Paid Sick Days Will Cut High Cost of Health Care

Concerned about the high cost of health care? A forthcoming report by the Institute for Women’s Policy Studies finds one cost-cutter: paid sick days. Researchers estimate that a policy guaranteeing employees access to paid sick days would reduce visits to hospital emergency departments and save $1 billion in medical costs annually.

Who pays now? About half the bill comes from public insurance programs, funded by taxpayer dollars.

Aside from cutting costs, the measure would help increase preventive care and overall good health.