Data from the California Workers’ Compensation Institute found that inpatient hospitalizations have leveled off in recent years, and spine surgeries are trending down in the state.
Six things to know:
1. Data comes from an analysis of hospital discharge data compiled by the California Department of Health Care Access and Information, according to a May 7 news release from the CWCI.
2. California worker’s comp inpatient hospitalizations fell by less than 1% in 2023 and 2024.
3. Inpatient spine surgeries are at about a third of their 2013 level for California worker’s comp patients.
4. Workers’ compensation were a small share of all inpatient care in California, and in 2024 there were 10,332 workers’ comp inpatient discharges out of 2.7 million statewide.
5. The decline in workers’ comp inpatient stays reflects factors including changes in claim volume, the adoption of Utilization Review and Independent Medical Review, medical advances and a shift toward outpatient care.
6. Musculoskeletal and connective tissue diseases and disorders remain the largest share of workers’ comp hospitalizations even though those cases have declined modestly, the CWCI said.
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