Domestic violence impacts the healthcare system through increased usage of healthcare services. Blue Cross Blue Shield has determined that $32,969,848 is spent in Tennessee annually on domestic violence healthcare costs. It is estimated that 642,000 Tennessee women will have injuries related to domestic violence. 34% of their injuries will be lacerations, stab wounds, or internal injuries. 31% will be fractures, sprains, dislocations, dental injuries or muscular injuries. 9% of those women will have severe injuries requiring hospitalization or worse and 5% are rape or other sexual assaults. Many medically treated victims receive multiple forms of care for the same victimization, e.g., ambulance services, emergency room care, hospital stay, physical therapy, etc.

Families of domestic violence have six times the emergency room visits, eight times more physician visits, six times more prescription drug use and higher annual medical costs. A Minnesota study found that victims pay $1,775 more in health care costs per year and in another health care plan, victims’ costs were estimated at 92% more than a random sample of general female enrollees.

Annual medical costs related to domestic violence incidents are $1.9-$4.8 billion dollars. Outpatient costs for domestic violence related injuries are about $18 million every year in Tennessee . Non-emergency visits cost about $1.2 million annually.

The average cost per victim for treatment is $6,200. Domestic violence related healthcare costs include $7.9 million for commercial businesses which raise healthcare plan membership by $70 annually per member.

Despite these excessive costs, domestic violence is one of the least reported health issues. Medical professionals are not able to identify incidents of domestic violence because doctors only spend a few minutes with each patient. Medical colleges have a difficulty training medical students to use sufficient suspicion or skepticism when treating possible domestic violence victims.

In order mitigate the enormous healthcare related cost of domestic violence, legislators must take note of the problem. Legislation protecting women victimized by domestic violence and increased penalties for offenders will help to decrease the economic impact of domestic violence on the healthcare system. In addition, increased funding of prevention programs and domestic violence detection training for healthcare staff will positively affect healthcare costs.