Comp Insurer Credits Predictive Modeling For Reduction In Opioid Use

The Travelers Companies Inc. has spent the past two years attempting to curb opioid abuse by gauging the likelihood that an injured worker would become hooked — and it helped reduce opioid use in claims by 30% among 500,000 claimants in the United States, the company reported Wednesday. The Hartford, Connecticut-based company’s Early Severity Predictor model identifies the likelihood that someone will develop chronic pain, a leading cause of opioid dependency, according to a statement. Travelers shares the data gathered from questionnaires with the injured employee’s doctor, allowing them to identify effective treatment alternatives, such as physical therapy.