Trends in the Utilization and Reimbursement of Professional Medical Services in California Workers Compensation, 2013-2018 (Research Update, February 2020)

A detailed study on California workers’ compensation professional medical service utilization and payment trends from 2013 through 2018, a 6-year span during which the state transitioned to its Resource-Based Relative Value Scale medical fee schedule.  The study uses data on nearly 36 million medical services rendered during this period to measure changes in the mix of services and reimbursements among 9 major service categories, then breaks down the results within each of the 9 service categories, noting specific fee schedule changes that impacted the utilization and payment trends.  The 37-page report includes a background section, separate discussions of results by service category, 32 exhibits, and appendices.