of highly respected workers' compensation experts and policymakers from across the country.
July 25 2023
An Alabama firefighter who was shot inside his fire station will be laid to rest today, providing a small measure of closure after what authorities have called a targeted attack that left another fireman critically wounded.
July 25 2023
In March 2023, Dongchun Wang from the Workers' Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) presented a study on the extended use of physical medicine for low back pain claims in 28 states across the United States. The study provides valuable insights into the prevalence and severity indicators associated with this type of treatment.
July 20 2023
Tennessee’s workers’ compensation laws are now similar to a number of other states, said Karen Rothkin with the Workers Compensation Research Institute. “23 states plus D.C. and the two federal programs already give remarried spouses about two years of further benefits,” said Rothkin. “Most of them in a lump sum.”
July 12 2023
In May, Ramona Tanabe became president and CEO of the Workers Compensation Research Institute, where she began working in 1996. During her tenure, she has helped the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based institute evaluate the workers comp industry by conducting studies on state policies and trends. Business Insurance Assistant Editor Louise Esola interviewed her recently on her work and what’s to come. Edited excerpts follow.
June 09 2023
Cambridge, MA – Indemnity benefits per claim in Massachusetts decreased 7 percent in 2021 following a sizeable increase in the previous year. Duration of temporary disability was a major driver of indemnity trends in both years, according to a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI).
June 09 2023
Cambridge, MA – The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) recently announced that its 2023 WCRI Annual Report is now available on its website.
June 01 2023
WCRI’s latest research report on hospital costs is a must-read for anyone involved in work comp claims, medical management and actuarial issues. Kudos to Drs Olesya Fomenko and Rebecca Yang for their excellent work.
June 01 2023
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently updated its reimbursement rates for medical services, and experts are monitoring how the changes may affect workers compensation medical fee schedules and insurance rates.
May 31 2023
The Workers Compensation Research Institute will discuss findings from a recent study about back pain during an hour-long webinar June 22.
May 31 2023
Cambridge, MA, May 31, 2023 – During these times when rising hospital costs are a focus of public policy debates, a new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) finds that hospital outpatient payments are lower and growing slower in states with fixed-amount fee schedules.
May 25 2023
As health care system mergers become more commonplace, workers compensation experts are monitoring how physician consolidations might affect issues such as medical costs, patient access and quality of care.
May 23 2023
Cambridge, MA, May 30, 2023 – Medical payments per workers' compensation claim in Virginia at 12 months of maturity decreased 5.6 percent between 2019 and 2020 and 7.9 percent between 2020 and 2021, according to a recent study published by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI).
May 19 2023
One of my favorite people in workers’ comp is now heading up WCRI…I connected with Ramona Tanabe who was named President and CEO. making her the third leader of this august institution.
May 19 2023
States that don’t have workers compensation medical fee schedules for professional services tend to have much higher prices compared with states that have fee schedules, according to updated findings by the Workers Compensation Research Institute.
May 18 2023
A recent study, "Long COVID in the Workers' Compensation System Early in the Pandemic" from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) examined the prevalence of long COVID among injured workers early in the pandemic by studying the COVID-19 workers' compensation claims that occurred between March 2020 and September 2020.
May 18 2023
Recent changes in the duration of temporary disability in Texas could reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic conditions, according to a recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute.
May 18 2023
Cambridge, MA, May 18, 2023 ― Today, the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) released an updated version of its study that compares prices paid for a similar set of medical professional services for treating injured workers across 36 states and monitors price changes from 2008 to 2022.
May 16 2023
Cambridge, MA, May 16, 2023 – Trends in indemnity components in Texas differed between 2016 and 2021, though wages of workers with injuries grew more than 3 percent per year from 2016 to 2019, according to a recent study published by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI).
May 12 2023
Cambridge, MA – The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) recently announced that it will be hosting a 30-minute webinar on Thursday, May 25, 2023, at 2 p.m. ET on its study Designing Workers’ Compensation Medical Fee Schedules, 2022.
May 11 2023
Ramona Tanabe assumed the role of WCRI’s CEO in May 2023. She shares her thoughts, her goals and career wins that have led her to this position.
May 10 2023
A national labor shortage has created ideal conditions for skilled workers to negotiate for better pay and more flexible work schedules, but also new challenges for employers: Staff members aren’t eager to return to the office; job applicants are demanding higher wages; and mental health has deteriorated for many, in some cases transforming star employees into personnel problems.
May 09 2023
Cambridge, MA, May 9, 2023 – Indemnity benefits per claim in Massachusetts decreased 7 percent in 2021 following a sizeable increase in the previous year. Duration of temporary disability was a major driver of indemnity trends in both years, according to a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI).
May 09 2023
Cambridge, MA – The average total cost per claim in Illinois changed little between 2019 and 2021 for injuries evaluated as of the first quarter of 2022, according to a recent study published by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI).
May 02 2023
The utilization of nonhospital and hospital outpatient services in the Illinois workers compensation system decreased in 2020, the drop attributed to medical facility closures and service limitations during the beginning of the pandemic, according to a new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute.
May 02 2023
Cambridge, MA, May 2, 2023 – The average total cost per claim in Illinois changed little between 2019 and 2021 for injuries evaluated as of the first quarter of 2022, according to a recent study published by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI).
May 01 2023
Today, I am honored and excited to officially begin my role as the new president and CEO of the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). I am grateful to my predecessor, friend, and colleague John Ruser for his contributions of eight years. I want to thank the WCRI Board of Directors for their confidence in choosing me to lead WCRI into our next phase.
April 27 2023
Cambridge, MA, April 27, 2023 – The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) announced today that its 2023 WCRI Annual Report is now available on its website. The report takes a comprehensive look at all of the Institute’s activities in 2022, from the studies published to how that research was used by policymakers and other stakeholders.
April 25 2023
Cambridge, MA, April 25, 2023—Total costs per claim with more than seven days of lost time in Florida remained stable in 2020 and 2021, following moderate growth of 4–5 percent per year from 2016 to 2019, according to a recent study published by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI).
April 19 2023
Medical providers who treat injured employees in Massachusetts are paid by workers’ comp carriers according to rates established by the state. Those rates, which can be negotiated, haven’t been updated since 2009, and in many cases, providers’ payments from workers’ comp insurance are less than those from Medicare, which are notoriously low. Overall, workers’ comp rates in Massachusetts are 5 percent below state…
April 18 2023
Cambridge, MA, April 18, 2023 – A new series of 14 studies from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found medical payments per claim decreased while indemnity benefits per claim continued to grow in 2020 and 2021 in many states, likely reflecting the impact of changes in economic conditions and usage of medical care during the early COVID-19 pandemic period.
April 17 2023
Nearly a third of injured workers in Massachusetts sought treatment for strains and sprains in a hospital emergency room, while in California and Nevada only 10% did, according to a study by the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute.
April 04 2023
Cambridge, MA, April 4, 2023―Today, the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) released a new report that gathers in one place the numerous state regulations affecting prescription drugs in all 50 states, including workers with injuries.
April 03 2023
Consolidation of physician services into larger groups owned by hospitals and health care systems is driving up the cost of care in workers’ compensation, according to a new study by the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI).
April 03 2023
Cambridge, MA, April 3, 2023―The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) announced today that executive vice president Ramona Tanabe has been named to succeed John Ruser as the new CEO of the Institute. She will assume responsibilities on May 1, 2023. Current CEO John Ruser has served in the position since 2015. John will stay on temporarily as advisor to the CEO to ensure a smooth transition.
March 30 2023
Cambridge, MA, March 30, 2023―A series of studies from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) examines the impact of formularies on prescription drug utilization and costs in five states (Arkansas, California, Indiana, Kentucky, and New York) that implemented formularies in 2018 and 2019. They also examine the effect on physician dispensing and generic utilization in states with applicable formulary rules.
March 28 2023
Cambridge, MA, March 28, 2023―A new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) helps policymakers and stakeholders get an informed view about access to providers in their states by describing the medical workforce treating workers with injuries. The study shows how often physicians treat workers with injuries, examines the volume and the types of services that physicians provide, and examines how these providers fit within…
March 23 2023
Thank you to all our speakers and attendees for making our 2023 WCRI Issues & Research Conference our best yet. We hope all our attendees enjoyed learning about our latest research, hearing from our well-regarded keynote speakers and panelists, and networking with our diverse audience. For those who attended, you still have time to download the slides from the conference app. Below are some articles and blog posts written about the…
March 16 2023
Cambridge, MA, March 16, 2023―A new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) examines the impact of vertical integration of medical providers on payments for workers’ compensation care. In particular, it shows how payments for care provided by physicians to workers with injuries changed after hospitals and health systems acquired physician practices.
March 14 2023
A question we often get about our annual conference is who should attend? The answer is, anyone working to improve workers’ compensation systems or seeking to manage a changing environment will benefit. Better yet, take a look at the more than 200 organizations registered for our 2023 WCRI Issues & Research Conference, March 21-22 in Phoenix, AZ.
March 02 2023
Cambridge, MA, March 2, 2023― Today, the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) shared information about a panel on the “Impact of the Labor Shortage” that will be held at its 2023 WCRI Issues & Research Conference, March 21-22 at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown in Phoenix, Arizona.
March 01 2023
Cambridge, MA, March 1, 2023―Extended physical medicine (PM) use was relatively frequent in most study states and less coordination of care was among the key factors associated with a higher likelihood of having extended PM use, finds a new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI).
February 16 2023
Cambridge, MA, Feb. 16, 2023― Today, the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) shared information about a panel on “Changes in the Workplace” that will be held at its 2023 WCRI Issues & Research Conference, March 21-22 at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown in Phoenix, AZ. The conference theme is "Disruption, Resilience, and Evolution."
February 14 2023
Cambridge, MA, Feb. 14, 2023―A new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) finds that workers’ compensation patients with low back pain reported lower improvements in functional status score following physical therapy than patients covered by other payment systems.
February 07 2023
Cambridge, MA, Feb. 7, 2022― The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) announced today that acclaimed MIT economist David Autor will keynote the 2023 WCRI Issues & Research Conference, March 21-22 at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown in Phoenix, AZ.
January 26 2023
Cambridge, MA, Jan. 26, 2023―A new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found that 7 percent of workers with COVID-19 claims received treatment for long COVID after the acute period of the infection. While long COVID prevalence was the highest among workers who were hospitalized during an acute stage of disease, even some workers with limited medical care early after the infection developed long COVID symptoms.
December 19 2022
Cambridge, MA, Dec. 19, 2022―A new 28-state study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found substantial variation across states in the rates of emergency department (ED) use among workers seeking care for new injuries during the period from the first quarter of 2019 to the first quarter of 2021.
November 22 2022
The NIOSH Center for Workers’ Compensation Studies is hosting a meeting on December 8 to discuss recent findings, new prevention activities, and to share analysis practices. Among those on the agenda are WCRI CEO John Ruser, who will be discussing the Institute's long COVID-19 research, and WCRI VP of Research Sebastian Negrusa, who will be discussing the Institute's research on behavioral health in workers' compensation.…
November 22 2022
Cambridge, MA, Nov. 22, 2022 – The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) will host a free 30-minute webinar on its recent study A Primer on Behavioral Health Care in Workers’ Compensation on Thursday Dec. 15, 2022, at 2pm ET.
November 17 2022
Cambridge, MA, Nov. 17, 2022―Medical payments per claim decreased in Indiana for 2020 injuries with experience through March 2021 after growing in 2019, according to a recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). This fluctuation in medical payments, in part, reflects factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
November 14 2022
On this World Diabetes Day, we look back at past WCRI research that found injured workers with diabetes, when interviewed 2.5 years after injury, had a 4 percentage point higher rate of not working compared to workers without diabetes. Click here to read an article in Insurance Journal.
November 10 2022
Cambridge, MA, Nov. 10, 2022―The average medical payment per claim decreased 4 percent in Michigan for 2020 injuries with experience through March 2021, according to a recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). This reflects factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the earlier period from 2015 to 2019, medical payments per claim grew 4 percent per year.
October 20 2022
Cambridge, MA, October 20, 2022 ― A new report from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found that indemnity benefits per claim grew 10 percent for 2020 non-COVID-19 claims evaluated in 2021 (2020/2021 claims) after being mostly stable since 2015 in New York. Medical payments per claim decreased 5 percent in 2020/2021, following a rapid increase the previous year. Both the increase in indemnity benefits and decrease in medical…
October 19 2022
Cambridge, MA, Oct. 19, 2022 ― The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) will host a free 30-minute webinar on Nov. 17, 2022, at 2 p.m. ET on its study Trends in the Delaware Workers’ Compensation System, 2015–2020.
October 13 2022
Cambridge, MA, October 13, 2022 ― Medical payments per claim decreased 5 percent in Florida for 2020 injuries with experience through March 2021, according to a recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). This likely reflects factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the earlier period from 2015 to 2019, medical payments per claim grew 4–5 percent per year.
October 12 2022
Cambridge, MA, Oct. 12, 2022―Today, the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) announced registration is now open for the Institute’s 39th Annual Issues & Research Conference, March 21-22, 2023. This year’s conference is being held in person at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel.
October 07 2022
Our two-day program highlights presentations of WCRI's latest research findings while drawing upon the diverse perspectives of highly respected workers' compensation experts and policymakers from across the country.
October 06 2022
Cambridge, MA, October 6, 2022 ― Medical payments per claim decreased more than 3 percent in half the 18 study states for 2020 injuries with experience through March 2021, according to a new set of studies by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). This likely reflects factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the earlier period from 2015 to 2019, medical payments per claim were stable or grew moderately across the study…
September 26 2022
Today, WCRI staff volunteered at Mass Audubon’s Habitat Education Center & Wildlife Sanctuary to help them prepare for the 2023 season. WCRI staff tackled various gardening tasks around the sanctuary, including weeding and sweeping accessible paths. It was a fantastic way to give back to the community by helping conservation efforts, while also getting fresh air and connecting with colleagues.
September 14 2022
Cambridge, MA, Sept. 14, 2022 — A new report from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found the average medical payment per claim (regardless of the claim maturity and claim base [all claims or lost-time claims]) decreased about 33 percent between 2014 and 2017 in Delaware, which was the main goal of House Bill (HB) 373.
September 01 2022
Cambridge, MA, Sept. 1, 2022 ― The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) will host a free 45-minute webinar on Sept. 29, 2022, at 2 p.m. ET on its FlashReport, Interstate Variation and Trends in Workers’ Compensation Drug Payments: 2018Q1 to 2021Q1. Two of the study’s authors, Dr. Vennela Thumula and Dongchun Wang, will discuss its key findings and take audience questions.
August 16 2022
Cambridge, MA, August 16, 2022 – As concerns about behavioral health problems increased in recent years, the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) heard through system stakeholder interviews that early screening for psychosocial risk factors is important to prevent delayed recovery.
June 28 2022
Cambridge, MA, June 28, 2022 – As policymakers seek to implement or change price controls in their state workers’ compensation system with a fee schedule, a new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) highlights the important design choices faced in adopting, reforming, and updating them.
June 23 2022
Cambridge, MA, June 23, 2022 — Following the substantial increase in the second quarter of 2020 (2020Q2), use of telemedicine decreased starting in 2020Q3 and stabilized in subsequent quarters. According to a new Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) FlashReport, telemedicine’s share of evaluation and management (E&M) services was still higher at 3 percent in 2021Q1 as compared with 0.2 percent pre-pandemic, while the…
June 16 2022
Cambridge, MA, June 16, 2022 ― A new FlashReport from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) finds that in several states, payments for dermatological agents continued to increase, driven by increased dispensing of higher-priced drug products either from physicians’ offices or from mail-order pharmacies.
May 31 2022
Cambridge, MA, May 31, 2022 – Hospital outpatient payments were higher and growing faster in states with percent-of-charge-based fee regulations or no fee schedules, finds a study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). The study, the latest in an annual series, compares hospital payments for a group of common outpatient surgeries in workers’ compensation across 36 states from 2005 to 2020.
May 26 2022
Cambridge, MA, May 26, 2022 ― Today, the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) released an updated version of its study that compares prices paid for medical professional services across 36 states and monitors price changes from 2008 to 2021, which includes just over a year of medical services delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic.
May 25 2022
Cambridge, MA, May 24, 2022 —The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) will hold a 60-minute webinar on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, at 2 p.m. ET to discuss findings from a recently published WCRI study Chiropractic Care for Workers with Low Back Pain.