Northeast Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd.

The Northeast Business Group on Health's new toolkit highlights actions employers can take to proactively address growing rates for five types of cancer in their workforces. Cancer diagnoses are on the rise among younger adults, and a new guidebook seeks to arm employers with the tools necessary to tackle this issue. The Northeast Business Group on Health's new toolkit highlights actions employers can take to proactively address growing rates for five types of cancer in their workforce: breast cancer, colorectal cancer, head and neck cancer, cancer of the reproductive organs and skin cancer. There's a clear business case for putting a focus on cancer, as the cost of therapies continues to increase and patients often require treatment for the long haul, NEBGH Medical Director Mark Cunningham-Hill, M.D., told Fierce Healthcare. He said that many employers, especially larger firms, have established sophisticated and comprehensive wellness and health programs for their workers. But they can do more to "connect the dots" between those offerings and critical preventive care around cancer and conditions that increase risk factors, like obesity. Initiatives like this also can have ripple effects, he said. For each employee that can change their habits or improve their health, they pass that down to children or they drive change in the life of their spouse, for example. "It's sort of trying to get employers to do what they can around that prevention piece," Cunningham-Hill said. From that angle, one of the key steps that the guide suggests is that employers evaluate their employee wellness programs and find ways to incentivize healthy behaviors that reduce cancer risk such as weight management, stress reduction and tobacco cessation. These programs can also incentivize vaccination against human papillomavirus, which can prevent multiple cancers. That work also requires investing in education and resources that inform people about the risk factors that can lead to cancer, according to the toolkit. Cunningham-Hill said employers will need to specifically target these resources to younger employees, who may not be thinking about their cancer risk given their age. In addition, employers can take steps to incentivize workers to get needed screenings. These companies can make it easier for employees to get these tests, for instance, by offering time off for medical visits or even on- or near-site screenings for these cancers. Employers can also eliminate copayments and deductibles for these screenings to make them affordable, according to the guide. Then, when employees are diagnosed with cancer, it's critical for employers to ensure they have comprehensive benefits available to these individuals, the toolkit says. These firms can connect employees with assistance programs that provide support and access to mental health professionals that can help. Employers can also offer flexible working options as workers navigate cancer treatment, according to the guidebook. It's also key to build programs for survivors, according to the toolkit, that support employees in the long term. "People are living a lot longer, which means that you have to support people in the workplace," Cunningham-Hill said.

The first half of the guidebook is dedicated to laying out stats like these and making it clear to employers why cardiovascular care should be a priority. Cardiovascular disease is a key health concern for women, and a new guide seeks to arm employers with the tools and information needed to help workers manage these needs. The Northeast Business Group on Health noted that cardiovascular disease is both the leading cause of pregnancy-related death and the leading cause of death for women overall. Studies found that heart disease caused a fifth of deaths for women in 2021; however, about half of American women are aware of this risk, NEBGH said. The first half of the guidebook is dedicated to laying out stats like these and making it clear to employers why cardiovascular care should be a priority. Candice Sherman, CEO of the organization, told Fierce Healthcare that one of the central goals in creating the guide was to ensure employers are aware of how critical cardiovascular care is, so they can pass that knowledge on to their workers. "I think the most important thing is to make sure that they're informed, and to make sure their employees are informed," she said. "I think that is the single most critical thing, really, to raise awareness." In addition to making the overall problem clear to employers, the guide offers a deep look at how chronic needs like diabetes and obesity can worsen the risk for cardiovascular disease. Diabetes and obesity have different impacts on women than they do on men, which means the response must be different, too. The guide then provides strategies employers can deploy to assist their workforces in managing and preventing cardiovascular disease. The first suggestion? Promote a healthy lifestyle to employees, and that includes spreading awareness about the potential risks of cardiovascular disease. Employers should also find ways to design benefits that work for women, according to the guide. That means asking them what they think may be missing from benefits packages, and what may be most valuable to attract and retain top talent. Tap into employee resource groups and survey workers to gather critical feedback on this process, the guide recommended. Insurers can provide key data that allow programs to be tailored to meet the needs of women broadly as well as for specific subgroups. In addition, employers can support female employees in advocating for their own health, according to the guide. They should feel comfortable making a switch to a new provider if they don't feel their doctor takes them seriously, or their questions are continuing to be unanswered. Employers can provide avenues for women to track their symptoms and how their medications are affecting them, making for more informed conversations with providers. "There are many incidents, some which we point to in the report, where women may be dismissed by healthcare providers," Sherman said. "We also know that women with obesity might encounter stigma, not just in the world as a whole but from healthcare providers." "We make the point that if if you, as a woman, are not happy, and you don't feel responded to by your health care provider, think about changing your provider," she said.

About 44% of women in the U.S. are living with a form of heart disease, and heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. Making matters worse is the lack of knowledge about these stats: only 56% of women realize that heart disease is the number one killer for American women. Cardiovascular disease in the U.S. costs about $363 billion annually in direct and indirect costs (such as missed workdays). That’s why the Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH) released a free guide for employers on Thursday that is focused on cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity in women. New York City-based NEBGH is a nonprofit organization that represents 80 large employers who are mostly self-insured. The first half of the 40-page guide titled “Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes and Obesity in Women: A Guide for Employers” offers education on these conditions and how they affect women. This includes information on risk factors of these conditions and differences compared to men. For example, women are more than twice as likely to die following a heart attack than men, the guide explains. Women are also seven times more likely to be misdiagnosed and discharged while having a heart attack than men. This is because women sometimes have different symptoms than men do, like fainting, indigestion and extreme fatigue. In addition, the guide explains health disparities by race and ethnicity, including the fact that Black women have higher cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality rates compared to women of other races and ethnicities. Hispanic women are more than twice as likely to have diabetes than White women. “As in many things we talk about in terms of illness among women, health disparities by race and ethnicity are significant,” said Candice Sherman, CEO of NEBGH, in an interview. “I think those statistics are important to get in front of people.” The second half of the guide focuses on specific actions that employers can take to support the women in their workforce when it comes to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. This includes promoting a healthy lifestyle through healthy eating and physical activity, like making healthy food options available at the office and providing onsite exercise options. In addition, NEBGH recommends implementing awareness campaigns so people understand the signs of a heart attack better and the differences between men and women. Employers should also use surveys to seek input from their female employees on the programs they want. And with many employers working with vendors focused on heart conditions, diabetes and obesity, NEBGH listed questions they should be asking these vendors (including the percentage of women providers in their network and how they engage women patients). Ultimately, however, employers should be helping women advocate for themselves and their health. They can do this by encouraging women to prioritize their health over others and change providers if they feel they’re not being listened to. “Women can be told, ‘Oh, it’s all in your head’ or ‘You’re probably stressed out’ and sometimes physicians don’t take these things seriously,” Sherman said. “We know that women with obesity can experience stigma among healthcare practitioners, and that’s something to be aware of. It’s [important to encourage] women to be aware of how they’re being treated in a healthcare setting.”