Hospital Employees Spend More Time, Money on Care

Hospital employees spend more time and money on health care than average U.S. workers, according to a new Thomson Reuters study. For the study, researchers compared the health risk and care utilization for 1.1 million hospital employees with those for 17.8 million health plan members across other U.S. industries. Overall, the study found that hospital workers and their dependents spent $4,662 per year, which is $538, or 13%, more than the general population. Researchers also reported that hospital workers and their dependents used hospitals 8.6% more often for chronic conditions and were 22% more likely to visit the emergency department.

• "Not Healing Thyself" (Selvam, Modern Healthcare, 9/12).
• "Hospital Workers Outspend Others on Medical Care" (Sherman, Reuters, 9/12).