The Workers’ Compensation Research Institute’s “CompScope Benchmarks for Illinois, 18th Edition” shows that the state’s average total cost per workers’ compensation claim grew 1 to 3 percent annually since 2012. The study looked at state claims data through March 31, 2017 for injury dates between 2011 and 2016.
The increase is attributed to moderate changes in things like medical payments per claim (driven by utilization and prices of medical services), indemnity benefits per claim (driven by processes related to permanent partial disability benefits and duration of temporary disability), as well as benefit delivery expenses per claim. Compared to the 17 other states in the study, average total cost per comp claim remained higher than typical.
The researchers also found that indemnity benefits made up the largest component of total costs per claim, making up 45 percent of total payments for claims with injuries dating from October 1, 2013 with experience through March 31, 2017.
In 2014, the state had a longer duration of temporary disability benefits than most of the 17 other states included in WCRI’s study which impacted indemnity benefits. Among the states studied, Illinois had the highest rate of worker attorney involvement in comp claims (52 percent) for 2014-2017 claims.
Check out the press release from WCRI
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