Three healthcare gaps to address now 

A group of happy and positive female hiking friends huddle together on a rocky moorland in an idyllic rural countryside.

Employers should seize the opportunity to create meaningful change by offering inclusive benefits and targeting coverage gaps for women and minority groups as well as services relating to mental health. 

Diversity of thought and experience are critical for business success. Yet our Health Trends 2024 research shows that employers often miss the mark when it comes to providing healthcare benefits that meets the needs of the entire workforce. Notably, there are worrying gaps in benefits for women, ethnic minorities and those suffering from poor mental health.

Although insurers are making strides in improving their offerings, there’s still work to be done. Employers should seize the day and use data and analytics to identify gaps in coverage, and encourage insurers to create solutions that embrace inclusivity and benefit all employees.

Our Health Trends 2024 research found that more than half of insurers globally (59%) offer regular training for plan member services teams to increase cultural competency. The same number have taken steps to ensure plan member communications are accessible and inclusive for all, including people with disabilities.

Product offerings are also becoming more inclusive:

  • 58% of insurers say they cover same-gender partners and spouses
  • 51% allow coverage for segments of the workforce who may not be permanent full-time
  • 33% provide travel benefits if care isn’t accessible within a reasonable distance

It’s also encouraging to see that 31% of insurers globally are considering adding diagnosis, learning assistance or occupational therapy to support neurodiversity (although only 18% of European insurers are considering doing so).

However, insurers are less committed to making sure their wider ecosystem of medical network partners are diverse, with almost one-third (29%) saying they don’t address this and have no plans to do so.

Health-related disparities based on race and ethnicity are well documented, but it’s rare for insurers to use data to help address these inequities, and plans to put data to greater use are muted at best. Globally, 57% of insurers say they have no plans to use data in this way. In Europe, in particular, there is little appetite for data collection (likely due to the regulatory environment), although more insurers in Asia, the Middle East and Africa are considering introducing such analysis. While this data can enable quantification of disparities and document progress over time, there is potential for this data to also exacerbate discrimination, and create other harm if not protected appropriately.1

Addressing the gaps by putting inclusion front and center

Employers that want to succeed in addressing inclusion gaps should  ensure their benefits programs meet the needs of all their employees. Companies should therefore examine their current offerings to identify inequities. Once gaps are identified, firms should look to work with their brokers to identify insurance partners that are breaking the mold, delivering innovative solutions that put inclusion front and center. 

Make sure you understand what your employees want rather than making assumptions, and look for providers that can deliver. For a step-by-step guide, download our Health Trends 2024 survey report.


1 National Research Council (US) Panel on DHHS Collection of Race and Ethnic Data. Appendix D, The Role of Racial and Ethnic Data Collection in Eliminating Disparities in Health Care. Available here
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