How employers can help employees find and access healthcare

Navigating the healthcare system, even when insured, has become an obstacle so intimidating people are choosing to forgo care, putting their own health at risk.  

Nearly half of employees are overwhelmed by managing their own healthcare and that of their family, according to a recent survey of 2,000 people with employer-provided insurance. The survey, conducted by healthcare platform Accolade, found that the stress associated with the healthcare system has led two-thirds of employees to delay or avoid care altogether. 

"Healthcare is incredibly complex and it has only only gotten more complex," says Dr. Shantanu Nundy, Accolade's chief clinical officer and a primary care physician. "There are more places today to get care than ever before, but in a way, all that choice is actually creating more complexity. The consumer demand for better is coming up against a healthcare system that isn't able to meet those needs."

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Sixty percent of employees listed their top stressors as cost of care, 37% named billing confusion, and 37% difficulty finding a provider and making an appointment. Over half of employees want easy-to-navigate apps and websites, 48% want directives written in plain language and 44% want programs to help with other aspects of life — such as employee financial benefits and assistance programs. 

When existing systems can't help them, Dr. Nundy says, employees are expecting employers to intervene. More than two-third of employees are actively seeking help from employers, according to the survey, particularly in the areas of managing a serious diagnosis or chronic health condition, as well as finding a provider and navigating unfamiliar symptoms.

"Employers are not only employees' source of health insurance — they're providing access to medical networks through these services," Dr. Nundy says. "It's easy to put something on a web page and hope people will go to it. But if you really think about the employee experience, there's just a handful of moments in which people are in need of care and [employers] are in a great position to help manage the complexity." 

Employers should see this as more of an opportunity than a challenge, Dr. Nundy says. Helping employees with simple tasks like getting a new ID card or understanding a copay can build trust and a rapport — and that can lead to more valuable conversations.

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"[Employers] can ask questions like 'Why are you getting your card? Why do you need your copay?' And of course it'll turn into a conversation about accessing care," he says. "Employers can then connect with them and answer those questions while trying to build a longer relationship with them." 

Platforms like Accolade partner with companies to provide more personalized care experiences beyond those vital employer/employee conversations, by having specialized health assistants that can help people find doctors and better understand care and benefits. They also offer virtual primary care and mental health services, working to expand access to care. 

"You can't necessarily help employees get what they need in every single situation," Dr. Nundy says. "But if you can help with those moments that matter, those are high leverage opportunities to get them into care and to address these existing health inequities."