The Effects of Provider Choice Policies on Workers' Compensation Costs.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To examine the effects of provider choice policies on workers' compensation medical and indemnity costs.

Data sources/study setting

Pooled cross-sectional analysis of administrative claims records for workers with work-related injuries primarily in 2007-2010 across 25 states (n = 4,489,729).

Study design

We used linear and quantile regression analyses to evaluate differences in claim costs (medical and indemnity) based on whether policies give employers or injured workers control over the choice of provider.

Principal findings

We find no difference in average medical costs by provider choice policies, although a distributional analysis indicates higher developed medical costs for the costliest back injury cases in states where workers control provider

SUBMITTER: Neumark D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6232414 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature