Prevention and integration are keys to health care affordability
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Employee health and well-being are essential for maintaining a productive workforce, which is crucial for business success. While promoting workforce health can seem daunting to smaller businesses due to their limited resources and staff and rising health care costs, affordable health care is within reach. Here are some strategies to help small businesses create a healthier workforce while effectively managing long-term costs.
Promote preventive health
Preventive care is a cornerstone of affordable health care. Encouraging regular health screenings and vaccinations, as well as providing education on healthy lifestyle choices, can help employees stay healthy and catch any health issues early – before they need more costly interventions. In addition, workplace programs that promote proper nutrition, weight management and smoking cessation can significantly reduce the likelihood of chronic diseases and their associated costs. Even simple workplace initiatives such as employee fitness challenges and healthy on-site food options can make a big difference.
Use an integrated approach
Offering behavioral health services as part of your health benefit plan provides your employees with comprehensive support for mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and stress. These conditions are associated with worsening physical health. Our research finds that total health care costs for people with comorbid behavioral and physical health conditions are two to three times higher than the costs for those with physical health conditions only. [1]
Addressing mental health issues in the workplace has also been shown to reduce overall health care costs. Our research shows that offering integrated health care benefits that connect medical, behavioral health and pharmacy can lead to improved health outcomes for employees and their families as well as better long-term cost management. Our 2024 Value of Integration study, which analyzed Cigna Healthcare employer-sponsored health plan claims, found that integrating these three benefits saved employers $193 per member per year. [2]
Consider digital health tools
Just as consumers have embraced digital technology to shop, stream entertainment and connect on social media, they have embraced digital experiences in health care. Telehealth grew in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, and virtual care is being used at much higher rates now than before the pandemic. [3]
Incorporating virtual care services and wellness apps in your benefits offering can help streamline access to health care services and prescriptions, ensuring patients receive timely and cost-effective care. For instance, an employee with an immediate but non-life-threatening health concern can quickly get help via a telehealth session with a health care professional instead of going to urgent care or an emergency room, potentially saving the plan sponsors hundreds of dollars for that single visit. [4] Our research shows that patients who saw virtual care providers had 19% fewer visits to urgent or emergency care compared to patients who don't. [5]
Understanding workforce needs is the first step
Understanding your employees' needs is the foundation for creating effective prevention campaigns, wellness programs and benefit plans that target their health concerns. You can gather insights into the types of wellness activities and resources that would be most beneficial for employees by conducting anonymous surveys or holding informal one-to-one or group discussions with workers. Also, taking note of employees' health-related interests and preferences (such as favorite physical activities) can help you identify engaging workplace initiatives that are more likely to be successful in supporting workers' health.
Boost care affordability by advancing health
These strategies are just a few ways small businesses can increase health care affordability by supporting the overall health of employees and reducing the risk of potential health issues. This approach also boosts employment engagement. Research has shown that employees who believe their employer cares about their health and well-being tend to be more engaged in their work. [6]
Supporting the health and well-being of employees is not just an investment in their future, but in the future of the business itself. Healthy employees are the foundation of a productive and thriving workforce.
The right health plan can help your employees stay healthy and productive. To explore benefits for your business, please visit cigna.com/employers/small-business.
Cigna Healthcare is a health benefits provider that advocates for better health through every stage of life. We guide our customers through the health care system, empowering them with the information and insight they need to make the best choices for improving their health and vitality. Learn more at cignahealthcare.com.
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Sources:
[1] Evernorth. 22% of people have a diagnosed behavioral condition. They account for 41% of health care spend. https://www.evernorth.com/articles/putting-behavioral-health-top-mind-research. May 18, 2023. Accessed March 31, 2025.
[2] Based on a Cigna Healthcare 2024 national book of business study of 2023 claims data of medical customers who have Cigna Healthcare integrated medical, pharmacy and Cigna Total Behavioral Health benefits. Individual client/customer results will vary and are not guaranteed.
[3] American Hospital Association. Fact Sheet: Telehealth. February 2025. https://www.aha.org/fact-sheets/2025-02-07-fact-sheet-telehealth. Accessed March 31, 2025.
[4] Based on: An average savings of $141 of using MD Live for virtual urgent care services (from a CignaHealthcare analysis of 2023 medical costs of commercial medical customers) and the average cost of an emergency room visit being $2,453 (Schwartz H, Claxton G, Rae M, Cox C. How do facility fees contribute to rising emergency department costs? Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker, March 27, 2023. https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/how-do-facility-fees-contribute-to-rising-emergency-department-costs. Accessed April 3, 2025).
[5] Fierce Healthcare. Cigna study: Virtual care can reduce unnecessary ER, urgent care visits by 19%. January 21, 2022. https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payer/cigna-study-virtual-care-can-reduce-unnecessary-er-urgent-care-visits-by-19. Accessed April 1, 2025.
[6] Gallup. What Is Employee Wellbeing? And Why Does It Matter? https://www.gallup.com/workplace/404105/importance-of-employee-wellbeing.aspx. Accessed March 31, 2025.
Scott Morrison joined Cigna HealthCare in September 2006 as the Vice President of Sales and Client Management for the Massachusetts market and is located in Cigna's Newton, Massachusetts, office. Having held various local and regional sales leadership positions while at Cigna, Morrison currently has overall responsibility for the New England markets. Morrison has spent over 30 years in the health care industry.
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