The Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) published a new report that addresses the role that injectable therapies play in workers’ comp, examining utilization, cost, key cost drivers, and recent trends.
The analysis draws on medical billing and prescription data for non-COVID-19 claims from 28 states, representing more than 75% of workers’ comp benefits nationwide, classifying distinct subgroups of injectable therapies by medication type and injection procedure. The report identifies those most commonly used in workers’ comp, and highlights early signs of growth in emerging biologic and regenerative treatments.
According to the report, injectable therapies are frequently used in workers’ comp and they often carry high costs. About 4 in 10 claims with more than seven days of lost time received at least one injectable drug or injection procedure within 24 months of injury, with payments per claim varying from as low as $362 in California to as high as $2,404 in Louisiana, likely due to differences in treatment mix, fee schedules, or utilization controls.
Overall, injectable therapies are divided into two broad categories. The first are clinically administered injections, such as epidural steroid injections, nerve blocks, hyaluronic acid, botulinum toxin, and platelet-rich plasma injections. These drugs account for the majority of injectable payments – in 2024 these drugs made up 85% of injectable therapy payments.
The other group of injectable therapies are self-administered injectable medications, such as migraine prevention drugs (e.g. Aimovig®) or GLP-1 drugs (e.g. Ozempic®). The payment share for these drugs among injectable therapies was 15% in 2024, an increase from 7% in 2018.
WCRI found that the mix of injectables therapies is changing towards more biologic and regenerative treatments (i.e. substances made from living cells or biological processes). Although these novel treatments represent a small portion of injectable therapies, they come with high costs. Furthermore, the payment share of drugs such as GLP-1, migraine medications, PRP injections, and hyaluronic acid have increased over the last few years.
