In the News

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In the News

Human Resource Executive Mar 23, 2022
One in five employees used telehealth in 2021, according to new data from the Integrated Benefits Institute, a health and productivity research nonprofit.
Intelligent CXO Mar 21, 2022
To help employers better understand the current landscape of workplace health programmes to encourage the health and wellbeing of their employees, health and productivity research non-profit, Integrated Benefits Institute conducted an analysis of current offerings and trends.
The report by the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI) analyzed data from the 2020 National Health Interview Survey and the 2021 Household Pulse Survey.
Data from the Integrated Benefits Institute has revealed a contrary on-ground reality. As per IBI findings, less than half (46%) of US employers are offering some type of workplace health programs to their staff.
She points to research from the Integrated Benefits Institute, which indicates that depression afflicts one in eight employees and is one of the costliest conditions for employers' disability insurance policies, at $17 per employee, per year, compared with hypertension, diabetes and obesity, all of which are between $1 and $2 per employee, per year.
The 2020 Benchmarking Trends report, released by the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI), is drawn from the nation’s largest dataset of claims filed with employer-sponsored short-term disability, long-term disability, federal family and medical leave, and Workers’ Compensation benefits programs.
The Integrated Benefits Institute used data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics along with its own dataset to analyze disability wage payments, state disability insurance, sick leave wages, and employee benefits for its calculation.
COVID-19 absences have cost employers more than $78.4 billion, according to an analysis from the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI).
In the last 22 months, workers' pandemic-related absences have cost employers more than $78.4 billion — nearly $1 billion each week — according to a Dec. 20 analysis from the Integrated Benefits Institute.
The cost to employers for absent workers due to COVID-19 is estimated to total more than $78.4 billion over the past 22 months, according to a new analysis from the Integrated Benefits Institute that seeks to quantify the pandemic’s broader productivity impacts.
Employee Benefit News Dec 27, 2021
New research from the Integrated Benefits Institute has found that, on average, pandemic-related absenteeism is creating $1 billion in employer losses each week.
Benefits teams and HR leaders have certainly been challenged throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in ways they might never have trained for or imagined. As fallout from the pandemic continues, these practitioners now face even greater obstacles in terms of hiring and retaining employees, all while mental health concerns continue to rise.
A recent study by the Integrated Benefits Institute found that two in five employed adults report symptoms of anxiety or depression disorder—a startling 400% increase from pre-pandemic levels.
Employer losses approached $1 billion a week from Jan. 22, 2020 to Dec. 8, 2021, Oakland-Calif.-based Integrated Benefits Institute, a health and productivity research nonprofit, said.
According to a study by the Integrated Benefits Institute, “Due to lost time from work caused by COVID-19, employee benefits for absent workers could cost employers more than $23 billion in total.”
According to a study conducted by the Integrated Benefits Institute, caregiving employees are more likely to need a leave but not take it when compared to their non-caregiving co-workers.
Ragan's Workplace Wellness Insider Nov 3, 2021
A 2020 report from the Integrated Business Institute (IBI) showed that linking workforce health to operational methods appealed to 77% of the CFOs surveyed.
Although the Integrated Benefits Institute reported employers and insurance carriers have paid nearly $11 billion in disability benefits related to COVID-19, employee access to disability insurance remains low.
A report by Integrated Benefits Institute found lost productivity from illness costs employers $530 billion annually.
McDevitt, who’s the president of the Integrated Benefits Institute, tried to get her son the help he needed. But navigating the healthcare system was a nightmare — even for an expert.
“The pandemic has only exacerbated longstanding problems around access to care in our broken behavioral health system,” said Kelly McDevitt, president of the Integrated Benefits Institute.
Research by the Integrated Benefits Institute found that two in five employed adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depression disorder – a four-fold increase from pre-pandemic levels – and those in the South and West had the highest percentage of mental health issues.
The Integrated Benefits Institute found that spending for absent workers due to COVID-19 was estimated to total $50.5 billion, a 117% increase from a previous analysis the year before.
The Integrated Benefits Institute estimates that health-related work absences cost U.S. businesses nearly $530 billion each year in lost productivity, and that figure does not account for a once-every-hundred-year pandemic.
The Center for Biosimilars Aug 17, 2021
“The big story is the low uptake of biosimilars in the United States,” said Juliana Reed, MS, a vice president and Global Corporate Affairs lead for Pfizer, in a presentation for the Pacific Business Group on Health and the Integrated Benefits Institute.
In the past, he served on the executive board of directors of the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI) and the Canadian Association for Research on Work and Health.
The Integrated Benefits Institute estimates that health-related work absences cost U.S. businesses nearly $530 billion each year in lost productivity, and that figure does not account for a once-every-hundred-year pandemic.
The Center for Biosimilars Aug 17, 2021
“The big story is the low uptake of biosimilars in the United States,” said Juliana Reed, MS, a vice president and Global Corporate Affairs lead for Pfizer, in a presentation for the Pacific Business Group on Health and the Integrated Benefits Institute.
"As life returns to normal, let us not lose track of the lessons learned from the past year and the need to reassess benefit programs," writes IBI President Kelly McDevitt.
As Integrated Benefits Institute reported in September 2020, depression can be more costly to productivity than cancer.
The nonprofit Integrated Benefits Institute reported a nearly fivefold increase in the volume of short-term disability claims cases related to respiratory conditions between February and March 2020 as compared to the year before.
An analysis by the Integrated Benefits Institute estimates that the total cost of lost time from work due to the COVID-19 pandemic could reach $50.5 billion, marking a 117% increase from prior projections.
Work Design Magazine Apr 21, 2021
"In fact, according to a recent study from the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI), every dollar spent on health care benefits, another $0.61 is spent on illness-related absence, disability, and reduced work output costing US employers $575 billion and 1.5 billion days of lost productivity."
"Lost work time because of the pandemic has cost U.S. employers more than $50 billion, according to the nonprofit Integrated Benefits Institute. This represents a 117% increase from a previous analysis conducted a year ago."
"Finally, the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI) shows that employee benefits for absent workers due to COVID-19 could cost employers $23 billion for every 5 million [employed] people infected with the virus. IBI states that workers are also affected directly, losing an average of $2,000 in earnings even if they use all their sick days to recover from COVID-19."
LetsGetChecked Blog Apr 15, 2021
"Additionally, an inability to receive preventive services adds up for employers, with recent statistics estimating that poor worker health costs amount to 60 cents for every dollar employers spend on healthcare benefits. [Integrated Benefits Institute]"
"In other words when it comes to the value of benefits, for CFOs, money isn’t everything. Nearly half of the CFOs and senior financial executives surveyed did not agree that controlling health care costs was the most important consideration in their company’s health benefits decisions."
"While research from The Integrated Benefits Institute shows private employers spend more than $880 billion annually on health care premiums alone, there’s a tremendous cost stemming from how they handle benefits invoices from carriers."
Future of Business and Tech Mar 30, 2021
"There are many lessons to be learned over the past year, but one of the most important may be the value of health. Chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, are among the leading causes of death in the United States. And now, these underlying chronic diseases also put individuals at higher risk for complications from COVID-19."
"With many competing priorities this year, it’s important that employers continue efforts to educate their workforce about the importance of preventive care. As March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, this presents an opportune time to encourage preventive actions that can help mitigate the risk to their employees."
"Even before COVID-19, routine illness cost American businesses $530 billion annually in lost productivity, according to the Integrated Benefits Institute."
"According to the Integrated Benefits Institute, poor health in employees costs employers $575 billion and 1.5 million days of lost productivity annually."
The New York Times Magazine Feb 17, 2021
"Sick workers cost employers $575 billion in 2019, through missing work and showing up tired, unwell and unfocused and performing at partial capacity; that amount most likely increased significantly in 2020."
"A new study from the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI) asks whether a common tool of cancer research, patient-reported outcomes on productivity (PRO-P), could help businesses improve benefit plans. With such patient-reported outcomes, the study said, employers and insurers might learn more about the productivity value of specific interventions."
"The Integrated Benefits Institute estimates this is costing U.S. employers $575 billion and 1.5 million days of lost productivity every year."
"The Integrated Benefits Institute has reported that U.S. private employers spend more than $880 billion annually on healthcare premiums. The Institute also found that a growing number of those employers are starting to see an increasingly huge cost stemming from how they handle the invoices for those premiums."
"An Integrated Benefits Institute study found illness-related productivity loss costs U.S. employers $530 billion annually."
American Journal of Health Promotion Dec 16, 2020
"Severe weather events that temporarily shut down business operations or put first responders and outdoor workers at risk of work-related injuries and illnesses have clear productivity implications. Yet climate change’s more pervasive toll on health and productivity may come from further complicating the management of non-occupational illnesses that already impose heavy burdens."
Human Resource Executive Dec 10, 2020
"Overall, employers spend roughly $950 billion on health benefits for their workers and dependents, the IBI report says."
"Data analyzed by the Integrated Benefits Institute showed that for every dollar employers spent on healthcare benefits last year, they lost another $0.61 of productivity due to illness or injury."
"For every dollar employers spend on health care, they’re spending 61 cents on illness-related absences and reduced productivity."
"Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI) released an analysis Tuesday morning that found employers spent $575 billion on employees' poor health in 2019."
"Lost productivity attributed to workers compensation has declined over the past four years, while workdays lost to short-term and long-term disability and Family and Medical Leave Act leave have grown, according to a study from the Integrated Benefits Institute released Tuesday."
"Poor worker health costs U.S. employers $575 billion a year from everything from lost productivity due to worker absence and chronic conditions to injuries leading to workers compensation, according to a new analysis."
"But while employers undoubtedly have to continue to focus on supporting employees during the pandemic, smart organizations also need to think about how to ensure employees are helped in a post-pandemic world, says Kelly McDevitt, president of the Integrated Benefits Institute."
Business News Daily Nov 30, 2020
"It takes only one COVID-positive employee to slow or shut down operations, and the cost of coronavirus in the workplace can be staggering: According to a recent study by the Integrated Benefits Institute, pandemic-driven employee absenteeism could end up costing $23 billion."
"A 2018 report from the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI), a nonprofit health and productivity research organization, found that lost productivity due to illness cost employers an additional $530 billion per year on top of the nearly $880 billion they already paid toward health care benefits for employees and dependents."
Human Resource Executive Nov 23, 2020
"As the pandemic is forcing a rollback of reopening measures across much of the nation, many employees continue to find themselves taking on caregiving duties with limited support."
The Atlantic Nov 2, 2020
"Research from the Integrated Benefits Institute shows that the coronavirus quintupled the number of workers claiming short-term disability benefits due to respiratory conditions from February to March"
BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter Oct 23, 2020
"Less than half of CFOs are very confident that their health benefits strategy supports employees' ability to function well on the job"
"CFOs have apparently been paying closer attention to the efficacy–rather than the cost– of employee benefits packages than many in the benefits business realized."
"One hundred occupational fatalities each week are deemed preventable. Work-related injury and illness cause 500+ million annual lost workdays."
International Travel & Health Insurance Journal Oct 14, 2020
"In April, the Integrated Benefits Institute warned that the total cost to US employee benefit plans from Covid-19 could exceed US$23 billion."
Human Resource Executive Oct 9, 2020
"New research from the Integrated Benefits Institute finds that proper screening for depression, as well as some cancers and chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity, is lagging among employees."
The total cost to U.S. employee benefit plans from COVID-19 could exceed $23 billion, the Integrated Benefits Institute said in April.
"[T]he Integrated Benefits Institute estimated in April 2020 that COVID-19 could cost employers more than $23 billion in lost productivity and employee benefits."
"The COVID-19 pandemic has had a mixed impact on disability leave claims by employees, according to a new report. The analysis, by the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI), finds that claims for respiratory illness conditions nearly doubled early in the pandemic, but that overall claims for short-term disability (STD) in April 2020 dropped, possibly due to layoffs and the decision of employees to postpone seeking medical care."
Human Resource Executive Sep 28, 2020
"The Integrated Benefits Institute finds that proper screening for depression, as well as some cancers and chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity, is lagging among employees—and it’s getting worse due to patients avoiding screenings and appointments during COVID-19. "
"The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the work landscape and shown employers across all industries how vital employee wellness is to business continuity, performance and success. But how can employers help their employees stay healthy and productive as many adjust to remote environments or evolving local policies around the pandemic?"
"Closing these screening gaps can be a major savings opportunity for employers, by preventing disability leaves in the most severe cases, according to a recent survey by the Integrated Benefits Institute, a non-profit health and productivity research organization."
Human Resource Executive Sep 14, 2020
"The cost of missed screenings and preventive measures was already a pain point for employers. Not only is that dangerous, but lack of preventive care also drives up healthcare and productivity costs for employers. COVID-19 is only aggravating the situation and will likely put many employees and employers in a bad position now and years from now, Kelly McDevitt, president of Integrated Benefits Institute, said recently during a webinar."
"'Preventive care was vitally important before COVID-19, but employers sometimes struggled to achieve high compliance,' Kelly McDevitt, president of Integrated Benefits Institute, said in a statement. 'With delayed care, and barriers to care in the current environment, it has become critical that employers attempt to remove as many obstacles as possible and encourage employees and their families to get back on the pathway to wellness.'"
American Journal of Managed Care Sep 2, 2020
"Kicking off the webinar, McDevitt indicated that some employers were already considering caregiving implications in their benefit design, but the pandemic further exacerbated the need to address this issue. Julie Wilkes, North American Well-Being & Resilience Lead for Accenture, expanded on this sentiment by highlighting the importance of employee support no matter what external factors are prevalent."
"That’s the conclusion of a report out this month by the Integrated Benefits Institute, which tracked the cost savings that preventative screenings have for employers. Some experts predict that employees, many of whom are too afraid to go to the doctor during the COVID-19 pandemic, will not return to normal screenings for another two years."
"New research from the Integrated Benefits Institute finds that proper screening for depression, as well as some cancers and chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity, is lagging among employees."
Our research reinforces that screenings for serious health issues can save lives, reduce treatment recovery times and lower healthcare costs, while also impacting productivity and business performance for employers,” said Kelly McDevitt, president of IBI
"The Integrated Benefits Institute took a similar big-picture approach, and concluded that employee health problems cost U.S. employers a staggering $530 billion each year."
"In 2019, the Integrated Benefits Institute published research identifying the ways employers can improve participation in health and well-being programs"
The Center for Biosimilars Aug 18, 2020
"Rheumatology biosimilars can increase workplace productivity and help employers save by reducing the amount of disability claims filed by employees with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to Brian Gifford, PhD, research director of the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI), in a webinar hosted by the Pacific Business Group on Health and IBI."
The Center for Biosimilars Aug 17, 2020
“'The bad news is that the growth [of biosimilars] that has occurred pales in comparison to what we could be accruing,' said Winegarden at a recent employer issues webinar hosted by the Pacific Business Group on Health and the Integrated Benefits Institute."
The Center for Biosimilars Aug 15, 2020
"In a virtual conference this past week sponsored by the Pacific Business Group on Health (PBGH) and the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI), employers were urged to use their influence on payers to get biosimilars into play. 'Cost savings is being left on the table,' said Juliana Reed, MS, a vice president and Global Corporate Affairs lead for Pfizer and current president of the Biosimilars Forum, a trade group representing pharmaceutical manufacturers.'
The Center for Biosimilars Aug 13, 2020
"Implementing automatic substitution, or therapeutic interchange, has increased access to biosimilars for patients at Compass Oncology West in northern Oregon, according to Lucy Langer, MD, practice president and chair of the National Policy Executive Committee for The US Oncology Network."
The Center for Biosimilars Aug 13, 2020
“'The big story is the low uptake of biosimilars in the United States. Cost savings is being left on the table,' she said in an employer issues webinar held this week hosted by the Pacific Business Group on Health and the Integrated Benefits Institute."
The Center for Biosimilars Aug 12, 2020
"Employers asserting their own desire to see biosimilars implemented among their employees was the theme of a Pacific Coast day of discussions involving representatives from Walt Disney, Costco, and CalPERS, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System."
BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter Jul 27, 2020
“For over 30 years, Kelly has served as a trusted partner developing healthcare strategies based in deep analytic insights for some of the best-known employers in the US. Her broad industry experience will help IBI further develop our research, reporting and data analytics programs to assist our members in new and important ways.”
Employee Benefit Adviser Jun 19, 2020
"The COVID-19 pandemic has forced states across to the country to continue measures such as social distancing and shelter-in-place to stop the spread of disease. The isolation and anxiety as a result of distance and the disease poses challenges and risks for the millions of Americans fighting another epidemic at home — opioids."
Talent Management & HR Jun 18, 2020
"HR leaders were already bracing for rising benefits costs before the coronavirus pandemic hit."
"In 2018, the nonprofit Integrated Benefits Institute estimated that U.S. employers paid nearly $880 billion in health-care benefits for employees and their dependents, with lost productivity due to illness costing those companies an additional $530 billion a year. When a pandemic increases the risk that employees and their families could be infected by neighbors and strangers, the system is bound to be overextended. That’s when private enterprise comes face-to-face with public health, and dystopia lurks around the corner."
"Healthier patients leads to a healthier community from which employers draw their workforce, which can have a profound impact on an organization’s bottom line."
"Before the outbreak of a global pandemic, health issues were already causing a hefty financial burden for businesses. According to a report released by the Integrated Benefits Institute, illness-related absences cost employers $530 billion in the year 2017."
"The Integrated Benefits Institute has estimated that the pandemic could leave insurers with at least 648,000 short-term disability insurance claims, and a total of about $4.9 billion in short-term disability benefits bills."
"The total cost of the COVID-19 pandemic to employee benefit plans could exceed $23 billion, provided that the U.S. records over 15 million cases of the disease."
"For employers and HR leaders, inclusion of patient-centered outcomes in benefits planning can serve to expand focus beyond healthcare costs and to include broader measures of organizational value."
"The Integrated Benefits Institute has estimated that the pandemic could leave insurers with at least 648,000 short-term disability insurance claims, and a total of about $4.9 billion in short-term disability benefits bills."
"Moreover, the financial impact on businesses has been noted, with a study from Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI) indicating that employee benefits for absent workers could cost employers more than $23 billion in total."
"'To put this in further context, the cost of poor health to employers is greater than the combined revenues of Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix, eBay, and Adobe,' said Thomas Parry, Ph.D., IBI President."
"Overall, the pandemic could cost employer-sponsored healthcare plans as much as $23 billion, depending on the number of U.S. citizens infected, according to the Integrated Benefits Institute."
"The total cost to U.S. employee benefit plans caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could exceed $23 billion, according to a report published earlier this month by the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI), a research nonprofit."
Human Resource Executive Apr 10, 2020
“'There’s tremendous anxiety and stress around being a caregiver,' says Tom Parry, president of the Integrated Benefits Institute. If employees have to miss work as a result, it may mean their workloads are shifted to other employees, ratcheting up their co-workers’ stress as well, Parry says."
"A new report suggests employers and insurers could avoid paying out significant sums by taking all prevention measures for the coronavirus."
"As employers absorb the broader impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on their businesses and employees, new data shows that sick leave and short-term disability payments could exceed $23 billion for employers."
"Lost time from work due to COVID-19 could cost employers more than $23 billion in benefits for absent workers, impacting up to 5.6 million employees, new research finds."
"In a study released today by the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI), researchers found that due to lost time from work caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), employee benefits for absent workers could cost employers more than $23 billion in total."
"Data from a 2019 Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI) survey found that high medical costs limit care access for a third of low-income workers."
“'Given that employers cover the healthcare for about 60% of all non-elderly adults, it is clear that employers have an important role to play in supporting patient-centered care and better aligning programs with patient needs,' said Parry."
FitSmallBusiness Feb 25, 2020
"Employers within the US paid nearly $880 billion in healthcare benefits for employees and dependents in 2018. However, illness-related lost productivity costs them another $530 billion per year"
"Employers collectively paid nearly $880 billion in healthcare benefits for employees and dependents in 2018. On average, employers lose another $580 billion per year due to lost productivity from illness."
Things That Make People Go Aww Jan 23, 2020
"According to the Integrated Benefits Institute, 5.6% of Americans will experience being disabled for at least 6 months, as a result of injury or illness. A statistic that makes you realize that you really should know what to do if you are affected in this way."
"It hints a shift towards trying to take patients off the hook for the price of their care, but "that's not exactly revolutionary," IBI's Parry said. "It really demonstrates how tough it is to change the healthcare system.""
"As healthcare costs continue to rise in the U.S., payers and providers are scrambling to find new ways to eke out savings. But often the conversation fails to loop in the entities responsible for insuring more than 55% of the country: employers."
Debt Free Guys Jan 14, 2020
"Are you taking full advantage of ALL your workplace benefits? If you experienced workplace disability issues, would you be protected?"
"We all know the health care system is rife with wasteful spending. But when researchers from a prestigious institution like the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine estimate that waste at 25 percent of all spending, alarm bells go off. And it got me to wondering what the magnitude of employer health care spending might be."
"A 2018 study from the Integrated Benefits Institute found that lost productivity due to illness or injury is costing U.S. employers $530 billion per year."
"On average companies lost more than $1 billion a week due to disabling workplace injuries and illness-related lost productivity costs another $530 a year, according to data from the Integrated Benefits Institute."
"With health care spending growing faster than the economy and likely to reach 20% of GDP by 2027, U.S. employers are forced to make health care cost control a top priority, sometimes to the detriment of their employees and business performance."
AHA News Dec 11, 2019
"Health also impacts the economic well-being of our communities. Lost productivity from illness-related employee absenteeism, for example, costs employers a total of $530 billion per year, according to the Integrated Benefits Institute."
"The organization’s structural, procedural and cultural practices will go a long way towards determining how successful any reintegration is."
MassMutual Nov 22, 2019
"Your income — when viewed over your entire career — is often your single, most important asset. A permanent disability, therefore, can have a significant impact on you and your family. The figures below demonstrate the potential financial loss of future earnings if you were to become permanently disabled."
"In fact, a report from the Integrated Benefits Institute, a nonprofit health and productivity research organization, found that lost productivity due to illness costs U.S. businesses $530 billion per year, with $198 billion lost because of impaired on-the-job performance due to health problems."
BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter Nov 14, 2019
"In the U.S. nearly half of all employers -- and nearly all employers with at least 500 workers -- offer health and wellbeing programs ... These ... efforts will not produce the desired results if participation is low.... Align the health of the workforce with the core values of the team.... Make the business case to obtain leadership buy-in ... Cultivate models of healthy behavior ... Make the right choice the easy choice."
"When you reduce stress through mindfulness, you improve productivity and decrease healthcare costs, according to data presented today at The Integrated Benefits Institute and Conference Board Health and Productivity Forum in Chicago."
"Low-wage earners in a company face a larger burden in access to care compared with high-wage earners, but not all employers recognize this and design benefits with this in mind"
"Care avoidance is costing your businesses a lot of money too — illness-related productivity loss cost an estimated $530 billion last year, according to the Integrated Benefits Institute. And businesses can’t afford to have unhappy employees in today’s competitive labor market."
Business Breaking News Sep 14, 2019
"Care avoidance is costing your businesses a lot of money too — illness-related productivity loss cost an estimated $530 billion last year, according to the Integrated Benefits Institute."
"Businesses can’t afford to have unhappy employees in today’s competitive labor market."
Employee Benefit Adviser Aug 29, 2019
"Without proper coverage, the cost to an individual or family can be devastating, and it also has a significant impact on business. Poor health, resulting in impaired performance or outright absences, costs U.S. employers $530 billion a year"
Employee Benefit News Aug 27, 2019
"“I'm very intrigued by this new policy statement by the 180 CEOs because it would imply that corporations understand they've got to organize and do things differently,” Parry says. “It cannot be that shareholder value is the only thing that matters … at the expense of employees’ health and their ability to have a good and productive life outside the workforce.”"
Future of Business and Tech Aug 27, 2019
"Mental health is a key component of employee wellbeing and an employee’s ability to show up for work and perform at high levels. Unfortunately, almost 20 percent of the U.S. workforce suffers from some form of mental illness, and yet our data show that two-thirds of these employees never seek treatment. To make matters worse, the problem is underreported, and employees face numerous barriers to receive the care they need. "
Human Resource Executive Aug 21, 2019
"Research from the Integrated Benefits Institute recently found that one-third of workers go without needed care because they can’t afford it."
"Disability Insurance Awareness Month came to a close in May, but its messages are as relevant as ever. The seriousness of those messages creates the opportunity—and responsibility—for benefits managers and advisors to engage with employers well ahead of open enrollment. Like May, open enrollment will arrive—and be over—all too soon."
"One in three workers with annual family incomes less than $35,000 experienced a cost-related barrier to obtaining medical care between 2007 and 2017, according to a study by the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI)"
WorkersCompensation.com Jul 25, 2019
"Employers trying to save money by reducing shared healthcare costs with employees end up paying through lost productivity, suggests a new study. "
"Even when low-income workers — or those with annual family incomes of less than $35,000 — have employer-sponsored insurance, hurdles like high deductibles, coinsurance and drug prices can keep healthcare out of their reach, according to a new report from the Integrated Benefits Institute. The study found that one in three low-income employees needed healthcare they could not afford."
“'We were not surprised that a lot of people put off or did without medical care because they just couldn’t afford it,' said Brian Gifford, PhD, IBI’s research director and the study’s lead author. 'More and more studies show that even people who have jobs with health benefits cut back on necessary health care services due to the out-of-pocket costs of high deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance.'”
"According to a new study from the Integrated Benefits Institute, someone who skips care when he needs it is also costing his employer money that might better be spent elsewhere. The report says that one out of three lower-income employees skip or delay care that they need because they can’t afford it—and that results in a nearly 70 percent increase in sick days."
Human Resource Executive Jul 24, 2019
"Research out Wednesday from the Integrated Benefits Institute finds that one-third of workers go without needed care because they can’t afford it, which can increase their sick days by almost 70%. The analysis comes as deductibles, copayments and coinsurance costs continue to rise as a growing number of employers put the onus on workers as they try to manage their healthcare spend."
"The data provides an opportunity to communicate pragmatically to the C-suite about the current health status of the workforce, opportunities to make improvements and the results of interventions around cost, lost work time and productivity."
WorkersCompensation.com May 23, 2019
"New research shows the average time spent sitting has increased by nearly an hour each day. Extended periods of sitting have been linked to a variety of chronic conditions and other physical ailments, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, increased risk of obesity and overall mortality."
"In our research work with chief financial officers over the past 15 years, we have learned how broadly these leaders think about their health programs. Putting aside the need to control costs, which CFOs always recognize once a program is put in place, our latest study found that CFOs seek several goals."
Sales & Marketing Management May 20, 2019
"According to the Integrated Benefits Institute, “presenteeism,” which is wellness jargon describing people showing up at the office, but not really being present, costs U.S. employers $530 billion annually alone."
Global Banking & Finance Review May 17, 2019
"Dan Jolivet, workplace possibilities consultant for The Standard, is presenting May 21 at the Integrated Benefits Institute and Pacific Business Group on Healths Regional Forum. The daylong symposium, taking place at the Marriott Union Square in San Francisco, will focus on best practices to improve behavioral health care, access and experience through enhancements in benefit design, onsite clinic-based services, employee assistance programs and absence management."
"A report released in November 2018 by the Integrated Benefits Institute found that illness-related lost productivity costs U.S. employers a total of $530 billion per year, with $198 billion from impaired performance attributed to chronic health conditions and $82 billion related to opportunity costs of absence (missed revenues, costs of hiring substitutes, and overtime)."
Workers' Compensation Institute May 9, 2019
"'There’s a very high proportion of people using prescription pain relievers in the workforce,' said Eric Peterson. 'This tells us that pain is a big problem for employees.'"
"Any illness that keeps employees away from their jobs or prevents them from putting in their best performance means companies lose more than just the costs of getting sick people well again. They lose all the value that healthier employees would have created."
WorkersCompensation.com Apr 30, 2019
"“There’s a very high proportion of people using prescription pain relievers in the workforce,” said Erin Peterson. “This tells us that pain is a big problem for employees.” Peterson, a researcher at the Integrated Benefits Institute, authored a study showing the extent of pain among U.S. workers and their efforts to alleviate it."
"“I think the magnitude was not something we anticipated, but we did anticipate that there would be more than a trivial number of people who would have some use of prescription medications,” said Brian Gifford, Oakland-based director of research and analytics for the independent research firm that helps companies link data with health programs to enhance productivity and business performance."
Anchorage Daily News Apr 24, 2019
"Health and productivity research group the Integrated Benefits Institute estimates that lost productivity due to illness costs U.S. employers about $530 billion annually."
"Use of prescription pain medications are associated with approximately 261 lost workdays per 1,000 workers per month, according to a new study released by the Integrated Benefits Institute"
Corporate Wellness Apr 19, 2019
"Another very sizeable consideration is the fact that ill-health related productivity loss is estimated to cost the U.S. economy in excess of $530 Billion annually, based upon 2018 data from the Integrated Benefits Institute, a San Francisco-based leader in benchmarking in the health and productivity market. Similarly, the lost productivity is the U.S. amounts to over 1.4 Billion days of absence or impaired performance annually."
"According to a study from the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI), about a third of the workforce uses prescription pain medications, most under the treatment of a physician. “Opioids, Pain and Absence” The Productivity Implications of Substance Use Among U.S. Workers” is their analysis on workplace costs related to problematic use of pain relievers."
Human Resource Executive Apr 18, 2019
"When it comes to addressing the opioids epidemic, the implications for employers often center on the risk of on-the-job accidents or difficulties in filling job vacancies in areas heavily affected by addiction and dependence. But according to the IBI study, “this may not only underrepresent the more pervasive productivity impact of lost work time, but also obscures the larger issues of chronic pain and substance use more generally.”"
"“The high rates of prescription pain medicines among employees indicates a much larger issue for employers than lost productivity,” says IBI researcher Erin Peterson, MPH, the report’s first author. “The significant number of sick day absences by employees who use pain relievers without problems likely doesn’t represent the full impact. As most people abusing opioids started with prescribed medications, this is a very large number of people at risk for developing problematic behaviors associated with pain relievers.”"
Business Insurance Apr 17, 2019
"One in three workers reported using pain relievers with the majority of those on prescriptions drugs and under 5% of workers reported abuse of pain relievers or dependence, according to a study released Wednesday by the Integrated Benefits Institute."
"“We’re in real market transition right now, and employers are finally driving this in a way they haven’t driven it before,” says Tom Parry, president of the Integrated Benefits Institute"
Employers are not only looking for individual solutions; they’re turning to one another to increase their market power and to make meaningful changes for themselves and their employees. “We’re in real market transition right now, and employers are finally driving this in a way they haven’t driven it before,” says Tom Parry, president of the Integrated Benefits Institute
"As price and upfront cost continue to dominate the headlines, a substantive policy conversation among all different healthcare stakeholders about what constitutes value is needed. Without such inclusive dialogue, the value narrative will continue to revolve solely around “whether to pay or not to pay” for a particular intervention."
Future of Business and Tech Mar 11, 2019
"You’d be hard-pressed to find a CEO or CFO that would accept their business expending the equivalent of almost two-thirds of their health care dollars on lost productivity, and most would agree we can’t afford to ignore the health of our workforce. "
The Wellable Blog Mar 6, 2019
"Unwell employees cost U.S. employers $530 billion in productivity each year. That lack of productivity translates to decreased innovation, creativity, and engagement. Research indicates that well-being closely relates to key health outcomes such as lower rates of healthcare utilization, workplace absenteeism and workplace performance, reduction in obesity status, and the occurrence of chronic diseases."
"Treating the psychological effects of climate change won’t come cheap. The Integrated Benefits Institute, a nonprofit insurance research group, notes that mood disorders lead to lost productivity and expensive short-term disability leaves."
"For every 1,000 US employees, mood disorders in the workforce cost about $232,000 in excess health care treatments and lost work time, and disability claims for mood disorders cost about $9,800 per employee. “These are not trivial,” says Brian Gifford, IBI’s director of research and analytics."
"Companies need to look beyond just the financial numbers, experts say. Instead, look at the bigger picture, from health risk and claims data to how new treatments and therapies can impact employee productivity and presenteeism, as a way to improve customer service and save on health costs."
WorkersCompensation.com Feb 8, 2019
"Bitter cold temperatures drive some workers to experience mood disorders, according to new research. The findings are especially noteworthy, as claims associated with mental health issues typically incur more lost work days than many other conditions."
"A recent report by Integrated Benefits Institute found that lost productivity from illness costs employers $530 billion annually, or 60 cents for every dollar they spend on health coverage."
"Employers ... spend more than $880 billion on healthcare."
Employee Benefit Adviser Nov 29, 2018
“When two large companies merge in different segments of the healthcare industry, one of two outcomes is often the case: better integrate their operations to drive broader value to employers — in this case, better medication adherence, better care, lower costs and greater productivity. Or operate the two entities as stand-alone with a segmented profit-maximizing focus. We’ll watch closely to see which model prevails.”
“It’s critical that employers understand how strategies for managing healthcare spend — such as cost- shifting to employees or ensuring better access and more cost-effective care — can impact the kinds of conditions that drive illness-related lost productivity.”
“To put this in further context, the cost of poor health to employers is greater than the combined revenues of Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix, EBAY and Adobe.”
BenefitsPRO Nov 15, 2018
"Not only do employees covered by sick time, workers’ compensation, disability and family and medical leave benefits miss about 893 million days a year due to illness, they also rack up an estimated 527 million lost work days due to impaired performance."
WorkersCompensation.com Nov 15, 2018
"US employers spent $880 billion for healthcare-related expenses in 2017, which averages out to 60 cents of every dollar that employers spent."
“There’s not a CEO or CFO that can placidly accept their business expending the equivalent of almost two-thirds of their health care dollars on lost productivity. Illness costs this country hundreds of billions of dollars and we can no longer afford to ignore the health of our workforce.”
"[E]mployers would save $4.4 million in lost productivity costs ($3.2 million from reduced short-term disability incidence, and another $1.2 million from declining disability duration)."
"An Integrated Benefits Institute study of 17 employer groups found that if all 5,483 employees with RA who were previously non-adherent to RA medicines began to fill their prescriptions at the same rate as those who did adhere, their employers would save $4.4 million in lost productivity costs."
Pfizer Nov 7, 2018
"Researchers at the Integrated Benefits Institute found that a decrease in rheumatoid arthritis medicines led to increased incidence and longer duration of short-term disability leave."
"IBI's research shows how often employers’ short-term disability (STD) insurance policies incur claims for several conditions impacted by climate change. These result in lost income for employees and lost productivity for employers and society-at-large—all of which may become more severe in the wake of extreme climate events."
"Employers may tackle time away from work program issues individually to meet an immediate need, or collectively as a comprehensive strategy. Such a strategy would include data analytics across health and lost-time programs, absence policies that meet today’s needs for the employer and employee, health and wellness programs targeting modifiable health behaviors, and absence program administration that is aligned to operational goals."
American Journal of Pharmacy Benefits Jun 20, 2018
“Even though migraine is common, employers have not focused on it because the treatments have been relatively inexpensive. The productivity losses we found in this report should help a lot of companies understand the real impact it has on their bottom line—especially considering that migraine is both underdiagnosed and undertreated."

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