AEGiS-06IAC: Why AIDS clinic patients do not return to work.

6th International AIDS Conference

San Francisco, California, USA — June 20-23, 1990

Why AIDS clinic patients do not return to work.

Int Conf AIDS 1990 Jun 20-23; 6:344 (abstract no. Th.D.873)
McMaster JR, Greenblatt RM, Yelin EH, Henke CJ, Hollander H; University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between disability benefits, Medi-Cal coverage (California's Medicaid system), and social support in the work place, on the decision to return to work by patients attending a University based AIDS clinic.

METHODS: A longitudinal study that employed trimonthly structured telephone surveys.

RESULTS: Of the one hundred ninety-seven participants, 54 (27%) were receiving disability benefits at the time of the original interview. One hundred two (52%) were receiving disability benefits at the time of the most recent interview. Seventy-one percent of the participants reported that the primary cause attributing to disability was HIV-related illness. Eighty participants (41%) were receiving Medi-Cal coverage at the time of the last interview. At the most recent interview, 56% were disabled and on Medi-Cal. These participants were asked why they were unable to return to work: 54% stated they were too ill, 43% stated fear of losing Medi-Cal benefits, 4% did not want to return to work, 12% felt that during their previous employment they needed to conceal either their illness or their risk group from their employer. Thirty-three participants (17%) who were currently working also felt that they needed to conceal either their illness or risk group from their employer.

CONCLUSION: Although many respondents saw the need to conceal their illness in the workplace this did not appear to contribute to their decision not to return to work. Almost half stated that their illness did not directly prevent them from returning to work in some capacity. Concerns about loss of benefits frequently precluded the attempt to return to work. Pre-existing condition clauses made workplace based private insurance inaccessible, thus increasing reliance of AIDS patients on state-funded coverage. Mandatory employer paid health insurance would help to alleviate this problem.

Keywords: AEGIS, Work, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Employment, Ambulatory Care Facilities, Insurance, Health, Medicaid, Disabled Persons, Data Collection, HIV Infections, Workplace, Longitudinal Studies, California, Human, economics, ICA6

900620
ThD873