Fewer Physician Visits, Services Drove 1% Decline in Medical Costs, Report Finds

Researchers say they have learned why the average medical cost of workers’ compensation claims fell 1% in 2015 after rising for 19 years straight, then rising again the following year: decreased utilization of physician services. Injured workers were going to the doctor less often in 2015 and using fewer services when they did go, though they were going to the hospital more often, a report released Wednesday by the National Council on Compensation Insurance found. Two NCCI actuaries analyzed claims data from 37 states and Washington, D.C., to produce the report. Average medical co...