WCIRB Finds Statistical Link Between Affordable Care Act, Soft-Tissue Claims

A decrease in workers’ comp claims for soft-tissue injuries in certain industries and types of businesses may be the result of the Affordable Care Act, according to a new study from the California Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau. The study also looked for possible impacts of the Affordable Care Act on injured worker access to care or fees for physician services, but did not find any. For examining impacts of the ACA on workers’ comp claim frequency in California, WCIRB medical analysts Tim Basuino and Julia Zhang compared two categories of businesses. One ...