09/16/2026
It's not just about price. It's about complexity.
NCCI's 2026 State of the Line found that medical costs are climbing not just from price increases, but because injured workers are receiving more care, and more complex care.
Construction is a clear example: claim severity rose 13% from 2023 to 2024, even as claim frequency fell 7% over the same period. Fewer claims, but the ones that happen are bigger.
That shift changes what managing a claim well looks like. It's less about limiting care and more about making sure more intensive treatment is coordinated, appropriate, and actually moving a worker toward recovery.