Journal Article

Does Marijuana Legalization Affect Work Capacity? Evidence from Workers' Compensation Benefits

We study the effect of state recreational marijuana laws on workers' compensation benefit receipt among adults 40–62 years old.

Mar 23, 2021
Report

Evaluation of California Senate Bill 863 Medical Care Reforms

This report uses data from the California Worker's Compensation Information System and interactions with subject-matter experts to evaluate the impact of Senate Bill 863 on medical care utilization and spending for injured workers in California.

Sep 28, 2020
Commentary

Can Workers' Compensation Help Businesses Reopen More Safely?

Workers' compensation typically does not cover common infectious diseases like COVID-19. But in the fight against the pandemic, state policymakers might take a fresh look at aspects of labor and business regulation that usually fade into the background and ask if modest changes hold any potential to reduce disease transmission.

Sep 9, 2020
Commentary

Should COVID-19 Be Covered by Workers' Compensation?

Expanding workers' compensation coverage for COVID-19 could be part of a broader response to ensuring an efficient economic recovery from the pandemic. What are the potential benefits and drawbacks?

Aug 31, 2020
Report

Wage Loss Monitoring for Injured Workers in California's Workers' Compensation System: 2016–2017 Injury Year Findings (Third Interim Report)

The authors present new estimates of wage loss for California's injured workers in 2016-2017 and compare these estimates with trends before, during, and after the Great Recession.

Feb 5, 2020
Report

The Frequency and Economic Impact of Musculoskeletal Disorders for California Firefighters: Trends and Outcomes over the Past Decade

The authors update analyses from a 2010 study on firefighters in California and consider the impacts of the 2013 workers' compensation reforms and the economic shocks of the late 2000s on outcomes for firefighters with musculoskeletal disorders.

Jan 31, 2020
Journal Article

The Impact of Morphine Equivalent Daily Dose Threshold Guidelines on Prescribed Dose in a Workers' Compensation Population

Passage of morphine equivalent daily dose guidelines was associated with significant decreases in high dose opioid prescribing among workers' compensation claimants with chronic non-cancer related pain.

Jan 31, 2020
Report

Access to Medical Treatment for Injured Workers in California: Year 3 Annual Report

The key objective of this third report in a three-part series is to describe access to medical care among injured workers in California using medical billing data from Version 2.0 of the Workers' Compensation Information System.

Jun 21, 2019
Report

Access to Medical Treatment for Injured Workers in California: Year 2 Annual Report

This Year 2 report updates the trends in care for injured workers in California that were examined in a Year 1 report -- all part of a three-year state effort. This study uses data from claims, a physician survey, and Medical Provider Network listings.

Dec 27, 2018
Report

Access to Medical Treatment for Injured Workers in California: Year 1 Annual Report

This report describes access to medical care among injured workers in the state of California, as mandated by Labor Code Section 5307.2.

Sep 27, 2018
Report

How Can Workers' Compensation Systems Promote Occupational Safety and Health? Stakeholder Views on Policy and Research Priorities

A report from RAND explores the views of key workers' compensation stakeholders. The study presents challenges and priorities to be addressed in reforming workers' compensation systems to promote occupational safety and the well-being of workers.

Aug 31, 2018
Report

Wage Loss Monitoring for Injured Workers in California's Workers' Compensation System: 2013 Injury Year Findings (First Interim Report)

This report presents new estimates of wage loss for workers in California who suffered a workplace injury or illness in 2013 and compares these estimates with trends before, during, and after the Great Recession.

Aug 31, 2018
Report

Evaluation of the Return-to-Work Fund in California's Workers' Compensation System: Performance to Date and Options for Modification

California's Return-to-Work Supplement Program provides a $5,000 payment to some workers who cannot return to work after a permanently disabling workplace injury. RAND researchers evaluated program performance and identified options for improvement.

Jun 20, 2018
Report

Medical Care Provided to California's Injured Workers: Monitoring System Performance Using Administrative Data

This report provides a framework for understanding changes in medical spending levels and provides the results from RAND's analysis of Workers' Compensation Information System data for 2007--2012.

May 16, 2018
Report

Technical Quality and Clinical Acceptability of a Utilization Review Guideline for Occupational Conditions: ODG® Treatment Guidelines by the Work Loss Data Institute

The Official Disability Guidelines (ODG) Medical Treatment Guidelines is a utilization review guideline used in the field of workers' compensation. This report evaluates the ODG's technical quality and clinical acceptability.

Jul 18, 2017
Report

Home Health Care for California's Injured Workers: Options for Implementing a Fee Schedule

The California Department of Industrial Relations/Division of Worker's Compensation asked RAND to help develop a fee schedule for home health services provided to injured workers. The researchers made three sets of recommendations.

Jan 27, 2015
Report

Ambulatory Surgical Services Provided Under California Workers' Compensation: An Assessment of the Feasibility and Advisability of Expanding Coverage

Analyzing requirements for ambulatory surgical centers and Medicare coverage criteria for ASC services, authors examine whether common workers' compensation inpatient procedures should be added to California's Official Medical Fee Schedule for ASCs.

May 22, 2014
Report

Implementing a Rb-Rvs Fee Schedule for Physician Services

An examination of the impact of implementing a resource-based relative value scale to pay for physician and other practitioner services under the California workers' compensation system finds in the aggregate across all services, allowances are projected to increase 11.9 percent.

Apr 28, 2014
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

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