Abstract
The number of workdays lost because of illness, coupled with records of health service utilization patterns, were studied to establish possible links between health status and different forms of prepayment coverage. The records of industrial workers at four branches of the same company were analyzed. Records of employees with broad-benefit coverage were compared with those who had less-comprehensive indemnity coverage. A free choice of providers was available to the study population. Data for workers covered by the broader plans revealed fewer medical admissions to hospitals, more surgical admissions, and more outpatient physician visits. As hypothesized, their numbers of days absent from work were lower. Because few of these results were statistically significant, caution is necessary in their interpretation. Some aspects of the project warranting further consideration are discussed. Data suggest a positive correlation between breadth of health plan coverage and health status, with possible economic benefits to be derived from such coverage. The data also indicate the desirability of additional investigations to be based on employers' and health plan records, that involve other types of populations and other benefit options.
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Additional information
Dr. Robertson is Professor of Economics, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts 01075. Part of this work was done while the author was a Senior Associate at the Harvard Center for Community Health and Medical Care. Rashi Fein and John Rapoport reviewed an earlier draft; computational assistance was provided by Janice Robertson. Robert Prouty, M.D., classified surgical procedures. The author particularly wishes to express gratitude to two persons whose efforts were essential to the study: Fremont C. Gault, retired Director of Employee Benefits, the Weyerhaeuser Company, and Sally Gunderson, medical records specialist.
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Robertson, R.L. Health services, health status, and work loss. J Community Health 1, 175–187 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01323108
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01323108