title: Costs to business for an HIV-infected worker.
abstract: We use a Markov model to calculate the expected medical, disability, employee replacement, life insurance, and pension costs to a business firm for an HIV-infected employee. This analysis differs from previous HIV/AIDS cost analyses because we take the perspective of a business firm rather than of society, and we focus on the expected costs over a time frame relevant for business decision making. The maximum expected five-year cost to a business firm for an HIV-infected employee is estimated at $32,000, with an average expected cost of $17,000. These expected employment-based costs are less than the lifetime medical AIDS costs to society for an individual, which are estimated at more than $85,000. Employment-based costs are most influenced by the type of benefits provided under employer-based health insurance plans.
authors.affiliation: Office of the Associate Director, HIV/AIDS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Farnham
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Gorsky
mesh_terms: D003132:Commerce / Q000191:economics; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D017049:Employer Health Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000191:economics*; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000191:economics; D007352:Insurance, Life / Q000191:economics; D008390:Markov Chains; D015233:Models, Statistical; D010415:Pensions; D010563:Personnel Turnover / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States