Core Benchmark Studies Examines Performance Changes in State Systems

Dallas, TX-based PartnerSource president William “Bill” Minick delivers presentations on alternatives to workers’ compensation for a variety of organizations and major industry groups. Bill Minick’s 2016 presentations included an address at the annual conference of the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI), which administers research programs such as the Core Benchmark Studies.

WCRI’s central research initiative, the Core Benchmarking program focuses on a series of studies that examine changes in state insurance systems in order improve performance and avoid crises. Pinpointing incremental changes within a system enables researchers to identify trends and recognize signs of possible improvement or deterioration. This allows stakeholders, policymakers, and public officials to make necessary changes and keep performance goals on track. In addition, the studies set the stage for meaningful comparisons of systems from state to state. Studies that fall into the program include prescription inventories, hospital payment indexes, medical price indexes, and outcomes for injured workers.

PartnerSource also conducts benchmarking studies for six major industry groups that consider insurance and benefit levels, return to work, cost and other performance metrics for Texas injury benefit plans.