Why the women in your workplace may not get preventive care
Many of the women in your office are probably balancing a demanding full-time job while raising a family, working a part-time job side hustle or immersing themselves in the community. If this is the case, they may not be getting important women’s preventive care and experiencing negative health effects because of it.
Women report a higher average stress level than men, according to data from the American Psychological Association (APA). Encouraging female employees to occasionally step away from their never-ending to-do list to get regular preventive care could go a long way in impacting their health — and your bottom line.
Here are a few more reasons why your female employees may not be getting preventive care and how, with Wellmark’s help, you can encourage women’s preventive care at work.
Why female employees might not use their preventive care benefits
If women’s preventive care is so important to overall health, why aren't more female employees taking advantage of their benefits? Here are a few potential reasons, along with helpful solutions that break down barriers to women seeking preventive care services.
1.
Health care costs are a concern
Your employees might be concerned about the cost of office visits, screenings or immunizations. However, with their employer-sponsored health plan, in-network preventive care may be fully covered. Plus, they will likely save money on health care costs in the long run by avoiding chronic health issues.
Be sure to remind your employees of the women’s preventive care benefits included in their plan. If they have specific questions about costs or what services are considered preventive, point them to these helpful resources:
- The preventive care at every age flyer. This flyer lists common health screenings and preventive services by age and gender. It also encourages employees to talk to their primary care provider about what screenings they might need and when.
- Online tools like myWellmark®. Employees can check costs before appointments, review claims, find in-network providers and stay up to date on their health plan.
Wellness starts with myWellmark
Help your employees stay healthy with preventive care — made easier through the online tools on myWellmark. The myWellmark employer toolkit offers personalized resources to help employees track their health, get screening reminders and access health services.
2.
They’re too busy
It can be hard for female employees to ask for time off to go to the doctor, especially when they have a busy day.
Other factors may make it difficult to go to appointments before or after work. They may also have to arrange childcare to get to appointments after work.
Some ideas that could eliminate some of the scheduling stress:
- If female employees can flex their work hours, encourage them to go to doctor appointments for important preventive exams during the day. This can also help them establish care with an in-network primary care provider (PCP).
- If you have employees on a shift schedule that's difficult to miss, consider hosting onsite women’s health screenings or other easily accessible services.
- Virtual visits can make busy employees' lives a little easier. Many in-network preventive care providers offer virtual visits. Visits can be done from nearly anywhere with a phone, tablet or computer. Let employees know that this option is available for women’s preventive care and to check their benefits using myWellmark.
3.
They feel healthy
They may feel healthy now, but female employees shouldn't wait until they're sick to go to the doctor for preventive care and vital women’s health screenings. According to the CDC, mammograms — an important women’s health screening — have been shown to reduce breast cancer death by 22 percent. Make sure your employees understand the importance of life-saving screenings with this ready-to-share Blue article on age-appropriate preventive exams for women.
Women’s preventive care and wellness resources for employers
By encouraging employees to prioritize their well-being now, they can potentially avoid prolonged time off and long-term costs that may result from more complicated health issues. Wellmark is here to help your employees see the value in regular women’s preventive care and well-woman visits.
The myWellmark employer toolkit has comprehensive resources to help you communicate the importance of women’s preventive care to your employees and how their women’s preventive care benefits get them the screenings they need. Log in using your Employer Connection credentials to get the materials.