Coorscreen: a low-cost, on-site mammography screening program.

Abstract

Coors Brewing Company is a self-insured corporation of 10,600 employees located in Golden, Colorado. Management has long believed in the value of a healthy workforce and has instituted ongoing health and wellness programming since 1981. Coorscreen was started in September 1985 to create an ongoing awareness of breast cancer screening and prevention for all female employees, spouses, and retirees and to lower the health care costs for the company through early detection of breast cancer. From 1985 through 1993, 12,210 mammograms were completed on 3729 employees, spouses, and retirees. The participation rate was 83%. Forty-seven malignant conditions were confirmed during the first 8 years. Pathology reports confirmed 43 early detections (10 employees) and four late detections (two employees). The 10 cases of malignant disease detected early among employees cost an average of $12,388 in terms of direct medical costs, short-term disability, temporary replacement, and ongoing benefits. The two cases detected late among employees cost an average of $143,398. Among spouses, cases of malignant disease detected late have cost an average of $69,230 more than cases detected early. On the basis of early detection for 10 employees and 26 spouses, the total savings are estimated to be $3,110,000. The Coorscreen program cost savings for the first 8 years were $3,110,080 because of the lower cost of early versus late detection. Total screening and procedural costs to the company have equaled $668,690. Thus the company has realized a total cost savings of $2,441,190.