Health, Absence, Disability, and Presenteeism Cost Estimates of Certain Physical and Mental Health Conditions Affecting U.S. Employers

Abstract

Evidence about the total cost of health, absence, short-term disability, and productivity losses was synthesized for 10 health conditions. Cost estimates from a large medical/absence database were combined with findings from several published productivity surveys. Ranges of condition prevalence and associated absenteeism and presenteeism (on-the-job-productivity) losses were used to estimate condition-related costs. Based on average impairment and prevalence estimates, the overall economic burden of illness was highest for hypertension ($392 per eligible employee per year), heart disease ($368), depression and other mental illnesses ($348), and arthritis ($327). Presenteeism costs were higher than medical costs in most cases, and represented 18% to 60% of all costs for the 10 conditions. Caution is advised when interpreting any particular source of data, and the need for standardization in future research is noted.

Cardiovascular and Economic Outcomes After Initiation of Lipid-Lowering Therapy With Atorvastatin vs Simvastatin in an Employed Population

“…It was not possible to compare losses in productivity or presenteeism for statin-treated patients or the costs to employers of lost productivity of coworkers or of hiring replacement staff for patients with absenteeism due to cardiovascular events, early retirement, or early mortality. 33,34 Also, because disability payments were not associated with particular diagnoses or dates of absence from work, classification of disability payments as cardiovascular related was not possible. The average annual wage observed in this patient cohort (approximately $60,000) is somewhat higher than the median annual wage of US employees, which may limit the generalizability of the findings, particularly because wage data are used to calculate indirect costs.…”

Prevalence of depression morbidity among Brazilian adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…76 Depressive individuals are less productive and have higher rates of absenteeism, which has a negative impact on the economy of their communities. 77,78 These persons also exhibit high-risk behaviors, such as alcohol and tobacco use, a sedentary lifestyle, and unhealthy eating habits. 5, 79,80 Future research should take into account these variables and focus on Brazilian regions that have been less extensively studied, such as the North, Northeast and Mid-West, and should include areas of lower population density, such as rural areas.…”

Measuring Health-Related Productivity Loss

“…2,3,5 As a result, available estimates of productivity loss because of health conditions vary widely and employers may be uncertain about where they should focus employee health management strategies. 2,6 The objectives of this study were to estimate productivity losses for workers with health conditions realistically, and to determine the potential costs of health-related productivity loss over a 12-month period. By examining a large sample of health risk appraisal (HRA) data and matching those workers with health conditions to similar workers without health conditions, we quantified the productivity impact associated with multiple health conditions and risk factors.…”