Washington, D.C. – (September 28, 2023) – Health insurance providers have been alongside Americans throughout the COVID-19 crisis, coming together to break down barriers to COVID-19 testing, treatment, and vaccines. Continuing our industry’s leadership and innovation, AHIP recently worked with HCCI, an independent nonprofit focused on using data to inform critical health policies, to add to the growing body of research on Long COVID by utilizing claims data to better understand the incidence, risk factors and critical patient needs.
HCCI’s report looked at commercial claims for more than 50 million enrollees across the country, between April 2020 and June 2021, confirming the critical need to address Long COVID noted by other studies. The report spotlighted the impacts of Long COVID on the health care system and overall health care service use and costs.
Key takeaways include:
- 1 in 4 of people with acute COVID infections experienced Long COVID symptoms.
- People with higher medical needs are more likely to be affected by Long Covid.
- Among people with acute COVID infections, those with Long COVID were more likely to be re-diagnosed with acute COVID diagnosis.
- Following their acute COVID diagnosis, people with Long COVID had nearly 5 times higher per-person health care spending compared to those who had no evidence of Long COVID symptoms.
Evidence from this and other reports will be essential as health insurance providers continue to address Long COVID and collaborate with other health care leaders to boost personal health and make care more affordable for all Americans long-term.