Women Vector
As companies seek to raise the bar in women’s health and wellbeing at work, employers are discovering that benefits that cover a woman’s entire health journey are key to talent retention.
This is according to Progyny’s Women’s Health in the Workplace study, which surveyed more than 1,200 women to understand what employer health benefits they wish they had. The study also surveyed HR leaders to compare their views on women’s health offerings to the perspectives of their employees.
More than three-quarters of working women have been diagnosed with at least one medical condition, the survey found. The most common conditions are autoimmune disease and infertility, followed by endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), pelvic floor dysfunction, perimenopause and menopause, and mental health conditions, according to Progyny.
Eighty-five percent of working women say they have experienced health symptoms that directly impact their wellbeing and daily life at work, with many missing work because of their health symptoms. Many women reported feeling overwhelmed, having low energy and experiencing weight changes.
Despite this significant impact, women tend to wait a long time before seeking medical care for their symptoms. The study found women wait an average of 7.2 months from the onset of symptoms to seeking treatment. The primary reasons women delay seeking care is difficulty navigating employer benefits, limited access to specialists, and feeling dismissed when they do seek treatment. One in five working women said they’ve had to visit three or more providers to receive a diagnosis.
This represents an opportunity for employers to impact retention, productivity and the bottom line by addressing things women want most from their workplace benefits plan. Among those surveyed, 89% said having assistance in finding the right care is critical to their benefits experience, while more than two-thirds reported spending more time than expected trying to understand the cost of treatment or what was covered. Sixty-five percent found that the payment and the insurance authorization process of their coverage was complex and time-consuming. Forty-four percent want guidance for their situation and 42% want additional support understanding costs and finding the best options for them.
Progyny said employers should create a women’s health program that integrates care delivery and clinical, expert coaching across women's entire health journey, including preconception and reproductive health, fertility coverage, maternity and postpartum support, parenting support, and menopause and midlife programming. The firm also recommends that employers create enhanced benefits navigation features that encourage engagement and utilization to drive better outcomes. This is especially important considering one in four women who wanted to use their benefits said they gave up due to complexity.
“Enhanced benefits navigation and support from a dedicated, knowledgeable guide to connect your benefits ecosystem and ensure easy access to benefits that matter can drive utilization of the right benefit for your employees, and ensure you are proactively managing healthcare costs,” said the report.
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