Preventing Adolescent Injury: The Role of Health Plans

NIHCM Foundation & Children's Safety Network

In the United States, unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death among adolescents and a leading cause of medical spending for adolescents aged 11 to 18 years old. Most injuries are preventable, however, and prevention often costs less than treating the effects of injuries. This issue brief, produced jointly with the Children’s Safety Network, highlights the prevalence, consequences and costs of adolescent injuries to explain why health plans should want to invest in injury prevention and how they can help prevent adolescent injury, thereby reducing injury-related mortality and health care spending for adolescents.