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Topical medications are driving higher workers' compensation spend
A new drug trends snapshot from Enlyte links rising topical utilization costs in workers' compensation to out-of-network channels, pricing, and prescribing shifts.
Enlyte’s latest drug trends snapshot examines how topical medications are increasingly affecting workers’ compensation costs, with particular emphasis on spend growth in out-of-network channels, according to Risk & Insurance.
The analysis points to pricing, prescribing, and jurisdictional trends as key drivers of topical utilization and spend, and it highlights potential cost control levers including stronger network steerage and clinical oversight.
Risk & Insurance also cites Gallagher, saying more than a third of employers reported health plan premium increases of 10% or more at their latest renewal, while noting pharmacy and voluntary benefits are facing similar scrutiny.
The report frames the issue in the context of healthcare consolidation and the resulting insurance risks that are not covered by standard policies, even as workers’ compensation claim frequency has trended downward over time.