A preliminary investigation of the effects of a provider network on costs and lost-time in workers' compensation.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to compare lost-time days and average and median workers' compensation claims costs between injured workers managed by OMNET Gold (OG) physicians and those managed by physicians not participating in OG. OG is a statewide health care provider network coordinated by occupational medicine physicians and established by the Louisiana Workers' Compensation Corporation (LWCC) to manage the medical care of injured workers.


METHODS
We identified and contrasted 158 lost-time claims managed by OG physicians and 1,323 claims managed by physicians not participating in OG during the first year of network operation (August 1, 2003 to July 31, 2004).


RESULTS
The average and median costs for a non-OG claim was $12,542 and $5,793, whereas the average and median costs for an OG claim was $6,749 and $3,015. The average and median number of lost-time days for an OG claim was 53.4 and 34.0 and 95.0 and 58.0 for a non-OG claim. The mean differences were statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
A small network of physicians may have an effect on the duration of lost-time and workers' compensation costs.
Bernacki
Edward J
EJ
Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287-1629, USA. bernacki@jhmi.edu
Tao
Xuguang Grant
XG
Yuspeh
Larry
L
D000041:Absenteeism; D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000191:economics*; D017046:Cost Savings / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007345:Insurance Claim Review / Q000191:economics; D008145:Louisiana; D020400:Provider-Sponsored Organizations / Q000191:economics*; D014942:Workers' Compensation / Q000191:economics*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000191:economics*