Unbelted Crash Victims Cost Health Care System Double the Charges of Belted Occupants; Study Estimates $190 Million Saved in 10 Years By Increasing Seat Belt Use

Business Wire, April 20, 2006

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A new study finds that hospital costs for unrestrained vehicle-crash victims in Minnesota are nearly double (94 percent greater) the charges for injured vehicle occupants that are belted. The study notes that by increasing the state's seat belt use by 10 percentage points to 94 percent, the cumulative savings to Medicaid would be nearly $71 million by 2015.

The study also projects that the cumulative savings to all payer sources (commercial insurance, self-pay, government and workers' compensation) would be nearly $190 million in the next 10 years. E[acute accent]The CODES (Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System) study measured hospital medical care charges associated with unrestrained vehicle occupants to determine cost impact on government payer sources. CODES is a collaborative effort by the Minnesota departments of Public Safety, Health and Transportation, with the Minnesota Hospital Association and Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board. E[acute accent]The findings are based on analysis of Minnesota's 2002 crash records which were linked with hospital in-patient and emergency treatment information. Hospital charges do not reflect doctors or specialist fees, response or ambulance transport, clinic visits, or post-treatment prescriptions. The 2002 CODES dataset contains nearly 27,000 linked crash and hospital records with charges totaling nearly $172 million. Preventable hospital charges for unbelted crash victims were more than $14 million. E[acute accent]"The results of the CODES study make it clear that people who do not buckle their seat belts cost us all significant dollars," said Carol Bufton, president of the Minnesota Safety Council, which coordinates the Minnesota Seat Belt Coalition. "This is a wide-reaching health care and 'pocket book' issue for all taxpayers and policy holders, as well as business owners and commercial interests alike. The coalition strongly urges passage of a primary enforcement seat belt law-it won't cost the state one cent and will deliver $15 million in federal incentive funds to Minnesota." E[acute accent]The complete study, Estimating Minnesota Hospital Charge Savings with the Adoption of a Standard Enforcement Seat Belt Law, is available online at www.dps.state.mn.us/ots. E[acute accent]The Minnesota Seat Belt Coalition works to reduce deaths and injuries on our roadways by increasing seat belt use through education and legislation. It comprises businesses, health care providers, emergency responders, law enforcement officers, community organizations, parents, insurance representatives, auto dealers, crash survivors and others.