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Workers’
Compensation Policy Review
Summary of the Contents – July/August 2007
Workers’ compensation incurred benefits per 100,000 workers vary
significantly among jurisdictions in a particular year as well as nationally
over time. “Workers’
Compensation Incurred Benefits: 1985-2003,” by John F. Burton, Jr. and
Florence Blum, provides information on cash benefits, medical benefits, and
total (cash plus medical) benefits per 100,000 workers for up to 48
jurisdictions for each of the years between 1985 and 2003.
Figure A of the article provides an historical record of changes in the
national averages of total benefits per 100,000 workers for the same 42
jurisdictions between 1985 and 2003. The
national data exhibit interesting data over time.
Total benefits increased for the five years between 1986 and 1990;
declined for the five years between 1991 and 1995; marked time in 1996 and 1997;
increased for the four years between 1998 and 2001; and then were essentially
unchanged in 2002 and 2003. As
indicated in the article, the results in the two most recent years reflect a
modest decline in cash benefits per 100,000 workers coupled with a slight
increase in medical benefits per 100,000 workers.
The article examines the changes in cash and medical benefits (as well as
total benefits) from 1985 to 2003 for individual states.
One interesting finding is that the interstate differences in cash,
medical, and total benefits narrowed considerably over these 19 years, although
there was a modest increase in the dispersion of medical and total benefits per
100,000 workers among the states between 1998 and 2003.
Information on the Workers’
Compensation Policy Review
The Workers’ Compensation Policy
Review is published six times a year. Requests
for a sample copy or for subscription information can be sent to WCPR,
56 Primrose Circle
,
Princeton
,
NJ
08540
-9416; by FAX to 732-274-0678; by e-mail to JBWCR@aol.com; or electronically by
visiting the website: www.workerscompesources.com.
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