Medical Costs Rise in Florida

According to a just released study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI), medical costs per workers' compensation claim in Florida grew at a rate of seven percent in 2005 and five percent in 2006. WCRI said that its study, Monitoring the Impact of 2003 Reforms in Florida: CompScope(TM) Medical Benchmarks, 9th Edition, analyzed claims with experience as of March 2007.

WCRI reported that its data showed that the main driver of the growth in 2005 was the increase in prices paid for physical medicine services provided by chiropractors and physical/occupational therapists.

The five percent growth in study year 2006 was mainly driven by significant increases in the average payment per service for hospital outpatient services. In 2004, the average payment per service for most hospital outpatient services decreased at double-digit rates. Data analysis also showed that prices paid for surgeries decreased nine percent in 2006 after increases the previous two years.

The not-for-profit research organization maintains a web presence at www.wcrinet.org.