Women have different health and wellness needs than men, which evolve as they age. Many employer-sponsored health plans are inequitable on several levels, making it difficult for women to access the services they need, and the first step in fixing this is recognizing existing gaps. - BY MALIBU KOTHARI

Historically, the healthcare industry's primary focus has been men’s health. This has had significant consequences for diagnosis, treatment, and understanding of women’s issues. Gender bias has manifested in many ways, including in male-dominated clinical trials, a lack of research on health conditions more common in women, delayed diagnoses, and a lack of understanding of the unique health needs of women at different life stages. The healthcare industry is slowly changing to be more inclusive, and employers have a tremendous opportunity to ensure their healthcare plans and wellness programs meet the needs of women in different life stages. This aspect of diversity, equity, and inclusion is still overlooked despite the number of women in the workforce.

Recognizing the Differences: Equality vs Equity

For many years, the healthcare industry concentrated on men’s health. Worse, the methods for assessing health, diagnosing conditions, and developing treatment plans have been based on men. This bias naturally flows to health insurance coverage. Deloitte examined a sample of 16 million people aged 19-64 with employer-sponsored health insurance. The data analysis found women spend more money on healthcare services compared to men, far beyond maternity and birth care. There are many theories about why this is true, such as some insurance companies will fully cover a mammogram but not follow-up imaging if needed. Kulleni Gebreyes, a physician who runs Deloitte’s healthcare practice and serves as the company’s U.S. chief health equity officer, sums it up nicely by saying, “What we’re really challenging is, when you’re designing benefits, the difference between equality — paying the same premium — and equity — having benefit coverage that meets your needs.”

The idea of equality vs. equity in the workplace extending to women’s health, leads to looking at healthcare benefits and services from a different perspective. For example, men and women may have equal access to a company wellness program, but does the program specifically embrace the unique needs of women? Women, like men, face different health challenges and have different wellness needs as they age. Women have unique health needs, like pregnancy, nursing, menopause, sleeping problems, mental health impacted by hormonal changes, and more. Women need health screenings specific to needs that change as a woman ages, like bone density tests, because women have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis than men due to changes in hormones.

Broadening the Scope of Access

Employers can ensure the health plans offered include services specific to women and support life changes. They should offer paid leave for parental and family leave. Cigna Healthcare also suggests supporting behavioral health needs because women experience higher levels of anxiety and depression than men, often due to caregiving responsibilities, so access to mental health care would help women stay healthy and productive. Additional suggestions include offering fertility benefits, instituting remote monitoring and virtual care solutions to increase access to healthcare for expectant and new mothers, and establishing an Employee Resource Group for women. The takeaway is that meeting women employees’ healthcare needs involves more than simply covering more services.

Most workplaces today have four generations of women employees, so addressing generational differences is crucial to workplace culture, productivity, and equity in women’s health. The healthcare needs of a pregnant young woman are very different from those of a woman experiencing menopause. Changes in hormones increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and affect mental health and sleep patterns. According to AON, the fastest growing workforce demographic is menopausal women, yet talking about menopause is still stigmatized. It is not surprising that MetLife research found the most significant unmet needs of working women are insurance coverage for cancer, vision care, critical illness, dental, and a defined benefit plan, reflecting the aging of the female workforce.

Two Strategies Supporting Health Services Equity in the Workplace

Two strategies focus on providing women with effective, personalized care as they age. Specialty care networks and concierge services can address unique health needs by offering coordinated, comprehensive, and accessible care. Accessibility is a major principle in health services equity. For example, research has found that when it is too difficult for women to make doctor appointments or find the necessary services, many stop trying. Specialty care networks consist of healthcare providers focusing on specific health conditions related to life stages, like pregnancy, menopause, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular health. A range of specialists collaborate to offer a holistic approach and include physicians like gynecologists, endocrinologists, cardiologists, mental health professionals, and other specialists to address the full spectrum of health concerns women face as they age. Specialty care networks also offer preventive care, such as screening for conditions common to women and continuity of care. Employer-sponsored concierge healthcare services for employees is another strategy that is more personalized and helps individuals navigate a fragmented healthcare system. The employer pays a concierge service healthcare provider fee so employees can access one-on-one assistance. Concierge services are more personal, making it easier for employees to get the needed services because one representative is assigned to each employee. Women get the healthcare services they need, and can save the employer and employees money.

The concierge healthcare plan encourages women to get the services they need because it is much easier to access doctors and other healthcare professionals. There are different types of concierge services models. The concierge direct primary care model may include primary care visits, telemedicine, preventative care and wellness plans, lab work, chronic condition management, and more. Insurance coverage is saved for catastrophic events. Concierge services can reduce urgent care, emergency room visits and unnecessary specialist referrals and improve the health of women employees by helping them manage their physical and psychological needs at each life stage. Tailored health and wellness plans consider factors like genetics, lifestyle, and personal health goals. There is specialized care, continuous monitoring of chronic conditions common in aging women, and an emphasis on preventive care and wellness.

Working Toward Healthcare Equity

Employers should assess their healthcare plans and programs and identify gaps in the care provided to women. Just as important, employers should recognize that women face unique challenges in managing their health and wellness, pay more out-of-pocket medical expenses than men, and often get less coverage. To foster women’s health through the generations, employers can analyze their workforce and benefits to identify demographic needs and examine benefit coverage. At that point, the question becomes, “What can the employer do to work toward healthcare equity?”