Research
California’s Proposed WC Formulary: Preliminary Review of Preferred and Non-Preferred Drugs
A CWCI Spotlight Report that uses data on 1.2 million prescriptions dispensed to California injured workers in 2014 to model the impact of the proposed WC prescription drug formulary released by the DWC on August 26, 2016.
California Workers Comp Regional Score Card: Los Angeles County
L.A. County residents account for 25.6% of all claims in the state, but 31.9% of workers’ comp loss payments. What makes L.A. claims different? The Regional Score Card provides detailed data comparing key aspects of Los Angeles County Claims to those from other regions of California.
Impact of the RBRVS Fee Schedule
A detailed analysis of changes in the utilization and reimbursement of California workers’ comp physician and non-physician medical services during the first 2 years of the transition to the RBRVS fee schedule, which began in January 2014.
1st Quarter 2016 IMR Outcomes
A new analysis of California workers’ comp IMR decisions from Q1 2016 shows little change in the number of IMR determinations, the percentage of UR modifications and denials upheld by IMR physicians, the types of medical services reviewed, and the high concentration of disputed medical service requests linked to a relatively small number of physicians.
Trends in the Use of Opioids in California WC
CWCI research based on 10.8 million California workers’ comp prescriptions filled between 2005 and 2014 identifies trends in the volume, cost, potency and types of opioids used to treat injured workers over the past decade.
California WC Claim Monitoring, Medical & Indemnity Development, AY 2005- 2014
New CWCI research that tracks average California workers’ comp medical loss, indemnity benefit and medical cost containment (MCC) payments on AY 2005 – 2014 lost-time claims finds mixed results, with more developed data on older claims showing paid medical losses and indemnity leveling out or declining, and less developed data on newer claims indicating that average amounts paid in the early stages of a claim are on the rise.
