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Workers' Compensation

News Release
Affordable Care Act Could Change Costs for Auto, Malpractice, Other Liability Insurance
As more Americans become newly covered under the ACA, the cost of providing automobile insurance, workers compensation, and homeowners insurance may decline. But an increase in the number of people using the health care system may trigger an increase in the number of medical malpractice claims.
Apr 9, 2014
Research Brief
The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Liability Insurance
Summarizes a report that identifies potential mechanisms through which health care reform might affect claim costs for several major types of liability coverage, especially auto insurance, workers’ compensation coverage, and medical malpractice.
Apr 9, 2014
Report
ACA Could Change Costs of Auto, Malpractice, and Other Liability Insurance
As more Americans become newly covered under the Affordable Care Act, the cost of providing automobile insurance, workers compensation, and homeowners insurance may decline. Meanwhile, an increase in the number of people using the health care system may trigger a corresponding increase in the number of medical malpractice claims.
Apr 9, 2014
Report
Identifying Permanently Disabled Workers with Disproportionate Earnings Losses for Supplemental Payments
A new California program would provide supplemental payments to injured workers whose permanent disability benefits are disproportionately low compared to their earnings loss. This report makes recommendations about implementation of this program.
Feb 10, 2014
Commentary
Americans' Hearts, But Not Necessarily Wallets, Will Be Open for Victims of Navy Yard Shootings
Comparisons are already being drawn between Monday's terrible events in the Washington Navy Yard and other recent high profile mass shootings. However, one way in which this shooting may differ from other events is in who — if anybody — provides financial compensation for those who are injured.
Sep 18, 2013
Solution
Improving Workers' Compensation Policies for Workers, Businesses, Government
Many state workers' compensation systems face significant challenges as medical and administrative costs have risen. California sought RAND advice in improving its system to save both public and private funds, while also improving the quality of care for injured workers.
Sep 10, 2013
Testimony
Allowances for Spinal Hardware under California’s Official Medical Fee Schedule: Issues and Options
Testimony presented before the California State Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee on May 9, 2012.
May 9, 2012
Report
What is the Impact of Health Care Reform on Workers' Compensation Medical Care?
When enacting, implementing, and evaluating health care reform, policymakers should consider potential spillover effects on workers' compensation insurance. The experience of Massachusetts's heath care reform suggests that reform may reduce medical costs.
Apr 23, 2012
News Release
California Workplace Safety Program Can Reduce Injuries When Inspectors Enforce It
The first evaluation of the California Injury and Illness Prevention Program found evidence that it reduces workplace injuries, but only at businesses that had been cited for not addressing the regulation's more-specific safety mandates. Higher penalties could enhance compliance but having inspectors conduct more in-depth assessments and linking the violations and injuries to the program would have more impact.
Jan 26, 2012
Report
California Workplace Safety Program Can Reduce Injuries When Inspectors Enforce It
The first evaluation of the California Injury and Illness Prevention Program found that it reduces workplace injuries, but only at businesses that had been cited for not addressing the regulation's more-specific safety mandates. Having inspectors conduct more in-depth assessments and linking the violations and injuries to the program would have more impact.
Jan 26, 2012
Content
RAND Institute for Civil Justice
The RAND Institute for Civil Justice (ICJ), a part of the Justice Policy program, conducts research on all aspects of civil justice, from trends in litigation and jury verdicts to punitive damages, compensation systems, and alternative dispute resolution. Directly or indirectly, civil justice issues have an impact on us all.
Oct 3, 2011
Report
Medical Care Provided Under California's Workers' Compensation Program: Effects of the Reforms and Additional Opportunities to Improve the Quality and Efficiency of Care
This book examines changes to California's workers' compensation affecting medical care provided to injured workers and identifies areas in which more changes could improve quality and efficiency of care.
Aug 22, 2011
Report
Assessing Quality of Care and Appropriateness of Carpal Tunnel Surgery
Tools that assess the quality of care received by a population of patients who have or may have carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), and that identify the appropriateness of surgery for individual patients, can help improve clinical circumstances and economic outcomes for people with CTS.
Aug 16, 2011
Journal Article
Quality Measures for the Diagnosis and Non-Operative Management of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Occupational Settings
This study developed quality measures for diagnosis and management of occupationally associated carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), which should outcomes for patients with this condition.
Mar 1, 2011
Research Brief
California's Workers' Compensation Reform: Effects on Return to Work
This brief summarizes a study of how changes to the workers' compensation system have affected return-to-work rates in California, how return-to-work trends compare with policy changes, and recent trends in benefit adequacy.
Feb 18, 2011
Report
Workers' Compensation Reform and Return to Work: The California Experience
Provides a comprehensive analysis of the effects of several large changes to the workers' compensation system on return to work rates for California's injured workers.
Jan 4, 2011
Report
The Frequency, Severity, and Economic Consequences of Musculoskeletal Injuries to Firefighters
The most common work-related injuries among firefighters are musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The strict physical demands of the job and limited modified work opportunities suggest that MSDs are potentially more disruptive and costly to firefighters than to others.
Jun 21, 2010
Research Brief
Improving the Performance of the California Workers' Compensation Insurance Market
Analyzes factors that led to swings in the California workers' compensation insurance market after partial rate deregulation in 1995 and suggest ways to reduce market volatility and insurer insolvencies while maintaining the benefits of competition.
Jan 11, 2010
Report
Changes Needed to Reduce Volatility in California's Workers' Compensation Insurance Market
California's workers' compensation insurance market will remain vulnerable to wide swings in performance unless changes are made to improve the predictability of costs, transparency of pricing decisions, regulatory oversight and consistency of the incentives facing different parties.
Dec 7, 2009
Report
California's Workers' Compensation Program Could Model Pay-for-Performance
California's workers' compensation group health program is suitable for three models of a pay-for-performance initiative that include agreed on performance measures, expandable data-collection infrastructure, and incentives in order to ensure physician buy-in.
Jul 1, 2008

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RAND Topic:
Workers' Compensation

Topic Synonyms:
Workers Comp

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Stephanie Rennane

Economist

Stephanie Rennane (she/her) is an economist at the RAND Corporation. As an applied microeconomist, her research interests fall at the intersection of labor and health economics and she has particular expertise in the area of disability policy and related health and social insurance programs.…
Denise D. Quigley

Senior Policy Researcher

Denise D. Quigley is a senior health policy researcher at the RAND Corporation, professor at Pardee RAND Graduate School, and quality improvement (QI) team lead for the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) project. Her research focuses on factors influencing health…

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