Eighty percent of all workers compensation claims filed in Pennsylvania between 2018 and 2020 included at least one office and physical medicine visit, and upper extremity injuries constituted the greatest number of doctor visits, according to a report released Monday by the Pennsylvania Compensation Rating Bureau.
Workers comp claims in which claimants needed at least one surgery totaled 28%, and repair to upper extremities constituted most of the surgeries, at 47%, the report states.
The figures also show that 29% of workers comp claims included costs for prescription drugs, of which 17% were opioids.
The report also shows that the median number of physical medicine visits is 11 occurrences, ranging from one visit for head injuries to as many as 55 visits for shoulder and upper arm injuries.
Knee injuries required the least surgeries, at 15.1%.