How benefits leaders can help close the women’s heart health disparity

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Heart health is a major women’s health issue in America – women are two times more likely to die of a heart attack than men. Improving heart health is a top health priority for employers – the CDC has even called on employers to select health plans that provide coverage for home blood pressure monitors as an intervention. However, improving heart health cannot be done by taking a blanket approach to heart health benefits programs. Instead, organizations that seek to improve employee heart health need to understand there are significant cardiac care disparities between men and women when crafting health benefits plans.

Unfortunately, there’s an awareness gap that needs to be overcome. Heart health is often overlooked – both by women themselves and employer organizations – as a major women’s health concern, which can be deadly. In fact, heart disease is the top cause of death for women in the U.S. It’s also frequently perceived as more of a concern for men, but data proves otherwise.