 |
Understanding the impact and cost of chronic disease. A
chronic condition is defined as a health problem that lasts a year or longer, limits
what one can do and may require ongoing care. According to the Partnership for Solutions,
a national policy research program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and
based at Johns Hopkins University, more than 125 million Americans have at least one
chronic condition and 60 million people have multiple conditions.
In terms of the American workforce, this translates into a full 40% of employees having
at least one chronic health condition.
What's more, it is projected that by the year 2020, 25% of the American population
will be living with multiple chronic conditions, and costs for managing these conditions
are estimated to reach $1.07 trillion.
The prevalence of chronic disease transcends age and gender demographics. However,
the likelihood of a significant portion of an employee population being affected by
a certain condition will vary by industry, geography, and workforce attributes. For
example, musculoskeletal conditions (i.e., back pain) are most prevalent in companies
with predominantly younger, male populations; whereas, companies with older workforces
face a greater likelihood of heart disease. Blue-collar workplace environments
have higher rates of lifestyle-related conditions such as diabetes, while white-collar
environments face higher healthcare costs for behavioral health issues.
For employers, the cost of chronic disease goes far beyond the direct costs of healthcare
and medical expenses. Absenteeism costs as measured by lost wages amounts to $65 billion
annually for American companies. This cost is compounded by the impact of lost productivity
due to workers who are limited in the amount or kind of work they can do, which can
affect as much as high as 34% of the total workforce.
Employee Health and Productivity Resources
Employee Benefits & Human Resources
Healthcare Resources
Disease Management
|
