While the United States has returned to a new normal, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is still being felt by employers. Many organizations have returned to hybrid or normal in-person work, yet memories remain of the complete shut-down for many industries. And while emergency medicine endured the brunt of the pandemic, on the other end of the spectrum, elective surgeries and non-emergent medical care were suspended for months. Employees isolated at home, and preventative care, regular check-ups, and even dental appointments were delayed indefinitely. What are the downstream impacts of this national delayed care, and what are the indirect impacts to both employees and employers?

During this session, we used available data to show the delays that emerged due to employees’ inability or unwillingness to receive non-emergent medical care, including surgical delays. We explored the lengths of the delays that occurred, evaluated the impact to disability incidence and duration in several common conditions, and strategies organizations can employ to lessen the impact.