Concussion diagnoses in Illinois kids rises 83 percent

Concussion diagnoses among young people in Illinois have skyrocketed as media coverage of football-related concussions and legislation aimed at preventing participants of youth sports from "shaking off" signs of head injuries have drawn attention to the dangers of head injuries, according to a new study by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA).

Concussion diagnoses among adults also rose significantly over the past six years.

In Illinois, concussion diagnoses for members ages 10 through 19 increased 83 percent, from a rate of 7.6 per 1,000 members in 2010 to 14 per 1,000 members in 2015. This is more than the rate of concussion diagnoses nationally for members ages 10 through 19, which spiked 71 percent from a rate of 8.9 per 1,000 members in 2010 to 15.2 in 2015.

Concussion diagnoses in Illinois for all members age 64 and younger increased 44 percent, from 2.6 per 1,000 members in 2010 to 3.8 in 2015. Concussion diagnoses for all members age 64 and younger increased 43 percent nationally, from a rate of 3.0 per 1,000 members in 2010 to 4.3 in 2015.

The report, "The Steep Rise in Concussion Diagnoses in the U.S.," represents a comprehensive study of medical claims for 936,630 diagnosed concussions suffered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield commercially-insured members throughout the country from 2010 through 2015.

The study also finds that nationally:

• Fall is the peak concussion season for patients ages 10 through 19, with the most dramatic increases seen among males. Concussion diagnoses for young males in fall are nearly double that of young females.

• The growth of diagnosis rates for young females increased 118 percent compared to an increase for young males of 48 percent during the study period. Young males are still being diagnosed with 49 percent more concussions than young females.

• The percentage of concussion patients nationally across all ages diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome nearly doubled between 2010 and 2015. Throughout the study, post-concussion syndrome was diagnosed equally for both males and females ages 10 through 19. Females ages 20 through 64, however, are nearly 60 percent more likely to receive such a diagnosis than males.

"As a physician and a parent, I'm glad that concussions are being identified more frequently - because it means more children and adults are receiving care for head injuries," says Dr. Opella Ernest, chief medical officer for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois.

In Illinois, the Protecting Our Student Athletes Act went into effect on July 1, 2011. The law is to help protect Illinois' student-athletes from concussions and other brain injuries and to ensure that athletes who receive a concussion will not be allowed to return to play or practice until they are evaluated and receive written clearance from a licensed health professional.