Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Cost data were retrieved from all claims of low back pain initiated during 1986 (N = 98, 999) from computerized records of the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. The mean cost per case was 6807; median cost, 391. Medical costs represented 31. 5% of the total costs; indemnity costs, 67. 2%. The total compensable cost for all low back pain in the United States was estimated to be 11. 1 billion. Large variations were found to exist among different states in cost per case and percentage of costs for indemnity and medical payments.
Webster et al. (Mon,) studied this question.