85% employees with chronic illness do not feel supported by employers: Report

A staggering 59 percent of employees admit to not undergoing an annual health check-up, while a disconcerting 90 percent do not regularly visit doctors to monitor their health.

A whopping 85 percent of employees with a chronic illness do not feel supported by their employers, according to a study, ‘Health Report of Corporate India 2023’ by insuretech firm Plum. Besides, less than five percent of companies offer comprehensive healthcare options to their employees that include insurance, telehealth, and other health benefits.

While 50 percent of employees aged above 51 have adopted employer-sponsored healthcare plans, only 25 percent youth aged between 20-30 have done so. 42 percent of employees (across age groups) expressed an interest in the availability of ‘flex benefits’, where they get to choose their healthcare plans.

“Employees don’t feel supported by their employers today because employee healthcare today has a very one-size-fits-all approach. Healthcare plans lack personalisation and flexibility to cater to the different needs of employees belonging to different age groups and demographics,” Jayanth Ganapathy, Head of Healthcare at Plum, told Moneycontrol.

For example, he said, a 20-year-old will have different healthcare needs compared to a young parent, which will be different from that of someone suffering from a chronic illness. So while companies are crafting initiatives and plans, this lack of flexibility results in poor adoption of plans.

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Nearly 1/3rd (30 percent) of all telehealth consultations were made in non-metro cities with 55 percent of them made by employees and 45 percent of them by their dependents. The most common consultations were for General Physician (24 percent), Mental Health (18 percent), and Dermatologist (21 percent).

Yet, only 12 percent of companies provide telehealth support to their employees.

“Telehealth is in its infancy. People in India are used to their doctor physically examining them and then suggesting/recommending the right medicines. If there is no physical examination, the ‘what if the doctor is wrong and has not examined you correctly’ question frightens people to explore this as the preferable option,” said Arun Seshadri, Director of People Success at Chargebee. To be sure, software firm Chargebee offers telehealth to its employees.

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Annual health checkups less popular

Less than 30 percent of employees participate in company-sponsored wellbeing initiatives with 71 percent bearing last-mile healthcare expenses out of pocket (which roughly averages to five percent of the annual income), according to the report. A mere eight percent avail of discounted medicines and less than one percent of employees avail of vision check-ups.

A staggering 59 percent of employees admit to not undergoing an annual health check-up, while a disconcerting 90 percent do not regularly visit doctors to monitor their health. This neglect of preventive healthcare measures has long-term implications for both individual well-being and overall health.

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India's medical inflation rate stands as one of the highest in Asia at 14 percent. This inflationary pressure on healthcare costs has resulted in 71 percent of employees bearing the brunt of healthcare expenses from their own pockets, affecting their financial stability.