https://www.wcrinet.org/reports/wcri-medical-price-index-for-workers-compensation-10th-edition-mpi-wc
The Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) released the 10th edition of their Medical Price Index for Workers’ Compensation. This study looked at data from 35 states, comparing medical prices paid between 2008 and 2017 for services from physicians, physical therapists and chiropractors.
The data from the 35 states studied represent 87 percent of workers’ comp benefits paid in the United States. They blocked the medical services into eight groups – evaluation and management, physical medicine, surgery, major radiology, minor radiology, neurological testing, pain management injections and emergency care. The results of the study could be useful for those looking at the potential impacts of medical fee schedules, as well as other stakeholders and policymakers who want to see how any state’s comp prices have changed over time.
They found significant variability in the prices paid across states, ranging from 26 percent below the median of the 35 states in Florida, to 158 percent above the median in Wisconsin in 2017. They found states without fee schedules for these services had higher prices paid compared to states with fee schedules (39 to 168 percent higher than the median of states studied with fee schedules in 2017).
They also found changes in prices paid for professional services varied across states, from a 17 percent decrease in Illinois and a 39 percent increase in Wisconsin in the time studied.
States without fee schedules experienced faster growth in prices paid when compared to states with fee schedules. The median growth rate for non-fee schedule states was 30 percent between 2008 and 2017, while the median growth rate for fee schedule states was 6 percent.
Dr. Rebecca Yang and Dr. Olesya Fomenko authored the study.
You must be logged in to post a comment.