Concern over an Ebola breakout in the U.S. is spreading like the flu in winter. Unlike the Ebola situation, where little is known, flu season is approaching, and it will extract a price for employers.
Each flu season is distinct. The Centers for Disease Control says there's no way to predict what the 2014-2015 flu season will bring, but it does offer steps to limit the toll it will take. Vaccination is highly recommended by the CDC.
When employees agree to be vaccinated against the flu, the potential for sick days and related medical expenses is greatly reduced, reports Healthentic. The company offers "population health solutions" to employers to help contain the spread of diseases like the flu and thus the cost to the employer.
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But most employees refuse to be vaccinated, or at least don't get around to it in time, Healthentic says. The company examined employee health records related to the flu virus and found some discouraging trends.
"The most effective method of preventing flu infection is through vaccination, which reduces the risk of needing treatment by 60 percent," Healthentic said. "Despite widespread encouragement from public health and medical professionals, many working adults fail to get flu vaccinations. In recent years only 26.3 percent of people ages 18-49 and 42.7 percent of persons age 50-64 received flu vaccinations. Even large companies with active flu vaccination programs typically achieve employee vaccination rates of less than 40 percent."
How effective was last year's corporate effort to achieve 100 percent employee vaccination? Probably not very good by historical standards. Healthentic analyzed claims data for 27 companies from last flu season, and found only 14 percent of employees received vaccinations.
Although based on a small group of employers, Healthentic believes such results are not uncommon. The savings to an employer can be considerable when more employees agree to be vaccinated. At workplaces where fewer people receive the vaccine, the cost can be staggering, the company said.
"Numerous medical studies strongly support the effectiveness of flu vaccinations in preventing illness and reducing absenteeism due to flu. One such study found that for every 100 employees vaccinated, 52 days of sick time was avoided," Healthentric said. "Another study reported a 34 percent reduction in lost work days due to influenza illness among employees who were vaccinated, compared to those who received placebo injections."
Healthentic studied more data from last flu season, and found that for the 27 companies involved in the study, costs were as follows:
- Average cost for outpatient flu-related office visit: $122;
- Average cost for flu-related emergency room care: $581;
- Average cost for flu-related hospitalization: $4,001.
Healthentric said a simple two-pronged strategy will encourage more employees to receive the vaccine: An education program equipping employees with the facts about the flu and the effectiveness of the vaccine; and making vaccination either cheap or free, and easy to access, such as including onsite vaccination.
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
