The Incidence and Outcomes of Surgery Among Workers’ Compensation Back Claims

This paper analyzes the incidence and outcomes of surgery for work-related back pain, with particular focus on differences between cases treated by a managed care network or by fee-for-service providers. The data for the study come from a census of workers’ compensation claims from three large insurers in three states (California, Connecticut, Texas).After restrictions, there are 7,812 cases in the analysis data set. Of these, 81 received surgery for their back pain. The results show that some non-clinical factors including age, gender, insurance carrier, and state, are significantly related to the probability of receiving surgery for back pain. Workers who receive surgery have poorer outcomes than those receiving nonsurgical treatments. The results also indicate that both network and non-network providers generally follow the recommended practice guidelines for back pain.