The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California (WCIRB) has released its study on the cost impacts of delayed medical care due to COVID-19. The study provides insights into how delayed medical care utilization, based on historical claim information, affected workers’ compensation claim costs in the long term. The study results also shed light on the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical care delays and future claim outcomes.
Key findings in the study include:
- Claims with soft tissue injuries that had a month delay before receiving the first medical service had significantly higher indemnity and medical costs than similar claims without medical care delays.
- Soft tissue claims with delayed care were more likely to stay open longer, have a longer duration of temporary disability and involve permanent disability.
- The long-term cost implications of delayed medical care were similar for claims with other leading medical diagnoses in the workers’ compensation system.
The full study is available in the Research section of the WCIRB website or by clicking the following link:
