Factors Related to Compensation of Mesothelioma in British Columbia
Introduction
• Mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the mesothelium which is almost always caused by occupational exposure to asbestos. • Although it is well recognized as an occupational cancer (attributable risk > 80%), workers’ compensation rates for mesothelioma are low in Canada (<50% of cases). • Few cases are rejected, suggesting that the low compensation rates are due to cases not seeking compensation. • Information on the characteristics of those who do not seek compensation will help guide policy development to ensure those who are eligible apply for workers’ compensation benefits.
Tracy Kirkham , Paul Demers 2,3 Christopher McLeod , Lillian 2 3 Tamburic , Mieke Koehoorn
2
1
1
UBC School of Environmental Health UBC Centre for Health Services and Policy Research 3 UBC Dept of Health Care and Epidemiology
1
Match Rates
1970-2005 WorkSafe BC claims (n=485) BC Cancer Agency cases (n=1182)
80 70
Mesothelioma Cases, 1970-2005
Number of cases
All BCCA registry cases # of cases compensated
• A logistic regression model was formulated to determine the odds of not submitting a claim by demographic (age, gender), clinical (cancer site), geographic and temporal (year of diagnosis) characteristics. • Standard errors were calculated to account for model specification.
60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1970
81% match rate (n=391)
Discussion
• The compensation rate over the study period was 33%. • The compensation rate may have been influenced by misclassification of WorkSafeBC claims if claimants were diagnosed in a different province. If all WorkSafeBC claimants were matched to BCCA cases the compensation rate would have reached 41%. • Future work will include the number of claims rejected or denied during the study period to investigate the assumption that non-compensated cases are unaware they are eligible for benefits. • Women were 8 times more likely to have an uncompensated mesothelioma case. Second-hand exposure to asbestos via family members in the home may explain this finding. • Mesothelioma of the lung, peritoneum, and other sites were compensated 2.3, 5.4, and 5.5 times less than mesothelioma of the pleura. This may be due to the familiarity of causes for pleura cancer. • Compensation rates vary by region of the province and suggest that public knowledge in large industrial settings with known exposure may influence awareness of compensation claim benefits. • In 2005 the BCCA and WorkSafeBC implemented a strategy to increase awareness of workers’ compensation benefits for mesothelioma by sending a letter to diagnosing physicians of all new BCCA mesothelioma cases. Phase II of this study will evaluate the effect of the physician intervention letter on the claim rate and on time to claim.
33% compensation rate
Year
2005
Geographic Variation in Compensation Rates
1970-2005, by health service delivery area
Health service delivery area
Kootenay Boundary Northeast Northwest Thompson Cariboo North Island N. Shore - Coast Gar.
Northwest
11 cases
Objectives
• Determine the compensation rate of mesothelioma in British Columbia (BC). • Examine trends in mesothelioma cases and compensation in BC. • Identify factors associated with a worker submitting a compensation claim for mesothelioma in BC.
Health authority
Health service delivery area
# cases Mesothelioma cases, 1970-2005
Percent compensated 76% 64% 45% 44% 43% 41% 40% 38% 38% 37% 36% 31% 30% 29% 27% 26%
20% 80%
Mesothelioma Case Characteristics by Compensation Status
1970-2005, with odds ratio of not having a claim
Non-compensated subjects (n=791) Compensated subjects (n=391)
Adjusted for year of diagnosis and geographic area
Odds ratio (95% CI)
Northeast
11 cases
East Kootenay Fraser South Northern Interior
Northern
Fraser North Central Island South Island Vancouver
Female
170 (93%)
12 (7%)
8.1 (4.2–15.4)
Northern Interior
26 cases
Fraser East Okanagan Richmond
Age at diagnosis: n (%) <45 45-54 55-65 65-74 75+ 47 (80%) 81 (65%) 152 (54%) 248 (66%) 263 (76%) 12 (20%) 43 (35%) 127 (46%) 128 (34%) 81 (24%) 2.2 (0.9–5.2) 1.8 (1.0–2.9) 1 1.9 (1.3–2.7) 4.1 (2.7–6.0)
Methods
Data Sources
• All WorkSafeBC (provincial workers’ compensation authority) mesothelioma claims and all BC Cancer Agency (BCCA) Tumor Registry mesothelioma cases from 1970 to 2005 were extracted and merged at the individual level.
North Shore Coast Garibaldi North Shore Coast Garibaldi
Vancouver Coastal Part of
Thompson - Cariboo
52 cases
Part of
Data classified by natural breaks Geographic analysis excludes 129 cases missing location data.
North Island
21 cases
Vancouver Coastal
75 cases
Vancouver
105 cases
147 cases
Fraser North
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Coastal
N. Shore Coast Gar.
Interior
Kootenay Boundary Okanagan
119 cases 17 cases
Fraser
66 cases
East Kootenay
20 cases
Fraser
Fraser South
143 cases
Central Island
81 cases
Fraser East
Cancer site: n (%) Pleura Lung Peritoneum Other 638 (63%) 41 (82%) 68 (91%) 44 (88%) 369 (37%) 9 (18%) 7 (9%) 6 (12%) 1 2.3 (0.9–5.2) 5.4 (2.3–13.2) 5.5 (2.2-13.8)
Richmond
31 cases
South Island
128 cases
Analysis
• Compensated and non-compensated BCCA cases were compared by simple descriptive statistics. • Compensated cases are those who received workers’ compensation in BC. • Non-compensated cases may or may not be eligible for compensation, and may include a small number of rejected and possibly out-of-province claims.
Key Messages
• Both mesothelioma cases and compensation rates for mesothelioma are increasing over time. However, compensation rates are much lower than anticipated for cases believed to be work-related cancers. • Several key factors have been identified that may significantly influence awareness by clinicians and workers of the work-relatedness of mesothelioma and of workers’ compensation benefits, including gender, age at diagnosis, geography, and cancer site. • Regulatory and planning committees need to develop policies or effective notification systems to ensure that all newly diagnosed mesothelioma cases receive proper evaluation for compensation benefits.
Acknowledgements
Research supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research—Institute of Population and Public Health/Public Health Agency of Canada doctoral research award, a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research/WorkSafeBC senior trainee award, UBC Centre for Health Services and Policy Research—WorkSafeBC partnership funding and the BC Cancer Agency.