Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are proving to be the most costly claims driver for multinational employers.
Research by from Maxis Global Benefits found MSKs accounted for 12% of private medical claims costs for multinationals worldwide, placing them ahead of respiratory diseases (11.5%), digestive conditions (10.3%), neoplastic diseases (9.1%) and genitourinary conditions (7.1%).
On average, surgeries and procedures for MSK conditions cost US $629 per member per year (PMPY) compared to an average of US $615 for all other conditions.
Nearly half (48%) of the total amount paid under the MSK category was for chronic issues, of which 43% were for back or disc disorders, while the highest unit costs for MSK conditions were for inpatient procedures such as surgery.
Acute respiratory conditions, including Covid-19, colds and flu, coughs and sore throats, comprised more than 74% of total paid claims in the entire respiratory category.
Maxis collected anonymised medical claims data from more than 43 local insurers in 27 markets across Asia, Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Americas for its report.
MSK remains a major challenge
Commenting on the findings, Dr Leena Johns, head of health and wellness at Maxis GBN, said: “MSK conditions remain a major challenge for businesses of all types, affecting employees’ health and productivity and adding significant cost to medical policies and programmes.
“With the shift to working from home and poor ergonomic working environments, we may find that MSKs continues to rise in 2022 and beyond. Conservative treatments for MSK conditions – such as physical therapy – could help to give better results for patients and lower costs, but access remains a problem. In 31% of countries, there is less than one practicing physical therapist per 10,000 people.
“In the era of Covid-19, where respiratory illnesses have dominated headlines, the fact that MSKs are the biggest cost driver shows the need for an effective and dedicated approach to better care for employees with MSK conditions.”
According to Johns, the sharing of in-depth analysis of private medical claims data means multinationals can gain insights into their biggest medical cost-drivers, understand the underlying trends that play a role in those drivers and plan their strategies accordingly.
“This could be done in a variety of ways from putting in place wellness and preventative programmes, adjustments to plan design and reimbursement processes, to network changes and other new innovative healthcare cost reducing methodologies,” she concluded.