OBJECTIVES : Use objective data to compare patients’ all-cause short-term disability (STD), long-term disability (LTD) and workers' compensation (WC) utilization and explore changes from baseline for employees with eye disorders(EYE).

METHODS : Employees with EYE medical-claims based on US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality categories were retrospectively identified in WorkPartners Research Reference Database from 2001—2019. Each year the analysis focused on the percent of employees with EYE, and by absence benefit, the percent of eligible employees utilizing the benefit, mean leave-length(days) and median payments as a percent of salary (MedianPay). Disability and WC payments included lump-sum distributions and potentially extended beyond the year initially incurred. Workplace accidents were paid under the WC benefit. WC claims without absence from work(medical-only) were excluded. Sick leave claims may be taken for any reason and were excluded. All employees’ absences were aggregated based on the initiation-year. For each benefit, average leave-length and MedianPay were calculated and compared with baseline (2001).

RESULTS : At baseline, 9.6% of employees had EYE; of these, 6.4% filed STD claims lasting 38.74days at 70.4% MedianPay, 0.2% filed LTD claims lasting 191.94days at 22.8% MedianPay, and 0.9% filed WC claims lasting 57.03days at 66.7% MedianPay. From 2002—2019: 6.8%—12.5% of employees had EYE. Of these, 6.2%—8.9% of eligible employees filed STD claims lasting 77.9%—122.6% of baseline-days (BDs) and paying 64.2%—140.7% MedianPay; 0.3%—0.7% of eligible employees filed LTD claims lasting 69.4%—460.8% of BDs at 98.2%—262.7% MedianPay; 0.4%—1.3% of eligible employees filed WC claims lasting 102.1%—306.0% of BDs at 88.4%—158.6% MedianPay. MedianPay was highest in 2006(STD), 2004(LTD), and 2003(WC). Claims-lengths were longest in 2019(STD), and 2005(LTD and WC).

CONCLUSIONS : Management of eye disorders is a growing concern for employers. Employees with eye disorders used a different mix of absence benefits over time with varying durations+payments. Using a constant cost over time for all benefits is not accurate or appropriate