Claims associated with functional restoration programs in California’s workers’ compensation system averaged $234,003 total, 59% higher than matched non-FRP claims, a new study shows.
A study from the California Workers’ Compensation Institute out this week examines FRPs, multidisciplinary treatments aimed at injured workers with chronic pain who have not improved with conventional therapies. The study reviewed 635 FRP indemnity claims versus 270,165 non-FRP claims.
Medical costs were roughly double ($127,816 vs. $64,062), while FRP services averaged $59,106 per claim.
A major driver was unlisted procedure codes, which represented 84.3% of treatment costs and averaged $1,751