Mercer's 2025 Health on Demand Report Reveals Employees’ Top Health and Well-being Priorities
New York – Mercer, a business of Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC) and a global leader in helping clients realize their investment objectives, shape the future of work and enhance health and retirement outcomes for their people, today released its 2025 Health on Demand report, covering the results of a survey of over 2,000 US employees about their health and well-being priorities.
“Employees are concerned about financial security and, as healthcare costs increase, some employees may not be able to afford the healthcare they and their family need,” commented Ed Lehman, Mercer’s US Health and Benefits Leader. “Benefits remain a crucial source of security for employees and a competitive advantage for employers. To maintain this advantage, employers must adapt their benefits to meet the evolving needs of the workforce, while balancing business constraints.”
Healthcare affordability and accessibility gaps persist
As healthcare costs continue to rise, employers can build trust with their employees by ensuring they have access to affordable care. In the US, 16% are not confident that they can afford the care they and their families need – and some employee groups struggle more than others. The groups most likely to say they are not confident in their ability to afford healthcare include employees with household income at or below the median (28%), those with a health condition or disability (24%) and women (22%).
Well over a fourth of employees (29%) said they had delayed seeking healthcare over the past two years due to financial reasons. Other reasons for delaying care included challenges in navigating the healthcare system (19%) and the inability to take time off from work (19%).
“Employers have many levers they can pull to address affordability and other health challenges employees face. Health advocacy programs, specialized condition management programs, and virtual care can all ease access issues,” commented Beth Umland, Mercer’s US Health and Benefits Research Director. “Investments like these can build loyalty. Employees who say their benefits meet their needs were almost three times as likely to say their employer cares about them.”
Extreme weather poses new challenges
Those with fewer financial resources for healthcare will also tend to be more vulnerable to other financial stressors. Increasingly, that includes challenges associated with extreme weather events. Two-thirds (67%) of employees say that events such as heat waves, floods and wildfires have impacted them or their families in one or more ways. A third cited increased cost-of-living expenses, with 19% reporting difficulty finding affordable home insurance.
Of particular concern is that 20% say they have experienced worsened physical health conditions due to extreme weather. For example, high heat can affect those with cardiac conditions, while poor air quality from wildfires can worsen symptoms in those with asthma or other respiratory conditions.
Employers can model how extreme weather may impact their health and benefit costs over time using Mercer’s Climate Health Cost Forecaster. They can also develop business resiliency plans that include benefits for employees facing financial hardship after a natural catastrophe. Over a third (37%) of employees say that having access to emergency savings and loans programs would be helpful.
Top of mind: mental health and longevity
Mental health remains a significant concern for employees. More than one in three employees feels stressed in their everyday life, and most days at work. Not surprisingly, 41% of employees say that coverage for mental health care is of value to them. Many employees are open to new forms of mental health support – 20% say they would value virtual advice through AI-powered chat for issues like anxiety, sadness or relationship problems.
As life expectancy increases and individuals work longer, employers should also consider prioritizing benefits that support healthy aging. Nearly half of employees are extremely or very concerned about declining physical (47%), mental or emotional (46%), or cognitive health (44%).