Survey: COVID-19 pushing employers to evolve health, wellness benefits

As the COVID-19 pandemic has brought far-reaching changes to the workforce, employers are adapting their approaches to health and wellness benefits. 

Willis Towers Watson surveyed 816 employers, representing 12 million workers, in late April, and found that 47% are enhancing health benefits, and 45% plan to expand their wellness offerings. 

Many (64%) of the employers surveyed believe the pandemic will have either a moderate or large impact on workers’ well-being, leading them to put a focus on these benefits. More than three-quarters (77%) said they were intending to either begin offering or grow their virtual mental health offerings. 

In addition, 60% said they were enhancing benefits for physical health through technology—such as offering virtual at-home workouts. 

RELATED: COVID-19 outbreak could drive employers’ healthcare costs by 7%, analysis finds 

Steve Blumenfield, head of strategy and innovation, health and benefits NA at Willis Towers Watson, told FierceHealthcare that much of the energy is focused on simply making workers aware of the programs their employers already offer. 

He said that employers reported in large numbers that members were not always up to date on the health benefits available to them.

As such, Blumenfield said that while employers were mulling new tools for workers thanks to the pandemic, some the biggest beneficiaries are current vendors who have the opportunity to either grow their reach or provide a direct way to stand up new offerings quickly. 

“Offering something as a pilot—it takes time,” he said. “So it’s a great year for incumbents to expand if they can truly add value, and that’s where I think the story will be for much of this year in behavioral health, mental health and telemedicine.” 

Blumenfield also echoed a number of voices in the industry in saying that higher adoption of telehealth and other digital health tools is likely here to stay. Even if utilization rates decline as the pandemic wanes, it’s likely more people will stick with these platforms, he said. 

COVID-19 is introducing many people to telemedicine and digital health for the first time, he said. 

“We are expecting that continued increased demand,” he said.