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High-quality musculoskeletal care
Musculoskeletal disorders like arthritis, sprained ankles, and chronic back pain are injuries or disorders that affect bones, joints, muscles, and connective tissue. These painful conditions impact over half of U.S. adults, limiting their mobility and dexterity while impairing their overall functioning.1 As musculoskeletal disorders take a physical and mental toll on employees, employers bear an increasing financial burden. Today, 75% of employers rank musculoskeletal conditions among the top 2 health conditions driving their costs.2
The true cost of back and knee pain
Low back pain is the leading cause of disability and productivity loss worldwide, and 20% of workers who report low back pain miss more than a month of work.3 Medical and pharmacy costs for people with low back pain are about $2,400 higher compared to other employees.4 And employees experiencing knee pain can miss an extra 19 days of work per year.5
While medical costs and employee absences put pressure on your business, it’s important to remember that your employees aren’t just missing out on work. They might be unable to do some of the things they love, including activities that give them a sense of community and purpose. Finding the right musculoskeletal care is important for both your business and your employees.
A better approach to musculoskeletal care
With Kaiser Permanente, your employees will receive personalized, evidence-based, and holistic care from doctors and specialists who work together in an integrated system to deliver better care and healthier outcomes. Instead of treating a musculoskeletal condition in isolation, our care teams treat the whole person, considering any comorbidities or mental health concerns that might affect recovery.
Our doctors and specialists also work together in our electronic health record system, which enables them to develop more effective, personalized care plans based on the most up-to-date patient information. This coordinated, connected support helps employees recover faster — while minimizing costs and time off work. For instance, Kaiser Permanente is in the top 5% nationwide in avoiding unnecessary imaging for low back pain.6 By collaborating and sharing the best practices and latest care protocols, our care teams have helped patients avoid needless radiation exposure and have reduced health care costs.
Find the right plan for your business 877-305-7933
Virtual care makes it easier to manage musculoskeletal problems
When in-person care isn’t needed, our virtual care options offer your employees many convenient ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat musculoskeletal problems:
On-demand self-care resources
Increasing physical activity, reducing stress, and maintaining a healthy weight can reduce the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders.7 That’s why we offer no-cost preventive care tools like ClassPass video exercise classes and 1-on-1 emotional support coaching through Headspace Care. These resources can help your employees engage in healthy behaviors.8
Integrated telehealth options
Your employees can schedule a quick video or phone appointment with their primary care physician and be referred to a physical therapist — at no extra charge. They can also get 24/7 virtual care from Kaiser Permanente clinicians across the U.S.9 Our 24/7 advice line makes it easy to talk with a clinician day or night for advice. And with our kp.org message center, your employees can securely email their doctor or care team with nonurgent health questions or medication updates.
Virtual physical therapy
At Kaiser Permanente, we prescribe physical therapy (PT) before costlier, more invasive interventions are considered. Research shows that virtual PT is just as effective as in-person PT and can improve adherence.10 Virtual PT users had 63% lower costs compared with traditional PT, and fewer hospital readmissions after knee replacement surgery.11 And virtual PT is included in your employees’ health plan at no extra charge. Patients get personalized regimens and feedback without needing to take time off work for treatment.
Better outcomes for shoulder, knee, and hip replacement surgeries
At Kaiser Permanente, we’re outperforming the market in reducing costly hospital readmissions for members getting shoulder, knee, and hip replacements. Our members are less likely to be readmitted after those surgeries.13 Based on the average cost in the U.S., each readmission your employees avoid saves your business $16,300.14
We achieve these outcomes because of our commitment to evidence-based medicine. That includes our registries, which track the status of patient implants, other devices, and all health outcomes for as long as members remain with Kaiser Permanente. Today, our registries track over 4 million implants and devices to:
- Monitor patient outcomes
- Research the most effective surgical techniques and devices
- Efficiently address recalls
Members getting joint replacements at Kaiser Permanente also are more likely to be discharged the same day, reducing their risk of infection and helping them feel more comfortable as they safely recover at home. About 80% of our elective total hip and knee replacement surgeries are done without an overnight hospital stay15 — compared with only about 51% nationally.16 From 2016 to 2020, we helped these patients avoid more than 27,000 nights in the hospital while achieving lower rates of readmissions and emergency visits and higher member satisfaction.17 Nationally, same-day joint replacements are estimated to save $7,684 per patient.18
With a comprehensive, personalized approach to care, we can help you protect your workforce — and your business — from costly musculoskeletal disorders.
Find the right plan for your business 877-305-7933
Footnotes:
1“Fast Facts: Musculoskeletal Conditions,” United States Bone and Joint Initiative, accessed June 10, 2024.
2“2024 Large Employer Health Care Strategy Survey: Executive Summary,” Business Group on Health, August 22, 2023.
3“Indirect Costs of Back Pain and MSDs,” Ohio State University, accessed June 11, 2024, https://spine.osu.edu/indirect-costs-back-pain-and-msds.
4“Health and Productivity Impact of Chronic Conditions: Back Pain,” Integrated Benefits Institute, September 2019.
5“Work Injuries and Illnesses by Part of Body,” Injury Facts, accessed June 11, 2024, https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/work/industry-incidence-rates/work-injuries-and-illnesses-by-part-of-body/.
6Kaiser Permanente 2023 HEDIS® scores. Benchmarks provided by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Quality Compass® and represent all lines of business. Kaiser Permanente combined region scores were provided by the Kaiser Permanente Department of Care and Service Quality. The source for data contained in this publication is Quality Compass 2023 and is used with the permission of NCQA. Quality Compass 2023 includes certain CAHPS data. Any data display, analysis, interpretation, or conclusion based on these data is solely that of the authors, and NCQA specifically disclaims responsibility for any such display, analysis, interpretation, or conclusion. Quality Compass® and HEDIS® are registered trademarks of NCQA. CAHPS® is a registered trademark of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
7“Musculoskeletal Disorders, Risk Factors & Reporting,” Colorado State University Risk Management & Insurance, accessed November 16, 2023.
8The app and services described above are not covered under health plan benefits, are not a Medicare-covered benefit, and are not subject to the terms set forth in members’ Evidence of Coverage or other plan documents. The app and services may be discontinued at any time. The Headspace Care app and services are not available to any members under 18 years old. Eligible Kaiser Permanente members can text with a coach using the Headspace Care app for 90 days per year. After the 90 days, members can continue to access the other services available on the Headspace Care app for the remainder of the year at no cost.
9Available at no cost to members on most plans.
10Michelle Cottrell, et. al., “Telehealth for Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy,” Musculoskeletal Science & Practice, August 2020.
11Janet Prvu Bettger, ScD, et al., “Effects of Virtual Exercise Rehabilitation In-Home Therapy Compared with Traditional Care After Total Knee Arthroplasty: VERITAS, a Randomized Controlled Trial,” The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, January 15, 2020.
12See note 11.
13Shoulder replacement: Kaiser Permanente 30-day readmission rates, 2009-2021. Market average: Andrew Mahoney, MD, et al., “Readmission After Shoulder Arthroplasty,” Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, March 2014. Knee and hip replacement: Kaiser Permanente 90-day readmission rates, 2009-2021. Market average: Donald E. Fry, MD, et al., “Risk-Adjusted Hospital Outcomes in Medicare Total Joint Replacement Surgical Procedures, The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, January 4, 2017.
14Joanna Jiang, PhD, and Molly Hensche, MS, “Characteristics of 30-Day All-Cause Hospital Readmissions, 2016–2020,” Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Statistical Brief #304, September 2023.
15Kaiser Permanente internal data, 2022.
16"Outpatient Total Joint Replacement," OrthoInfo, October, 27, 2023.
17Kate E. Koplan, MD, MPH, et al., "Case Study: Same-Day Joint Replacement Care: Achieving the Quadruple Aim," NEJM Catalyst, February 2021.
18Alan Condon, “Commercial Payers Driving Cases to ASCs; Orthopedics Most Primed for Growth,” Becker’s ASC Review, February 7, 2022.
19See note 14.
20See note 15.