RESEARCH PAPERS

Workers’ Compensation Medical Prices and Outcomes of Injured Workers

The Workers Compensation Research Institute published a study in 2019 on the relationship between workers’ compensation prices for medical services and the outcomes that workers experience after a work-related injury.

Over 6,000 workers were surveyed and 1,500,000 claim records from injured workers examined. It was found that workers’ compensation prices are related to access to care and the nature of care that workers receive. However, workers’ compensation prices are not strongly related to recovery or speed and likelihood of return to work. In areas where workers’ compensation pays less than group health insurers, price changes were unlikely to change providers’ incentives to treat injured workers as patients. 

In areas where workers’ compensation prices are higher than group health prices, providers were more willing to provide care to injured workers.