Comp predicts more spending in treating ‘long COVID’

While prescription medications used to treat COVID-19 symptoms represented less than 1% of all prescriptions processed by Matrix Healthcare Services Inc. in 2020, the pharmacy benefits manager says a “number of early indicators are pointing to a potential rise” in the virus drug spending in 2021 due to lingering COVID-19 symptoms.

Doing business as myMatrixx, the Tampa, Florida-based PBM published a white paper this month stating that “even as infection rates begin to fall dramatically with growing levels of vaccination and immunity” pharmacy costs could escalate because the medical community is “just beginning to understand the long-term damage that the disease is causing for a significant portion of patients.”

What has been labeled “post-COVID syndrome,” also known as “long COVID,” has implications for workers comp industry “due to a much higher likelihood of requiring extensive and often costly retail drug therapies.”

Citing a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in September 2020, approximately 10% of patients report prolonged symptoms of infection, with commonly reported post-COVID symptoms including fatigue and shortness of breath, “brain fog,” headaches, dizziness and heart palpitations.

With most of the issues related to pulmonary and cardiac issues, myMatrixx says the lingering symptoms for compensable workers comp claims have led to an increase in medication use, which it will continue to track.