Medical care utilization and expenditures associated with occupational injuries among U.S. workers with disabilities

Objective: We compared injury rates, medical utilization, and expenditures associated with occupational injuries between workers with and without disabilities. Methods: Using data from the 2004-2009 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, we estimated occupational injury rates. Logistic models were fitted to test whether workers with disabilities were more likely to seek treatment after injuries. Medical expenditures by type of medical services and sources of payment were compared. Median expenditures and the interquartile range (IQR) were calculated. Results: Our study included 1,817 workers with disabilities and 35,177 workers without disabilities. Annual occupational injury rates were 7.2% (95% CI: 6.1%-8.5%) for workers with disabilities and 3.7% (95% CI: 3.5%-3.9%) for workers without disabilities. The proportion of injured workers who sought treatments were 71.7% (95% CI: 65.0%-78.3%) and 77.7% (95% CI: 75.6%-79.7%), respectively, for workers with and without disabilities. The median expenditure in the 2 year MEPS reference period was $973 (IQR: $303-$3923) for workers with disabilities and $510 (IQR: $181-$1504) for workers without disabilities (2009 dollars). Workers' Compensation paid 56.5% (95% CI: 39.6%-69.4%) of the total expenditures for workers with disabilities and 55.3% (95% CI: 47.6%-62.5%) for workers without disabilities. Workers with disabilities paid 8.2% (95% CI: 5.0%-12.7%) and workers without disabilities paid 6.5% (95% CI: 5.3%-8.0%) of the total expenditures out-of-pocket. Conclusions: Workers with disabilities had a higher rate of occupational injuries than workers without disabilities. Medical expenditures were higher for injured workers with disabilities. We did not find significant differences between two groups in seeking medical care and source of payments.