05/05/2013 // Concord, CA, USA // LifeCare123 // Greg Vigna, MD, JD, Joe Motta, JD // (press release)
Migrant workers, the unemployed, prisoners, and other low income laborers were mobilized to meet the British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010. These workers worked under extremely difficult conditions dealing with extremes in heat, exposed to numerous toxic substances including petroleum products and oil dispersants all of which are known to be associated with occupationally related chronic sinusitis. Analysis of the estimated annual cost associated with chronic sinusitis suggests that the settlement for compensation is inadequate. This doesn’t even account for damages related to pain, suffering, and inconvenience related to having a chronic illness.
A study out of Harvard Medical school analyzed the cost associated with chronic sinusitis in 1994 comparing the cost of chronic sinusitis in patients who undergo surgery and those who do not. They carried out this study to determine if there is a cost savings. Cost analysis included medications, surgery, surgical revision rates, hospitalizations, physician visits, and lost wages related to sick days related to chronic sinusitis.
Medication cost are staggering for chronic sinusitis. Cost of over the counter drugs, nasal sprays, first and second line antibiotic drugs were over $1200 in the nonsurgical group. This is in 1994 dollars and doesn’t include the cost associated with todays chronic sinusitis which often is associated with resistant bacteria which require expensive antibiotics such as levaquin and zyvox. The cost of zyvox may exceed $700 for a course of therapy. Multiplying the cost of drug to the life expectance of a young worker may exceed the settlement amount.
Surgical cost and hospitalization for procedures such as septoplasty and maxillary antrosotomy cost nearly $6500 using 1994 numbers. This cost is substantial for a low wage earner and doesn’t include the 3% per year need for these patients to undergo a revision. Physician visits cost $42 per year. The settlement may be inadequate because many of these workers will be migrant workers who will not have established physicians requiring an initial clinic charge for a physician visit which is twice as expensive as a follow up visit of low complexity.
Cost related to lost work days from chronic sinusitis is difficult to calculate in this group considering this group is highly motivated to work because of economic need caused by their low socioeconomic status.
These cost may be staggering considering the young ages of the BP cleanup workers when considering these cost will be multiplied to their individual life expectancy. The result may reflect an inadequate settlement without even considering the intangible cost related to pain and suffering and inconvenience.
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