Economic Burden of Acute Coronary Syndromes for Employees and Their Dependents Medical and Productivity Costs

Objective: To determine the total burden of illness, including direct and indirect costs for employees and their dependents with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: Medical and pharmacy claims along with shortterm disability (STD) and long-term disability (LTD) claims from 2007 to 2010 were analyzed using two data sets: Integrated Benefits Institute's Health and Productivity Benchmarking Database (STD and LTD claims) and IMS LifeLink (TM) Health Plan Data (medical and pharmacy claims). Results: Employees with ACS lost 60.2 +/- 0.29 STD and 397.9 +/- 8.09 LTD days per disability incident. For employers, the estimated average per claim productivity loss from STD and LTD was $7943 +/- 39.7 and $52,473 +/- 1114, respectively. Total annual ACS health care costs per employee were $ 8170 +/- 106, with $ 7545 +/- 104 for annual medical costs. Hospitalizations accounted for 75% of total annual ACS health care costs. Conclusions: ACS imposes a substantial economic burden on employees, employers, and society.