Menstrually related migraine: Implications for employers and managed care

Migraine is a common disorder, affecting approximately 28 million men and women in the United States. It is most prevalent in men and women between the ages of 25 and 55, a range that represents the majority of the American workforce. Because migraine is 3 times more common in women than in men, companies that employ women bear the economic brunt of migraine, including menstrually related migraine (MRM). The economic burden of migraine takes the form of increased absenteeism and reduced on-the-job effectiveness because of headache, costing employers in the United States $13 billion per year. As treatment often is suboptimal, increasing expenditures on medical care may prove to be cost effective for society as they may reduce costs of lost labor. This article reviews the economic implications of migraine and MRM for employers and health plans, particularly with respect to measuring the burden of migraine and MRM. The article also addresses MRM as a target for treatment from the perspectives of the health plan and the employer.