Economic evaluation of corporate medical programs.

The cost of corporate medical programs is receiving increasing attention in times of financial austerity. This article reviews the published data on economic evaluations of such programs. It develops a framework within which profitability and cost-effectiveness can be assessed. Critical evaluation of the available data confirms the probable cost benefit of preemployment examinations, and absenteeism and alcohol abuse control programs. It is noted that the data are limited to a small and unrepresentative sample of industry.