Work-related and health care cost burden of community-acquired pneumonia in an employed population.

Abstract

To estimate community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) incidence, turnover, episode length, inpatient length-of-stay, and cost burden. Using 2007 to 2010 employee demographic, payroll, and claims data, CAP episodes were identified in employees aged 18 to 64 years. Semiannual medical, drug, sick leave, short-term disability (STD), long-term disability, and workers' compensation costs and absence days were compared between employees with and without CAP (controls) using two-part regression modeling. In a population of 250,000, the number of CAP episodes per 100,000 employees was 628. The incidence rate increased with age and comorbidity. CAP employees' turnover rate nearly doubled that of controls (P < 0.01). In every age and risk group, employees with CAP had significantly (P < 0.01) higher medical and drug costs than controls and double the STD costs and days (P < 0.05). CAP and underlying comorbidity are associated with increased medical, pharmacy, and STD costs and employee turnover rates.