Preventive Care Can Lift Employee Well-Being, Lower Healthcare Costs

Preventive care is the foundation of good healthcare, according to medical experts, yet more than 90% of Americans have put off getting a checkup or recommended health screening on time. That is according to a new wellness survey by insurance company Aflac.

The survey of 2,000 working U.S. adults found:

• 94% of Americans face barriers to getting checkups and recommended screenings on time.
• Nearly 3 in 5 Americans admit avoiding important screenings — up from 51% in 2023.
• Women are most likely to admit skipping common recommended screenings and are less likely than men to have a feeling of control over many aspects of their health.

According to Sadhna Paralkar, the national medical director at HR and benefits consulting firm Segal, there are several preventive care programs to consider.

“Primary prevention keeps healthy people healthy, secondary prevention focuses on early detection and intervention, and tertiary prevention addresses existing conditions and prevents their recurrence,” she said. “All of them aim to improve employee well-being, reduce absenteeism and lower healthcare costs.”

Access a bonus Workspan Daily Plus+ article on this subject:

• How to Entice and Enable Employee Health Checkups and Screenings

Why Employees Struggle with Preventive Care

According to the Aflac survey, logistics are the biggest challenge across all generations. This may include conflicts with work hours, difficulty scheduling appointments and taking time off work, and difficulty finding transportation and childcare.

Among the many barriers, surveyed workers in Generation Z (those born 1997 to 2012) are more likely than other generations to have negative feelings of distrust/embarrassment with doctors. Gen Z and millennials (those born 1981 to 1996) are more likely than other generations to feel healthy and believe they don’t need regular checkups. Insurance concerns are another reason these workers don’t get timely checkups. In addition, 41% of respondents in Generation X (those born 1965 to 1980) reported they felt healthy, so they didn’t need a primary care physician. Baby Boomers (those born 1946 to 1964) continue to be most likely to say nothing gets in the way of their regular checkups.

A third of respondents across generations also cited difficulty finding a primary care doctor accepting new patients in the first place.

Additionally, a recent survey by Imagine360, a health plan provider for self-funded employers, found 38% of Americans skipped or postponed necessary healthcare or medications due to the cost.

The survey polled 2,500 American adults and found:

• Of those respondents who skipped or postponed necessary healthcare or medications due to costs, 42% said their medical conditions worsened.
• Health plan premiums are the main factor causing difficulty in affording healthcare, followed by out-of-pocket maximums.
• Affordable and quality health benefits are key to employee retention, with more than a quarter of survey participants stating they would take a pay cut at a different job if it offered better health benefits.
• 60% of respondents would go to a primary care provider, doctor or hospital farther away from their homes if it would lower their healthcare costs.

“The survey indicates that rising costs lead to Americans not accessing the care they need or leaving their place of employment to find affordable health benefits,” Jeff Bak, the CEO and president of Imagine360, said in a statement. “Now, more than ever, it’s imperative for employers to evaluate their health plan offerings to ensure they meet both the health and financial needs of their employees.”

Impacts to Your Bottom Line

Delaying preventive care can lead to more complex diagnoses that could impact the cost to employees, their families and their employers, said Regina Ihrke, the managing director for health, equity and well-being at consulting firm WTW.

Segal’s Paralkar added the cost to the employer is particularly compounded — they’re paying for more complex medical treatments and losing productivity when employees miss work. Illness and poor health are the top causes of absenteeism, she said.

Ihrke also shared WTW data that showed organizations with high well-being scores are linked to better business outcomes, including:

• 36% more return on equity
• 30% lower healthcare costs for the employer
• 19% more return on assets
• 5% more revenue per employee

To encourage employees to make preventive care a priority, Ihrke said, “Total rewards professionals should have a targeted communication strategy to provide education and have reminders on when an individual should see a physician, include options for both in-person and virtual appointments, and communicate anticipated costs.”

According to Paralkar, adopting preventive behavior is a “win-win” for both the employee and the employer.

“Employees can stay healthy, and employers can save money by avoiding adverse health events that can be prevented by engaging in preventive care,” she said. “A healthy employee is a more productive employee.”

Editor’s Note: Additional Content

For more information and resources related to this article, see the pages below, which offer quick access to all WorldatWork content on these topics:

• Employee Benefits
• Total Rewards
• Well-Being