Fat Employees Weight Comp Insurer Bottom Line
By Daniel Hays
NU Online News Service, Aug. 27, 4:29 p.m. EDT?The effects of obesity on the U.S. workforce are costing workers' compensation insurers billions of dollars, an executive with a major insurance research organization told an industry gathering.
Robert P. Hartwig, executive vice president and chief economist with the Insurance Information Institute in New York said more study and data is needed, but he said statistics from other market segments show the impact of obesity.
Speaking at the Workers' Compensation Educational Conference in Orlando, Fla., Mr. Hartwig said studies by disability insurers have found that among persons with musculo-skeletal connective tissue ailments, those who are obese need 7.5 times more medical services.
"We need a special study done," declared Mr. Hartwig, who noted that comp insurers do not capture claimants' height and weight data.
Mr. Hartwig said there is a known connection between obesity and diabetes and that persons who suffer from that illness require a longer time to recover from an injury. The Associated Press reported this week that obesity increases the risk of contracting cancer and USA. Today reported a rise in blood pressure amoung U.S. adults is circumstantially tied by researchers to "the nation's growing obesity epidemic."
A study of the impact on workers' comp, Mr. Hartwig said, could be accomplished preserving anonymity of the subjects so that privacy issues would not arise.
Risk managers, he suggested, could make enormous savings by promoting an integrated anti-obesity program in their workplace.
Mr. Hartwig spoke during a session of the National Trends in Workers' Compensation program presented by the National Underwriter.
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.