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Nearly all employers believe early cancer detection is the way to keep workers healthy and lower health care costs, but few have the information they need to effectively provide that kind of care.
Although 70% of bosses rank cancer screening and preventative care as a top health care priority, only 16% have access to the data showing how many employees are actually getting those tests, according to a recent survey conducted by the Harris Poll for Color Health, a health technology company.
Half of employers surveyed said they had to request workers’ screening rate data from a health care plan or a third party organization, and just one in three receive proactive reports about screening adherence from their provider.
“HR leaders, tons of them, literally have no visibility even into their screening rates. They don’t even get reports from their [health care] carrier on it,” Caroline Savello, president of Color Health, told Fortune. “It’s like a massive impact on employee lives, and they don’t get information.”
The gap in information is troubling because of how important it is for people to get preventative cancer care. Cancer screenings give patients the best chance at early detection, leading to a six to eight times increase in survival rates. Evidence-based cancer screenings can also result in a 75% reduction in treatment costs, according to a BMC Health Services Research report. That’s critical for employers, as cancer conditions have been the primary driver of company health care costs since 2022, according to a survey from Business Group on Health, Business Group Health, a non-profit organization representing large employers’ interests.
Savello says she has witnessed employers divert more cancer care towards early detection efforts in recent years, but the preventative capabilities aren’t being optimized. About 47% of employers polled say their employees’ top barrier to cancer screening is a lack of awareness about what screenings they need, and Savello says this uncertainty extends to their bosses as well.
As cancer patients get younger and healthcare costs rise, medical partners need to provide screening reports upfront so employers can know who is at-risk. Savello proposes that companies diversify their care options, offer cancer screening information sessions in offices, and prioritize better at-risk assessments.
“I don’t actually think people have done that much. I think this is really one of the first years that’s going to start to change,” she said.
Emma Burleigh
emma.burleigh@fortune.com
@EmmaBurleigh1
Around the Table
A round-up of the most important HR headlines.
About 100,000 flight attendants representing three labor unions picketed at over 30 major airports across the U.S. on Tuesday, seeking a new union contract with higher wages. The Guardian
Paramount will cut 3% of its workforce as it faces declining cable viewership, continuing its painful transition to streaming. New York Times
Gen Z workers are turning their backs on tech jobs, and instead looking to government and public sector positions that offer better security, health insurance, pensions, and student loan forgiveness. Business Insider
U.S. companies are slowing down hiring for ESG jobs as employers look to cut costs and reap higher returns on investments elsewhere. Wall Street Journal
Watercooler
Everything you need to know from Fortune.
Bilingual bosses. Managers are becoming fluent in a new language—“jargon monoxide”—adopting delicate euphemisms to fire employees in an attempt to avoid harsh media backlash. —Charlotte Hampton, Bloomberg
More money more problems. Many believe layoffs or reduced salaries signal that a job is becoming obsolete, but actually higher pay may indicate AI is closing in on your position. —Lila MacLellan
Filling the void. Nearly 50% of office space in the 10 largest U.S. cities has been empty for more than 13 months, but don’t freak out about the tax implications just yet. —Joseph Mysak Jr., Bloomberg
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