Milliman Article on the Effect of the ACA on Workers' Compensation

Derek Jones at Milliman provides insight on how the Affordable Care Act's changes to the health care system may impact the workers' compensation system. There were no significant elements of the ACA directed at workers compensation, so it can reasonably be assumed that the workers compensation market was largely ignored when the ACA was written—but there are numerous potential indirect effects on the workers compensation system that will likely vary by state. As the most significant elements of the ACA, including health insurance mandate and the implementation of health insurance exchanges, become effective in 2014, employers and providers of workers compensation benefits may soon begin to see some changes in the way benefits are administered and health care services are paid for.