title: The impact of health care reform on employer costs: an analysis of the Massachusetts experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to learn if health care reform in Massachusetts lead to significant increases in diagnosis-specific short-term disability (STD) durations associated with specialist physician populations in short supply.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined group STD claim durations for Massachusetts-resident claimants, from Liberty Mutual's book of business, whose conditions generally required consultation or treatment by specialist physicians.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two specialties in short supply in Massachusetts, neurology and oncology, showed a significant increase in duration during 2008 and 2009.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Short-term disability durations for certain diagnoses associated with specialists in short supply have increased since the introduction of health care reform in Massachusetts. These increased durations will directly affect employer costs because short-term disability payments are generally borne by employers.
authors.affiliation: Liberty Mutual Group, 175 Berkeley St., , Boston, MA 02116, USA. joseph.poplaski@libertymutual.com
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Poplaski
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Poe
authors.forename: Eric R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Menn
mesh_terms: D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017048:Health Care Costs; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007344:Insurance Claim Reporting / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018868:Insurance, Disability / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008404:Massachusetts; D008495:Medical Oncology; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D009462:Neurology