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CANCER IS NUMBER ONE REASON FOR LONG-TERM
ABSENCE FROM WORK IN 2005
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (March 13, 2006) – For the
fifth consecutive year, cancer was the leading cause of long-term
absence from work for Americans in 2005, according UnumProvident
(NYSE: UNM), the leading provider of disability income protection
insurance. Of the long term disability claims filed with
UnumProvident in 2005, 12 percent were for cancer and nearly a
quarter of those cancer claims were for breast cancer.
Even with continuous advances in medicine and treatment options
that allow survivors to get better faster, cancer still has a
considerable financial impact on today’s employers. The National
Institutes of Health estimate overall costs for cancer in 2005 at
$209.9 billion: $74 billion for direct medical costs; $17.5 billion
for cost of lost productivity due to illness; and $118.4 billion for
cost of lost productivity due to premature death.
“The effects of cancer touch countless employers from coast to
coast,” said Constantine Gean, MD, chief medical officer at
UnumProvident. “The prevalence of cancer highlights the fact that we
as a society still have work to do in encouraging prevention,
promoting early detection and generating treatment options. Frankly,
employers can have a big impact on these factors.”
Indeed, many employers are seeking ways to control costs
associated with the lost time due to illness. Some companies may
adjust health care coverage and require additional premium payments
from employees who smoke. Other employers can help encourage good
habits by providing healthy food and snack selections at the
workplace, creating access to exercise and fitness facilities, or by
sponsoring weight control and nutrition classes.
“As employers continue to struggle with escalating health care
benefits costs, a small investment in preventative measures will no
doubt reap savings in the long term,” said Dr. Gean. “So many cancer
diagnoses can be avoided through healthier habits like not smoking,
getting regular cancer screening tests, eating well, exercising and
avoiding the harmful rays of the sun.”
Rounding out the top five reasons for long-term disability claims
are complications of pregnancy, joint/muscle/connective tissue
diseases, back injuries and cardiovascular disease. Many of which
have easily available prevention and/or early detection strategies.
UnumProvident’s annual report on disability trends is based upon
2005 data from the company’s disability database – the largest
private database of its kind in this country. The database tracks
26.8 million covered individuals and an estimated 178,000 employer
policyholders.
The causes of claims and the percentage received for each cause
were as follows:
| Long term |
12 percent – Cancer
10 percent – Complications of
pregnancy
10 percent – Joint/muscle/connective tissue
diseases
8 percent – Back injuries
8 percent –
Cardiovascular disease
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| Short term |
18 percent – Normal pregnancy
10 percent – Injuries
(not including back)
8 percent – Digestive/intestinal
diseases
8 percent – Pregnancy (complications)
7
percent – Reproductive/urinary system diseases
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UnumProvident received more than 412,000 new disability claims in
2005 and paid $4 billion in disability benefits to individuals and
their families.
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