scholarly journals The Impact of Provider Choice on Workers' Compensation Costs and Outcomes

ILR Review ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Neumark ◽  
Peter S. Barth ◽  
Richard A. Victor
Keyword(s):  
Return To Work ◽  
Work Outcomes ◽  
Workers Compensation ◽  
Policy Changes ◽  
Provider Choice ◽  
Compensation Claims ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Recent Policy ◽  
Physical Recovery ◽  
Prior Relationship

Using survey data collected in 2002 and 2003 in California, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Texas on workers injured 3 to 3.5 years earlier, coupled with information on the associated workers' compensation claims from the Workers Compensation Research Institute, the authors examine how provider choice in workers' compensation is related to costs and to workers' outcomes. They find that employee choice of the provider, by comparison with employer choice, was associated with higher costs and worse return-to-work outcomes. Although the same rate of physical recovery was found for both groups, workers who chose their providers reported higher satisfaction with medical care. The higher costs and worse return-to-work outcomes associated with employee choice arose largely when employees selected a new provider, rather than a provider with whom they had a pre-existing relationship. The findings lend some support to recent policy changes limiting workers' ability to choose a provider with whom they do not have a prior relationship.

Return to Work After Primary Rotator Cuff Repair: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 036354652097542
Author(s):  
Eric D. Haunschild ◽  
Ron Gilat ◽  
Ophelie Lavoie-Gagne ◽  
Michael C. Fu ◽  
Tracy Tauro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Rotator Cuff ◽  
Return To Work ◽  
Rotator Cuff Repair ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Work Outcomes ◽  
Workers Compensation ◽  
Work Intensity ◽  
Rates Of Return ◽  
Cuff Repair

Background: Rotator cuff tears are a prevalent pathology in injured workers, causing significant economic ramifications and time away from work. To date, published articles on work outcomes after rotator cuff repair have not been cumulatively assessed and analyzed. Purpose: To systematically review reports on return to work after rotator cuff repair and perform a meta-analysis on factors associated with improved work outcomes. Study Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A systematic review of return-to-work investigations was performed using PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Individual studies reporting rates of return to previous work with level of evidence 1 to 4 were independently screened by 2 authors for inclusion, and study quality was assessed using the Methodologic Index for Non-randomized Studies and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Work outcome data were synthesized and analyzed using random effects modeling to identify differences in rates of return to previous work as a function of operative technique, work intensity, and workers’ compensation status. Results: Thirteen retrospective investigations comprising 1224 patients who underwent rotator cuff repair met inclusion criteria for this investigation. Across all investigations, a weighted average of 62.3% of patients returned to previous level of work at 8.15 ± 2.7 months (mean ± SD) after surgery. Based on random effects modeling, higher rates of return to previous work were identified with decreasing work intensity ( P < .001), while rates were similar between open and arthroscopic repair technique ( P = .418) and between workers’ compensation and non–workers’ compensation cohorts ( P = .089). All shoulder pain and functional outcome assessments demonstrated significant improvements at final follow-up when compared with baseline across all investigations. Conclusion: The majority of injured workers undergoing rotator cuff repair return to previous work at approximately 8 months after surgery. Despite this, >35% of patients are unable to return to their previous work level after their repair procedure. Similar rates of return to work can be anticipated regardless of workers’ compensation status and operative technique, while patients in occupations with higher physical intensity experience inferior work outcomes.

scholarly journals Expansions in Maternity Leave Coverage and Children's Long-Term Outcomes

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 190-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Dustmann ◽  
Uta Schönberg
Keyword(s):  
Return To Work ◽  
Maternity Leave ◽  
Work Behavior ◽  
Strong Impact ◽  
Policy Changes ◽  
Long Term Outcomes ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Causal Impact ◽  
The Impact

This paper evaluates the impact of three major expansions in maternity leave coverage in Germany on children's long-run outcomes. To identify the causal impact of the reforms, we use a difference-indifference design that compares outcomes of children born shortly before and shortly after a change in maternity leave legislation in years of policy changes, and in years when no changes have taken place. We find no support for the hypothesis that the expansions in leave coverage improved children's outcomes, despite a strong impact on mothers' return to work behavior after childbirth. (JEL J13, J16, J22, J32)

scholarly journals O2C.5 Increasing costs of occupational injuries in association with high ambient temperatures in adelaide, south australia, 2000–2014

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. A17.2-A17
Author(s):  
Jianjun Xiang ◽  
Alana Hansen ◽  
Dino Pisaniello ◽  
Peng Bi
Keyword(s):  
Older Workers ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Retail Trade ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Workers Compensation ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Compensation Claims ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Compensation Costs

ObjectiveTo investigate the impact of ambient temperature on compensation costs due to work-related injuries, and to provide an evidence base about the economic benefits of developing workplace heat prevention strategies in a warming climate.MethodsWorkers’ compensation claims obtained from SafeWork South Australia for 2000–2014 were transformed into daily time series format and merged with meteorological data. The relationship between temperature and compensation costs were estimated using a generalized linear model after controlling for long-term trends, seasonality, and day of week. A piecewise linear spline function was used to account for non-linearity.ResultsA total of 4 64 139 workers’ compensation claims were reported during the 15 year period in South Australia, resulting in AU$14.9 billion dollars compensation payment. Overall, it is a reversed V-shaped temperature-cost association. A 1°C increase in maximum temperature was associated with a 1.1% (95% CI, 0.2%–2.0%) increase in daily injury compensation expenditure below 35.2°C. Specifically, significant increases of injury costs were observed in males (1.4%, 95% CI 0.3%–2.5%), young workers (3.0%, 95% CI 1.2%–4.9%), older workers≥65 years (2.4%, 95% CI 0.5%–4.4%), labourers (2.7%, 95% CI 0.5%–4.8%), machinery operators and drivers (3.5%, 95% CI 1.6%–5.3%) and the following industries: agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (12.3%, 95% CI 2.2%–23.3%); construction (7.8%, 95% CI 0.02%–16.3%); and wholesale and retail trade (2.4%, 95% CI 0.5%–4.4%). Costs for compensating occupational burns and ‘skin and subcutaneous tissue diseases’ increased by 3.1% (95% CI 1.2%–5.1%) and 2.7% (95% CI 0.1%–5.4%) respectively, with a 1°C increase in maximum temperature.ConclusionThere is a significant association between temperature and work-related injury compensation costs in Adelaide, South Australia for certain subgroups. Heat attributable workers’ compensation costs may increase with the predicted rising temperature.

scholarly journals Recent Changes in the Regional Structure of U.S. Dairy Production

1988 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birgit Huy ◽  
Joachim G. Elferich ◽  
Conrado M. Gempesaw
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Production ◽  
Shadow Prices ◽  
Regional Structure ◽  
Policy Changes ◽  
Milk Supply ◽  
Dairy Farmers ◽  
Demand Elasticities ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Recent Policy ◽  
Production Characteristics

Gauging the impact of recent policy changes, this article analyzes production characteristics and the impact of the dairy assessment for northeastern dairy farmers as compared to other major production regions. Employing a restricted translog variable profit function, returns to size, shadow prices, supply elasticities for milk and livestock as well as demand elasticities for concentrate were estimated. Northeastern, just as midwestern farmers, were less responsive in milk supply and concentrate demand, more responsive in livestock production, and less efficient than their California and Texas counterparts. The dairy assessment affected profits of northeastern farmers later than those of other regions. Negative shadow prices indicated overinvestment into fixed factors.

scholarly journals O2C.3 What predicts a secondary absence following return to work among workers’ compensation claimants in victoria? Results from a longitudinal cohort

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. A16.2-A16
Author(s):  
Peter Smith
Keyword(s):  
Return To Work ◽  
Workers Compensation ◽  
Longitudinal Cohort ◽  
Injury Type ◽  
Work Limitations ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Australian State ◽  
Compensation Claims ◽  
Absence From Work ◽  
Type Of Injury

Time taken to first return to work (RTW) is often a primary endpoint for studies among injured workers. However, studies using administrative workers’ compensation claims data have documented that a substantial proportion (approximately one half) of claimants will incur a subsequent period of wage replacement. Unfortunately, workers’ compensation data is limited in the information collected to better understand which claimants are more likely to have a subsequent absence from work. The objective of this study is to address this gap using a cohort of workers’ compensation claimants in the Australian state of Victoria.The sample for this study is drawn from a longitudinal cohort of workers’ compensation claimants (n=869). For the purpose of this analysis we focused on those claimants who had returned to work (self-reported) at the baseline interview, which was conducted approximately 4 months after the injury had occurred (n=372). Independent variables examined included if the respondent was working on full or partial duties, currently receiving health care for their injury, type of injury (musculoskeletal versus psychological), co-worker responses when they returned to work (measured using nine questions), and work limitations, measured using an abbreviated form of the work limitations questionnaire.A total of 205 respondents (55% of the sample) reported a subsequent absence from work when interviewed 6 months later. All independent variables, with the exception of injury type, were associated with subsequent absences from work. In a multivariable model, only working modified duties and greater limitations remained statistically significant.The results of the current study help inform our understanding of trajectories in RTW and factors, measured after the first RTW, which may be associated with a subsequent absence from work. These findings can be integrated into RTW programs to help more workers achieve sustainable RTW following a work injury.

scholarly journals Return to work rate rises in the Sunshine State (Queensland, Australia)

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Stratford
Keyword(s):  
Return To Work ◽  
Work Rate ◽  
Injured Workers ◽  
Work Outcomes ◽  
Workers Compensation ◽  
Annual Survey ◽  
Work Outcome ◽  
State Records

Measuring return to work outcomes after injury is in itself a challenge for most workers’ compensation schemes. Increasing return to work rates is even more difficult. In Australia, the national return to work measure obtained via an annual survey of injured workers has not risen since its introduction in 1997/98. However, unlike most other Australian jurisdictions, Queensland, Australia's ‘sunshine state’, records return to work outcomes at the end of every time lost claim. More than this, Queensland has increased its overall return to work outcome in recent years from 90% to over 95%. A number of specific strategies were introduced to improve these return to work results. The presentation will outline these strategies which other jurisdictions and countries can hopefully learn from. In addition, WorkCover Queensland, the state's monopoly insurer outside self-insurers, has introduced further return to work measures it successfully uses both internally and externally.

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