U.S. employer-sponsored health insurance and well-being programs are expected to yield an average return on investment of 47 per cent this year, according to a new report by Avalere Health, commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
It found the key drivers of this ROI are improved employee productivity (US$275.6 billion), reductions in direct medical costs ($101 billion) and tax benefits ($119.2 billion). It also noted employers with more than 100 employees that provide greater access to health care will see an ROI of $275.6 billion this year and $346.6 billion in 2026.
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The report predicted the average ROI will grow to 52 per cent by 2026, with companies that invest more into employee health programs seeing even higher ROIs. And with access to health benefits linked to reduced employee turnover, it estimated $20.3 billion in ROI from improved retention in 2022 and $24.3 billion in 2026.
Among employers with 100 or more employees, health benefits are expected to reduce short- and long-term disability claims by 1.3 billion in 2022 and $1.4 billion in 2026.
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