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COVID-19 updates: Claims, Insights from research reports

Claims

Insights from research reports



Construction injuries related to the time of day/shift

A new report from researchers from Oregon State University used workers' compensation claims from the state's construction industry from 2007 to 2013, examining more than 12,000 claims in which a work-related injury or illness caused at least three missed days of work, overnight hospitalization, likely permanent disability or death.

They found that the frequency of injuries increased in each of the first four hours of a shift and peaked during the fourth hour. Workers who started their shift in the evening or at night were more likely to experience injuries and suffer more severe injuries than daytime workers, based on lost workdays and medical costs.



NCCI report on the impact of CMS changes to reimbursement rules and rates on workers' compensation

According to a recent NCCI report, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) made significant changes to reimbursement rules and rates for medical services in 2021 that can impact workers' compensation fee schedules, depending on how states link their fee schedule to Medicare.States that use fee schedules that are partially based on Medicare's payment rules (such as Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Colorado) could see an increase in total medical costs of up to 2%. For states including Florida, Tennessee, and North Carolina that make few, if any, changes to Medicare's rules will likely see an increase, but less significantly.



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