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Number of treatments per Workers’ Comp claim continues to rise

The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) has released a new research study showing a continued increase in treatments per Workers' Comp claims. From 1996/97 to 2002/03, there was a 43% increase in overall treatments per claim. Complex surgery and anesthesia (67%), complex diagnostic testing (62%) and physical therapy (61%) experienced the largest increases in the average number of treatments per claim.

Key findings of the study include:
The increase in the share of claims with surgery accounted for about one quarter of the overall increase in treatments per claim. Surgical claims involved more than twice the number of treatments per claim, particularly physical therapy and drug treatments.

The primary drivers of the increases in treatments per claim varied by service group.
Treatments per claim overall were significantly impacted by physical therapy treatments, which constituted approximately 50% of all treatments per claim.

Overall, the most significant increases in treatments per claim occurred in 2000 and 2001, and have slowed in the most recent years. However, many of the more cost-intensive service groups have continued to increase.

For a copy of the study, click here.