New studies released by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) compare outcomes of injured workers across 15 states. The outcomes examined in these studies include recovery of physical health and functioning, return to work, earnings recovery, and access to and satisfaction with medical care.
“The goal of the studies is to provide information about injured workers’ experiences with the workers’ compensation system. By examining outcomes of injured workers, policymakers and stakeholders can better understand how different state systems compare in order to identify and prioritize opportunities to improve system performance,” said Bogdan Savych, an economist at WCRI and one of the authors of the studies.
The research, Comparing Outcomes for Injured Workers, is a product of an ongoing, multiyear effort by WCRI to collect and examine data on the outcomes of medical care achieved by injured workers. There are individual studies for the following states: Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Below is a sample of the findings from the studies:
- Florida: Workers reported somewhat higher rates of problems accessing desired services, higher rates of problems accessing desired providers, and higher dissatisfaction with overall medical care.
- Michigan: Workers reported a somewhat lower-than-typical rate of not achieving substantial return to work and a somewhat lower-than-typical rate of problems getting desired medical services.
- Pennsylvania: Workers reported a somewhat lower-than-typical likelihood or experiencing “big problems” getting the services that they wanted.
- Wisconsin: Workers reported somewhat higher rates of substantial return to work, lower rates of problems accessing desired providers and services, and higher rates of satisfaction with medical care.
The Cambridge, MA-based WCRI is an independent, not-for-profit research organization founded in 1983. WCRI's membership includes employers; insurers; governmental entities; managed care companies; health care providers; insurance regulators; state labor organizations; and state administrative agencies.
