NCCI Affordable Care Act Analysis Interesting Conclusion
The recent NCCI Affordable Care Act Analysis synthesized a very interesting conclusion. The National Council on Compensation Insurance is based in Boca Raton, FL. At first glance, along with this article, the NCCI estimated that removal of the Affordable Care Act would likely cost employers 3 – 5% in additional costs.
Dr. Richard Victor (former WCRI CEO) had performed an exemplary cost analysis of case shifting from health to Workers Comp, not vice-versa as was implied by the recent NCCI study.
The NCCI Affordable Care Act Analysis front page can be found here. One can likely draw the conclusion that a reduction in obesity by the existence of the ACA would cut Workers Comp costs. I could not wrap my head around that conclusion without reading into the study further.
When the word might appears in a study conclusion, I immediately look to see what statistical basis the conclusion was drawn from overall. The initiatives by the Affordable Care Act would supposedly reduce the obesity rate from 35% to 25% which could reduce WC costs indirectly.
However, the obesity rates in the US have never been reduced, but instead have increased each year. I even perused the appendices to see if there was some type of statistical analysis drawn. However, there was just nothing there. Earlier this month, I had written an article on the associated study that the ACA does not crowd out WC patients’ access to care.
More reading and analysis may be required for me to draw any final conclusions. As of now, I just do not see the supporting statistics for the 3 – 5% reduction in Workers Comp costs. The NCCI Affordable Care Act analysis may be somewhere else on their website. I will keep searching.
Please note – I wrote this story with jet lag and being stranded in a foreign airport. If I missed something, please add in the comments section or email me. Thanks.
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