By analyzing biometric data with benefit costs available through the Claims and Health Analytics Resource Tool (CHART), hospitals sometimes can find some unexpected data correlations and identify clear targets for improving employee health and reducing benefit costs. This new insight allows hospitals to invest health and wellness dollars strategically.
Analysis of one hospital's data revealed the following:
- 45% of the population (1,355 people) had pre-hypertension, the second most costly blood pressure category (averaging $7,300 per person).
- Underweight people had higher average costs than those who were obese (on average $9,800 vs $6,200 in costs).
- People unaware of their cholesterol levels had the highest spend ($14,500 on average).
A closer look at the data for one hospital illustrates the actual variances:
Blood pressure
| Blood pressure category | Employee count | 2015 avg. allowed |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | 14 | $4,774 |
| Normal | 1,353 | $6,399 |
| Pre-hypertension | 1,355 | $7,274 |
| Unblinded peer comparison | 241 | $10,063 |
| Quarterly manual data submission | 44 | $5,377 |
Body mass index
Underweight people had higher average costs than those who were obese.
| BMI category | Employee count | 2015 avg. allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Underweight | 30 | $9,794 |
| Normal | 933 | $6,365 |
| Overweight | 925 | $6,217 |
| Obese | 1,119 | $8,275 |
Cholesterol levels
People unaware of their cholesterol levels had the highest spend.
| Cholesterol level | Employee count | 2015 avg. allowed |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | 46 | $14,498 |
| Desirable | 2,072 | $6,886 |
| Borderline high | 687 | $6,356 |
| High | 202 | $9,608 |
Glucose levels
People unaware of their glucose levels were second only to diabetic in average cost.
| Glucose category | Employee count | 2015 avg. allowed |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | 297 | $7,420 |
| Normal | 2,319 | $6,866 |
| Pre-diabetic | 308 | $6,668 |
| Diabetic (type II) | 83 | $12,814 |
Type II diabetes
People with type II diabetes with glucose and blood pressure levels outside normal ranges had the highest costs.
| Glucose | Cholesterol <175 | Blood pressure | Employee count | 2015 avg. allowed | (n) filled script |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | N | N | 71 | $10,405 | 25 |
| N | N | X | 23 | $10,208 | 12 |
| N | X | N | 47 | $8,686 | 31 |
| N | X | X | 16 | $17,918 | 12 |
| X | N | N | 26 | $13,637 | 5 |
| X | N | X | 14 | $23,003 | 5 |
| X | X | N | 27 | $16,080 | 10 |
| X | X | X | 15 | $6009 | 2 |
