A research study of the workers‘ compensation system in eight large states has found Texas is leading the list for medical costs. The major driver behind high Texas medical payments is the growth in chiropractic visits, according to the not-for-profit Workers‘ Compensation Research Institute in Cambridge, Mass. WCRI looked at California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin--a group of states they said represents 40 percent of the benefits paid in the nation. The study for the 1996-1999 period found that the average medical payment per claim was $2,413 in Texas, or more than double the per-claim average of Massachusetts, which was lowest at $1,125. The WCRI said that Texas has higher medical payments per claim because the number of visits for treatment is higher than other states.
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