Pulmonary diseases, a category which includes asthma, rank among the top five chronic causes of workplace disabilities, according to an analysis of short- and long-term disability claims submitted to MetLife. The other four conditions that top the list - in order of prevalence - are lower back disorders, depression, coronary heart disease and arthritis. These illnesses have been estimated to cost employers many billions of dollars each year in employee absences, diminished productivity and increased healthcare costs. More difficult to estimate is the toll these diseases take on the quality of life of those individuals suffering from that disability.
Many asthma sufferers may be able to go for long periods of time with no or minor attacks. However, when the condition escalates and necessitates a workplace absence, disability insurance can replace a portion of the employee´s income. MetLife receives an estimated 1,467 short-term disability claims for pulmonary diseases for every one million workers it covers. An additional 74 long-term disability claims for pulmonary diseases are also filed. Short-term disability insurance provides income for the early part of a disability and is often included as part of an employee benefits package. A long-term disability insurance policy helps replace income for an extended period of time, usually ending after five years or when the disabled person turns 65. While some people have long term disability insurance through their employers, others purchase it individually.
The most common reasons for pulmonary disease disability claims are due to asthma, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. While the majority of employees (70%) suffering from these pulmonary conditions on short-term disability are able to recover and return to work within four weeks or less, that still leaves nearly one-third of affected employees absent from work for more than a month. For employees out on long-term disability because of their condition, 70% will require disability benefits for more than three years.
Managing Pulmonary Conditions
The good news is that through the workplace steps can be taken to manage - and in many cases significantly reduce - the number and severity of these disabilities and their related costs. Pulmonary disorders such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis are declining as the rate of cigarette use also declines, and smoking cessation programs offered through an employer´s health plan or employee assistance program have aided this positive trend.
On the other hand, asthma is a condition that continues to be a growing problem in the workplace. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the cost to the U.S. economy for asthma alone is a staggering $12.7 billion and growing. Consider that the CDC estimates that one out of every 14 people in America suffer from asthma. Not only may an employee miss work because of his or her own asthma symptoms (at a cost of approximately $800 million a year for workplace absences), but an additional $900 million is estimated lost due to the workplace absences of parents caring for children with asthma. 1 Asthma is the third leading cause for hospitalization for children under the age of 15. 2
Fortunately, asthma can be controlled, and it is a condition that can be very successfully managed in disease management programs. Some employers may have -- or be considering -- an asthma educational program or a similar risk reduction program. The education can highlight ways to monitor indoor and outdoor air quality, avoidance of condition triggers, appropriate exercises and medications.
A short-term disability carrier, because it is interacting with employees at a time when the asthma has become severe enough to warrant absence from work, can be helpful in facilitating employee participation. The disability carrier can describe the employer''s risk reduction program for this disease and, with an employee´s permission, transfer him or her by phone directly to program operators. Increased participation in a targeted disease management program is a win-win situation for both employees and employers.
1Business and Health Web site 2003. Asthma´s Effect on Employees - Why Businesses Need to Care: Damon, Scott and Williams, Seymour, May 15, 2003.
2Hall MJ, DeFrances CJ. 2001 National Hospital Discharge Survey. Advance data from vital and health statistics; no 332. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics. 2003, Table 3.
