The Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) published a new report that examines how hospital closures in both urban and rural areas affect access to care, use of care, claim costs, and duration of disability for workers recovering from work‑related injuries
The analysis covers more than 12 million non-fatal injury claims with injuries occurring between October 1, 2012, and September 30, 2023, and outcomes measured 12 months after injury. This study covers 29 states, representing over 80 percent of workers’ compensation benefits paid in 2021.
In urban areas, hospital closures showed little impact on access to care or overall claim outcomes. However, the report found that rural hospital closures led to a 5-mile longer travel distance to emergency care services, a 3.6% lower use of emergency care services, and a more than 10% lower use of emergency care services among workers who are farther away from nearby hospitals. This has led to increases in:
- The percentage of workers who receive E&M services via office visits
- The percentage of workers who receive first E&M services, physical medicine services, and major surgery services in nonhospital settings
- The number of visits for physical medicine services
- Travel distance to E&M services
However, the report found that while hospital closures increased travel time and altered where injured workers receive services, they did not lead to a measurable deterioration in key outcomes such as:
- Use of specialty services
- Medical payments per claim
- Indemnity payments per claim
- Duration of temporary disability benefits
