Nearly 12 million people will be facing a television screen Sunday when Seattle goes up against New England in the Super Bowl. On Monday, they may be facing something very different: a splitting headache or several abdominal pains.
Yes, just as the players will be recovering from a grueling battle, so will the fans be paying for their matchups with greasy foods and alcohol. The medical profession, and medical insurers, will be bracing for the post-game onslaught of trips to the clinic or ER, and claims filed for Super Bowl overindulgences.
Healthentic has helpfully drawn some conclusions about the Monday effects of Super Bowl Sunday. The company looked at claims filed for abdominal distress and headaches the day after Super Bowl XLIIX and the Monday one week later. Here's what they have for us:
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Abdominal claims on the Monday after the Super Bowl were about 17 percent higher than the following Monday, and each claim cost about $370.
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Headache/migraine claims on the Monday after the Super Bowl were about 49 percent higher than the following Monday, and each claim cost about $336.
Considering the number of fans watching the game or at least attending the parties, and you can safely conclude that the Super Bowl represents a pretty substantial contribution to overall health care premiums in the United States.
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
