Medical costs and sources of payment for work-related injuries among Hispanic construction workers

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess Hispanic and white, non-Hispanic construction workers with regard to medical costs of occupational injuries and various sources of payment for such costs. Methods: A large national population survey — the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey from 1996 through 2002 was analyzed for more than 7,000 construction workers, including 1,833 Hispanic workers. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted using SUDAAN. Results: Annually, work-related injuries in construction (including self-employment) cost $1.4 billion (2002 dollar value), of which less than $630 million were paid by workers' compensation, accounting for 46% of the total medical costs. Hispanic workers were 53% more likely to have a work-related injury condition than their white counterparts. Injured Hispanic workers and their families had more self-pay for medical costs than whites. Among Hispanics, less than 30% of medical costs of their work-related injuries were paid by workers' compensation, significantly lower than the 50% that was paid for white workers (p < .05). Conclusions: This study suggests an urgent need to reform the current workers' compensation system to reduce the burden shifted to injured workers and society.