Health Care Expenditures and Length of Disability Across Medical Conditions. Issue 7 (July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zaidel, Catherine S.; Ethiraj, Rajesh K.; Berenji, Manijeh; Gaspar, Fraser W.
• Is Part Of: Journal of occupational and environmental medicine. Volume 60:Issue 7(2018)
• Publication Date: 2018-07
• Subjects: disability insurance -- disability leave -- employee health benefit plans -- return to work -- occupational health; Medicine, Industrial -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; Occupational Medicine -- Periodicals; Environmental Medicine -- Periodicals; Environmental health; Medicine, Industrial; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.9803
• DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001308
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1076-2752

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: To describe the relationship between the length of short-term disability (STD) and health care spending. Methods: Medical claims for insured US employees on STD were evaluated to describe the distribution of disability durations and health expenditures across major diagnostic categories and common medical conditions. Correlations between health expenditures and disability durations were examined. Results: The most expensive 10% of cases accounted for more than half of total health spending. The longest 10% of cases accounted for more than one-third of total disability time. Only one-third of the most expensive cases were also among the longest in duration. Disability durations were moderately correlated with medical spending and this relationship was modified by comorbid conditions and age. Conclusion: Psychosocial barriers, in addition to biomedical factors, should be considered to achieve optimal functional outcomes and well-being of patients. Abstract : Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text