A CWCI Research Update report uses HCAI data to monitor trends in the utilization of inpatient care in California workers comp from 2012 through 2022, comparing the workers comp trends to those in Medicare, Medi-Cal and private coverage. The report also reviews changes in the types of conditions treated and the services delivered to injured workers before and after the pandemic was declared in 2020; takes a focused look at the primary diagnoses underlying inpatient hospitalizations involving spinal fusions and major joint replacement surgeries; and examines how the growth of outpatient surgery is affecting the total number of injured worker hospitalizations.

A CWCI analysis of data from the IRIS database tracks average California workers’ comp total losses per indemnity claim since the implementation of SB 863 through the first three years of the pandemic, and breaks out the data to show both paid medical and paid indemnity loss trends. The study also looks at 24-month loss trends for claims from five key industry sectors and for claims from injured workers living in 7 distinct regions of the state as well as from workers living out of state.

The final report in a 3-part research series on workers’ compensation medications that represent a relatively small share of the dispensed prescriptions within their therapeutic drug group, but due to their high average reimbursements, account for a disproportionate share of the total drug spend within their group. Part 3 of the series focuses on Musculoskeletal and Ulcer Drugs.

CWCI examines a proposal to alter the TD cap by excluding TD that is paid or due from the UR treatment denial date to the date of the treatment authorization if the denial is overturned by IMR or the WCAB. The analysis estimates the percentage of claims that would be affected by the proposal in light of the required IT costs to update claims systems and the ongoing administrative costs for manual processes to identify and track claims with TD payments and UR and IMR activity.

The second in a 3-part research series on workers’ compensation medications that represent a relatively small share of the dispensed prescriptions within their therapeutic drug group, but due to their high average reimbursements, account for a disproportionate share of the total drug spend within their group. Part 2 of the series focuses on Dermatologicals, Opioids, and Antidepressants.

A new CWCI Report to the Industry provides an in-depth look at the dispute resolution process in California workers compensation and examines IMR activity and outcomes from 2014 through 2022.

CWCI research tracks changes in the prevalence and volume of professional medical services in the first 2 years of treatment for indemnity claims in which medical care began between 2014 and 2019. To examine the impact of the pandemic, the authors compare the prevalence and volume of services in the first 6 months of treatment for claims in which treatment began in 2018 and 2019 claims in which treatment began in 2020 and 2021. In both cases, results are broken out for claims with and without surgery.

The first of a 3-part research series on workers’ compensation medications that represent a relatively small share of the dispensed prescriptions within their therapeutic drug group, but due to their high average reimbursements, account for a disproportionate share of the total drug spend within their group. Part I of the series focuses on Anti-Inflammatories and Anticonvulsants.

A Research Update report that continues CWCIs series of studies examining inpatient utilization trends using data compiled by the California Department of Health Care Access and Information. The analysis compares the volume and types of inpatient hospitalizations covered by workers compensation to those covered by Medicare, Medi-Cal, and private coverage.

In both 2021 and 2022, California legislators have debated proposals that would shorten the compensability determination timeline for California workers compensation claims. This CWCI Impact Analysis report helps bring the debate into focus by providing background information on the compensability determination process for litigated and non-litigated claims, reviewing existing statutory and regulatory timeframes for various steps within the process, and using data from nearly 460,000 non-COVID-19 claims and more than 17,000 COVID-19 claims to evaluate the need for and the potential impact of the proposals, including the unintended consequences.