Chronic illness at 36? Your job might be the most expensive thing you own

Business Standard

3 days ago

As salaries rise and insurance benefits get more sophisticated, a new report by Plum, an employee health benefits platform, warns that health in India is deteriorating faster than ever—and companies are unprepared for what's coming.
Plum has released its Employee Health Report 2025, and the findings are nothing short of a wake-up call. Chronic illness is hitting Indian professionals before age 40, burnout is driving 1 in 5 employees to consider quitting, and mental health concerns are going unaddressed, especially among men.
The report draws from 100,000+ telehealth consultations, 25,000 insurance claims, 1,998 health camp participants, and 512 employee surveys, offering a rare, data-backed look into the true cost of inaction on employee health.
Here are the key findings:
The economic time bomb:
With over 600 million Indians under age 35, India should be reaping the benefits of a demographic dividend. Instead, the report shows:
Chronic illnesses are striking a decade earlier than in developed nations, often by age 40 or sooner
The median age for cardiology consults is just 33, underscoring a troubling trend of early-onset chronic illnesses among India's working population. Plum's data reveals a consistent pattern across the onset of major health conditions:
32 – Heart disease
33 – Cancer
34 – Diabetes
35 – Chronic kidney disease
36 – Cerebrovascular disease (strokes, ischemia)
This early onset not only threatens individual well-being but also puts long-term pressure on workforce productivity, healthcare costs, and India's economic potential.
The result is staggering: chronic disease costs companies up to 30 days per employee every year in productivity losses and disengagement. 40% of employees take at least one sick day each month for mental health reasons, and 1 in 5 are considering quitting due to burnout.
2. The screening shortfall: Why India's silent crisis remains unseen
Despite the growing burden of disease, only 20% of companies offer regular health check-ups, and even when available, just 38% of employees use them
From Plum's health camps:
63% had high or elevated blood pressure (31% Stage 1, 18% Stage 2 hypertension)
38% had high cholesterol, 17% were clinically obese, and 11% were pre-diabetic
71% were found to be at moderate risk of NCDs, while 5% required urgent medical attention
3. Mental health, burnout and a workforce in crisis
20% of Plum's telehealth consults are mental health-related, with anxiety being the leading concern
Only 14% of the workforce is thriving, compared to a global average of 34 % - Gallup's State of the Workplace report.
The data also shows a gender divide in access and stigma:
Men dominate healthcare utilisation (58%) in the 30–49 age group, yet are less likely to seek mental health support
Women in the 50–59 age group account for 68% of benefit utilisation — a trend shaped by both biology and society.
On one hand, this is the typical age for menopause and perimenopause onset, bringing a surge in health needs.
On the other, years of deprioritising their own health due to caregiving roles often leads to late detection and more severe conditions, finally pushing them to seek treatment.
4. Men Are Not Speaking Up Until It's Too Late
Men are disproportionately at risk for early-onset chronic diseases
Heart disease is appearing in men as early as 32 years, highlighting a need for early detection and proactive care
Despite the data, preventive screenings and early interventions remain low across both genders, particularly among men
Mental Health: The Cost of Stigma and Inaction
Men make up 47% of insurance claims, yet only 46% of telehealth users, indicating a significant reluctance to seek help early
When men do seek mental health support, they report 54% higher symptom severity in their first session—suggesting delayed intervention
The drop-off rate after the first consultation is 42% higher among men compared to women
Men are overrepresented in high-stigma conditions like OCD (69%), ADHD (63%), and addiction (89%), yet often don't pursue sustained care—further deepening the mental health gap
5. Women are underserved on reproductive and hormonal health
23% of women's telehealth consults were related to reproductive health, 32% to hormonal health, and 18% to menstrual issues
42% of women work through period pain without accommodations
70%+ of women say current health benefits do not meet their real needs
6. Rethinking value: Insurance alone won't solve this
India Inc has made progress, with a 100% increase in startups and enterprises investing in preventive and flexible healthcare, but gaps remain:
Only 34% of companies offer benefits aligned with what employees truly value
1 in 3 employees say they don't even have the time to care for their health
Plum calls for a shift from 'coverage' to 'care', through a preventive, personalised and participatory model
For every ₹100 invested in health, companies generate ₹296 in healthcare savings for employees, proving that employee health is not just ethical, it's economic.
"We need to urge companies to think of healthcare beyond the transactional nature of insurance," said Abhishek Poddar, Co-founder of Plum. "True employee well-being lies in providing access to holistic healthcare solutions that encompass mental, physical, and social well-being. Our report underscores the urgency for a comprehensive approach that empowers employees to take charge of their health journey, including addressing the specific mental health needs of different demographics within the workforce."
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