Medical Plans | ý Our Members Bring Choice, Value & Innovation to Agriculture Thu, 22 Dec 2022 16:22:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.4 /wp-content/uploads/2023/09/fema-favicon-75x75.png Medical Plans | ý 32 32 State Medical Plans Push Injured Workers to ER /news/state-medical-plans-may-push-injured-workers-to-er/ Thu, 22 Dec 2022 16:18:52 +0000 /?p=20932 Emergency room visits by injured workers showed “substantial variation” across 28 states, even for the same injuries, calling into question whether some state programs push the more expensive care at the onset of an injury regardless of medical necessity, according to a report released Monday by the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

In 2021, emergency room utilization for initial medical services ranged from 14% in Arizona to 37% in Massachusetts, with many states falling in the 20% to 25% range. WCRI found that the variation was even larger for conditions such as sprains and strains.

Some factors behind the variation “may include local norms of emergency room utilization and state-specific workers compensation system features,” WCRI said.

The pandemic also played a role: The study found that between 2020 and 2021 emergency room utilization for initial medical services tended to be lower when the COVID-19 caseload was higher.

The states included in the study represent 79% of the workers compensation benefits paid in the United States, according to WCRI.

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