There are some interesting stats in the Florida Division of Workers' Compensation’s annual report for 2023.

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  Joe Paduda

  Total medical spend was just over $900 million.
• Lost-time claim count was down more than 10% from 2019 to 2023 (pre-COVID to post-COVID).
• Over 60% of medical cost for LT claims was for facilities.
• 3.7 million bills were reported — an average of $243 per bill and 2.4 line items per bill.
• Opioid scripts dropped 62% from 2019 to 2023. Good news, indeed.
• Repackaged drugs are still a huge problem in Florida, costing employers and taxpayers about $400 per line item, 74% more than non-repackaged drugs.
• 40% of Florida drug spend is for these repackaged physician-dispensed drugs. This is a travesty, showing just how corrupt Florida legislators are.
• Average paid for hospital inpatient bills dropped by about $11,000 from 2022 to 2023.
• Paid per outpatient bill dropped by just $220 to $3,271 over the same period.
• Paid per ambulatory surgical center bill dropped to $7,695, a decrease of about $300.

What does this mean for you?

The physician dispensing scam is still alive and costing employers and taxpayers millions.

Frequency is down — a lot — which means fewer claims, less need for medical management services, and lower premiums.

Joseph Paduda is the principal of Health Strategy Associates, a consulting firm focused on improving medical management programs in workers’ compensation. This column is republished with his permission from his Managed Care Matters blog.