EPH165 Comparisons of Twenty-Year Trends in Direct Costs, Absence Payments and Lost Time for Employees with Breast, Skin, GI, Female, Male, and "Other” Cancers

To assess whether the twenty-year cost and absence trends for employees with various cancers had similar slopes. Retrospective analysis of Workpartners Research Reference Database (RRDb, 2001—2020). For each year, ICD-9/-10 codes within 37 Agency Healthcare Quality’s (AHRQ) cancer categories were identified. Non-specific excluded, remaining assigned to Cancer Categories (CCs): Breast (male+female), Female (cervix+uteris), GI, Male (prostate+testes), Skin, or “Other”. Employees continuous eligibility calendar year they Analysis focused on “all cancer” (ALL) CC’s prevalence, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), medical prescription costs, (percent utilizing, days, [average median as percent salary]) due all-cause leaves for: sick leave, short-/long-term disability (STD/LTD), workers’ compensation (WC). Outcomes counted in claim start year. metric, trend lines plotted 95% confidence intervals [CIs] slopes compared determine that differed from zero differences between CCs. The study period averaged 9084 employees/year any (Breast=14.6%, Female=32.2%, GI=7.5%, Male=8.7%, Skin=24.9%, “Other”=19.8%). CCs’ costs SL-days ALL increasing over time. prevalence significantly increased (except Female), ALL’s slope greater than Breast’s, GI’s, Male’s. CCI overlapped >0 ALL, Female, Skin. STD-utilization was <0. WC-utilization negative all CCs except average STD-payments >0. Breast, Skin payments a salary This research found while rates increase groups studied, other metrics varied by type.