All Americans could have longer health spans, live nearly 20 more healthy years, and see a drop in healthcare spending by 2040 – but the key is encouraging employers to drive change, according to a recent report from Deloitte.
“The US life span decreased in 2022 to its lowest point since 1996, while healthcare spending continues to outpace the GDP growth rate. In short, we are paying more and getting less,” according to actuarial analysis report How employers can spark a movement to live longer, healthier lives.
The average lifespan of Americans could increase by 12 years and their health span (the time living in good health) could increase by 19.4 years by 2040 according to the analysis.
But to have the greatest potential impact on Americans’ health, employers should think beyond their traditional role of offering employee health insurance and build solutions that aim to improve employees’ physical, mental, social and emotional health both within and beyond the workplace, Deloitte said.
The report found that all Americans could live up to 95% of their lives in good health and live to be nearly 90 years old.
Currently, the actuarial analysis showed that even though their average life span is 76.1 years, Americans are living just 65.9 years (or 85% of their years) in good health.
Black people and American Indian or Alaska Natives have the lowest life expectancy, and stand to gain the most from improved health, with 25 and 28 more years of health span respectively.
The United States lags its peers in life span and health span, while spending more on healthcare than any European country, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
“To help ensure these projections are realised, we should embrace wellness and prevention, spur innovation, empower consumers, and advance equity, as outlined in our vision of the ‘Future of Health’.
“And we believe that employers can be the catalysts in driving the change toward living healthier years and spending less,” the report said.
Andy Davis, principal, healthcare practice, Deloitte Consulting, said: “For each of us to live to our fullest and healthiest, it will require engaging with the average healthcare consumer differently and activating employers who can create momentum that will drive the ability to capture these healthy years.”
The report said that employers should recognise the impact a healthy and productive workforce can have on their organisations’ success.
It said companies could take the lead on influencing health improvements more broadly by ensuring their workforce has improved access, benefits and support for physical and mental healthcare services through digital tools and expanded networks.
Companies should also ensure their workforce has improved access, benefits and support for physical and mental healthcare services through digital tools and expanded networks.
To create the report, Deloitte used mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), morbidity data from the World Health Organization (WHO) , and used the WHO definition of healthy-adjusted life expectancy (HALE).
Other measures included improving health literacy and education for their employees; supporting financial literacy, wealth management and other financial resource tools; and investing in prevention, screenings and care at home.
Companies should provide preventive and wellness programmes for their employees, including easy access to healthy foods, nutrition counselling, physical activity, increased mental health resources.
Companies should also recognise the role that their own products and investments play in the drivers of health and health equity, and address any flaws, the report stated.