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- National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) released Medicare Fee Schedules and Workers’ Compensation in 2026, a report highlighting changes in the 2026 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reimbursement update and their potential impact on workers’ compensation medical costs. The report found the 2026 Medicare physician conversion factor increased 3.3% from 2025, marking the first increase following five years of declines. CMS also rebalanced physician Relative Value Units (RVUs), resulting in increased payment rates for Evaluation and Management services and decreased payment rates for Surgical services. NCCI stated the impact of these changes on WC medical costs will vary by state depending on the medical fee schedule structure and the extent to which CMS reimbursement rates are incorporated.
- The Workers' Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) announced it will host a 30-minute webinar on Trends in Non-Price-Controlled Services: A WCRI FlashReport, a study examining payment and utilization patterns for medical services that do not have established fee schedule reimbursement rates. The webinar is scheduled for September 3, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. ET. Registration is required, with no fee for WCRI members and a $50 registration fee for non-members. Participation is limited to 500 attendees. Registrants will receive a copy of the presentation slides and a recording of the webinar following the event.
- Crosstie released a white paper, Attorney Involvement Rarely Arrives Without a Warning, analyzing 400,000 workers’ compensation claims. It found that attorney involvement is often preceded by identifiable claim-related challenges months before representation occurs. The research highlights communication breakdowns, claim denials, and other claim-handling issues as key drivers of attorney involvement, with warning signs typically emerging well in advance.
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