Study: Paid sick days would save $1.1 billion

WASHINGTON – Increased access to paid sick days could save $1.1 billion annually, according to a study released on Nov. 14 by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.
Currently, more than 44 million American workers do not have access to paid sick days, and more are unable to use such time off to take care of sick children or other family members, according to the study.
“Taking time off work to see a primary care doctor is common sense, but more than 40 million Americans cannot do so without losing pay or their job,” said Kevin Miller, an author of the report. “Americans are paying more $1 billion each year in preventable emergency-department costs because hardworking people without paid sick days are unable to get the preventative and early treatment they and their children need.”
The U.S. spends about $47 billion annually on emergency-department services, and the study findings showed that by shifting the treatment of some preventable illnesses from emergency departments to less expensive doctor’s offices, clinics, and hospital outpatient settings, universal access to paid sick days would save $1.1 billion annually. &#8226