COVID-19-related concerns for 2021 include whether pandemic compensability measures that have been enacted in multiple states will become permanent or evolve to include other diseases and how to best evaluate risks in the current environment. (Credit: Diego Cervo/Shutterstock)
This past year brought a number of new challenges for the insurance industry. As we look ahead to a new year, here are the top three workers' compensation trends from leading industry sources. Your employer clients should be aware of these in 2021, as they could impact a range of business operations.
1. Telemedicine services
Since the start of COVID-19, there has been a significant increase in telemedicine services listed on insurance claims. In fact, according to FAIR Health's Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker, telehealth claim lines increased 4,347% nationally in 2020 — a substantial jump from 0.17% in March 2019. It is predicted that this advanced technology will continue to be front and center, with 5% of all doctor visits in 2021 being virtual — five times what they were in 2019.
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