Employers can play a crucial role in supporting women as they navigate health changes throughout their lives. By proactively offering flexible work schedules, comprehensive health insurance benefits, and educational programs, employers can help to empower women to manage their evolving health needs. Fostering open conversations about women’s health and wellness and providing integrated support not only reduces healthcare costs but also improves employee experience, productivity, and engagement.
Emerging Trends In Women’s Health
Emerging trends show that women outlive men but also face higher rates of chronic, nonfatal conditions that can start as early as adolescence. Maternal mortality rates in the United States have nearly doubled compared to recent years. Risks for hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease rise with age, which makes continuous, equitable, and coordinated care essential.
Health insurance partners, like Anthem, offer integrated programs and resources for every stage of a woman’s health journey. From family planning programs that help find qualified fertility care providers to a curated menopause support network, the goal is integrated, coordinated care.
Addressing Women’s Evolving Health And Wellness Needs
It’s becoming increasingly clear that women’s health needs evolve over the course of their lifetime. For younger women, establishing relationships with care providers and a focus on stress management are key. In their 30s, priorities may shift to preventive screenings and possibly family planning.
As women enter midlife, perimenopause education and preventive care become increasingly important. Preventive care screenings are critical as the risk of chronic conditions increases. Employers can help their employees by encouraging regular screenings and wellness visits to help them catch issues early and control long-term healthcare costs.
Helping Women Balance Life And Health
During their 40s and 50s, women often balance career demands, family roles, and the onset of menopause. Stress management and workplace flexibility are crucial for reducing burnout and maintaining productivity.
Menopause and perimenopause are pivotal transitions that often go unsupported in the workplace. Employers can normalize conversations, offer educational resources, adapt leave and flexible work policies, and provide access to virtual OB/GYN and mental health support. These actions foster inclusion and help retain experienced talent.
Menopause: A Critical Turning Point
Menopause marks a critical turning point, and it brings about changes to a woman’s health, both physical and mental, that can impact all aspects of their life, even work. Symptoms such as hot flashes, sleep disruption, and cognitive changes can impact well-being, job performance, and overall quality of life. In fact, nearly 2 in 5 women consider changing jobs due to menopause symptoms, demonstrating a clear need for workplace support.
Menopause and perimenopause are pivotal transitions that often go unsupported in the workplace. Employers can normalize conversations, offer educational resources, adapt leave and flexible work policies, and provide access to virtual OB/GYN and behavioral health support. These actions foster inclusion and help retain experienced talent.
Anthem, for example, has a national virtual OB/GYN healthcare provider that:
- Offers holistic virtual healthcare to support women in managing menopause.
- Helps to address perimenopausal symptoms such as insomnia, fatigue, mood changes, and joint pain.
- Connects members to board-certified OB/GYNs, registered dietitians, and behavioral healthcare specialists, who all participate in providing care.
- Members can use Find Care in the Sydney® Health app to connect.
A Whole-Person Approach To Women’s Health
Employers can better support their workforce by engaging with a trusted partner like Anthem. Anthem is working to transform women’s health with a whole-person approach to care that goes beyond maternity and supports every stage of life, from puberty and fertility to menopause, while also addressing women’s unique needs in behavioral health, cardiovascular, and cancer care.
By recognizing women’s unique health needs, supporting perimenopause and menopause education, and providing comprehensive support, employers can build thriving, diverse organizations. Investing in women’s health and wellness is a worthwhile initiative that benefits employees, their families, and businesses alike.
Sydney Health is offered through an arrangement with Carelon Digital Platforms, a separate company offering mobile application services on behalf of your health plan.