Reports Find Moderating Losses, Higher Adjustment Expenses

A pair of reports published Thursday said California employers can thank the 2012 reforms for falling medical costs. Average medical costs per claim dropped for the third consecutive year in 2016, reflecting continued savings flowing from Senate Bill 863 and decreased use of opioids, physician-dispensed drugs and compound medications, according to the California Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau. At the same time, Keenan HealthCare and Milliman said a 2017 survey of hospitals in California also found moderating workers’ compensation losses that were attributed to the ...