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Chicago — The vast majority of workers want to boost their well-being but see rising health care costs as a significant obstacle, results of a recent survey show.
On behalf of the American Heart Association, researchers from the Harris Poll surveyed more than 2,000 adult workers who count on their employer for insurance and wellness benefits.
Ninety-five percent of the workers said that they’re actively trying to improve their health and well-being. However, the survey findings show that “motivation is not the issue” for the respondents as they look to keep moving.
Why? Half of the workers agree that high health care costs have made managing everyday expenses (food, childcare, rent, etc.) more difficult, while 47% say they’ve stopped or decreased their retirement contributions to better afford health care. Working to make ends meet, they report, can make it more difficult to prioritize staying healthy.
Although work-life balance (36%), finding time (30%), and parenting and caregiving duties (23%) present other challenges, the findings show that health care concerns were especially notable.
“No one should have to skip buying groceries or halt their retirement savings to cover their medical expenses,” AHA CEO Nancy Brown said in a press release.
She added that “employers are important allies” in the work to make health care affordable. “Their influence is critical.”
AHA recommends employers improve their approach to worker health by:
- Aligning support with employee needs, including work-life balance, stress and burnout, affordability, and overall wellness.
- Understanding how a personalized approach can better support employees, especially those with caregiving responsibilities and chronic conditions.
- Moving beyond static benefits toward more accessible, personalized tools.
- Ensuring leadership and organizational norms reinforce efforts.
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Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication