Long COVID is costing Texans thousands of dollars

• Researchers are still trying to understand why some people develop multiple chronic symptoms after what often starts as a mild coronavirus infection.
• The long-term symptoms cost employers and insured Americans thousands.

By the numbers: Texans with long COVID pay roughly $5,000 more on average than other Americans in the first six months after their diagnosis, Nomi Health found.

• Insured Texans saw a 240% increase in medical spending each month following an initial COVID diagnosis, or a predicted cost of $14,500 within the first six months of a diagnosis.

Of note: Nomi Health examined more than 20 million medical claims between January and June 2022, which also revealed skyrocketing employer expenses associated with long COVID.

• Long COVID nationally cost employers an average $600 more per member than the average diabetes episode in the first half of 2022, or an average of $2,654.67 per member.
• Employers also are faced with labor shortages because of the pandemic, and an August report from the Brookings Institute estimated that long COVID could be keeping as many as 4 million Americans out of the workforce.