Half of members enrolled on employer-sponsored medical plans will be diagnosed with muscle, nerve or joint problems, making orthopedic or musculoskeletal (MSK) issues one of the highest drivers of healthcare cost. Often second in expense only to high-cost conditions like cancer, MSK-related costs are not just costly but also common.
Why so costly? As many as 80% of MSK conditions are wear-and-tear cases like rotator cuff tears and meniscal degeneration that often receive diagnostic imaging like MRIs and CTs, the results of which funnel patients into costlier surgical solutions — sometimes up to $200,000 per surgery. With our aging population, if self-insured employers don’t find a first line of defense solution, surgery rates will continue to increase.
