By Lisann
Rolle, Workers’ Compensation Research Manager, Washington
State Department of Labor and Industries
 The
oft-reported joke around the table at meetings of any group of
workers’ compensation researchers is, “if you’ve
seen one workers’ compensation system, you’ve seen
one workers’ compensation system.”
A new entrant into the field would no doubt scoff at this, sure
that once they understood one system they would be that much closer
to understanding all others.
It may be that the opposite is true: the closer we understand
the nuances of one system, the harder it may be to fathom that
other systems are really not just some permutation of it. All is
seen through the biased eyes of what we know best. In our attempts
to understand we often fail to examine the “system” as
a “system” but instead look individually at various
components.
Despite the inherent difficulty, most workers’ compensation
research staff will at some point be asked the question, “How
do we compare to other states on topic X?” Frequently the
deadline for response is ASAP!
It helps to be ready at the hip with the resources that will give
one a fighting chance of being able to answer the question. Here’s
my top 10 resource list:
System
1. National Academy of Social Insurance1 - NASI’s reports
on workers’ compensation benefits, coverage and cost provide
a wealth of information for most jurisdictions. The reports have
been completed annually and thus provide a series of data that
can be examined over a period of time.
2. John Burton’s Workers’ Compensation Resources2
- This site provides a great starting point for researching most
any workers’ compensation issue.
Benefit structure
3. An inventory of state workers’ compensation laws3 - Produced
annually for the past twenty years by the U.S. Department of Labor,
this inventory is now being produced by the Workers’ Compensation
Research Institute (WCRI)4 and the International Association of
Industrial Accident Boards & Commissions (IAIABC)5. The inventory
is a valuable resource for cross-jurisdictional comparisons of
things such as waiting periods, fund type, and maximum temporary
total disability amounts.
4. Michigan State University, School of Labor Relations, Workers’ Compensation
Center6 - A recent study examines the permanent partial disability
structure in 51 jurisdictions.
Benchmarks and measurements:
5. Workers’ Compensation Research Institute - WCRI produces
numerous benchmark measures covering jurisdictions that participate
in their CompScopeTM program. In addition to producing a core
set of benchmark measures, WCRI produces detailed studies on many
topics such as growth in medical cost and return to work.
6. National Council on Compensation Insurance, Inc. (NCCI)7 -
The annual statistical bulletin produced by NCCI contains data
on items
such as benefit growth, state wages, and average claim cost for
jurisdictions where carriers report data to NCCI. NCCI also produces
issues reports and research briefs on a wide range of workers’ compensation
topics.
7. Association of Workers' Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC)8
- The AWCBC is a great starting point for those working on developing
performance measures of their own. The key statistical and financial
performance measures used by the boards and commissions in Canada
are presented.
Topical studies and program evaluations
8. RAND Institute for Civil Justice9 - In-depth reports on various
subjects including several that examine the economic cost of injury.
Many of the reports focus on California but are relevant readings
for those in other jurisdictions that struggle with similar issues.
9. W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research10 - The institute
publishes comprehensive studies on a wide variety of employment
topics.
Outcome studies:
10. University of Washington, Occupational Epidemiology and Health
Outcomes Program11- The focus of this research is on using data
to improve medical care; update treatment guidelines; and provide
information on treatment outcomes to injured workers, employers,
and physicians. Predictors of disability are examined. The data
used in studies typically comes from Washington State.
In addition to the resources above, a number of important individual
studies have come out recently. Often the researchers who have
prepared these studies have done the legwork of contacting multiple
states themselves either through phone call or survey. Thankfully
we all can capitalize from their work. Finding out about these
studies is often as easy as contacting a fellow member of AASCIF.
Which brings up the final and perhaps most important tip: A strong
network of associates at other organizations in the business is
critical to being able to respond to this type of inquiry.
- National Academy of Social Insurance - Home
- Workers' Compensation
Resources
- Inventory of Workers' Compensation Laws
- International Association of Industrial Accident Boards & Commissions
- Workers
Compensation Research Institute
- Home - International Association
of Industrial Accident Boards & Commissions
- School of Labor&Industrial
Relations - Michigan State University
- NCCI Holdings, Inc. - Your
Workers Compensation Resource
- AWCBC | AWCBC
- RAND Institute for Civil Justice | Research Centers
| Workers' Compensation Research
- Disability and Workers' Compensation
Research Hub/W.E. Upjohn Institute
- Occupational Epidemiology
and Health Outcomes Program
|
