Quarterly Newsletter: July 1 - September 30, 2021

Research Used Below is a sample of where our research was used over the last three months. California: Findings from the 16th and 21st edition of WCRI's CompScope™ Benchmarks for California were used in a presentation to the Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau's Actuarial Committee on frictional costs in the state's workers’ compensation system.  National: Our Correlates of Opioid Dispensing study was cited in an article, "Introduction to the Special Issue: Opioids and the Workplace—Urgent Action Needed," published in the SAGE Journals. Wisconsin: WCRI's CompScope™ Benchmarks studies and advisory committee were mentioned in the Wisconsin Office of the Insurance Commissioner's annual insurance report. Wisconsin: WCRI's research was cited in a proposal to introduce a hospital fee schedule by 2023 at a meeting of the Wisconsin Worker's Compensation Advisory Council.

Latest Research Outcomes Associated with Manual Therapy for Workers with Non-Chronic Low Back Pain Topical Analgesic Use in Workers’ Compensation Off-Label Use of Gabapentinoids for Work-Related Injuries Effects of Opioid-Related Policies on Opioid Utilization, Nature of Medical Care, and Duration of Disability The Early Impact of COVID-19 on Medical Treatment for Workers’ Compensation Non-COVID-19 Claims Browse more studies

WCRI In The News Below is a sample of the press coverage our research received over the last three months. Workers’ Compensation Research Study Shows No Treatment Delays Due to COVID ─ Insurance Journal Workers’ comp study explores effectiveness of programs, policies on reducing opioid prescriptions ─ Safety+Health Magazine Experts expect legal battle over COVID-related workers’ compensation in Virginia ─ Virginia Mercury Off-label gabapentinoid use growing for work-related injuries ─ PropertyCasualty360 States still mixed on medical pot reimbursement ─ Business Insurance Read More

Member Spotlight: Paul Kearney, AF Group Recently, we had the pleasure of talking to one of our members ─ Paul Kearney, chief claims officer for AF Group ─ about how he came to know WCRI. As the leader of AF Group’s corporate claim organization, Paul brings more than 30 years of experience in insurance to his role.  Read More

Educating Diverse Groups Over the last three months, we were invited to share our research findings with a diverse group of policymakers and other stakeholders at large conferences and smaller briefings. Below is a sample. Briefings: California Department of Industrial Relations California Staffing Agency Reform Association Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation Illinois Department of Insurance Indiana Manufacturers Association Louisiana Department of Insurance Louisiana Office of Workers Compensation Administration New Hampshire Insurance Department New York State Workers' Compensation Board  North Dakota Workforce Safety & Insurance Pennsylvania Compensation Rating Bureau Wisconsin AFL-CIO Conferences/Meetings: IAIABC Research & Standards Committee Meeting  NIOSH COVID-19 Workers' Compensation Workgroup Monthly Webinar NORA Respiratory Health Cross-Sector Council Meeting

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