Gender Disparity in Out-of-Pocket Health Costs for Working Women

Alice Blake on December 4, 2023

A Financial Discrepancy Revealed

In a recent study that delved deep into the realm of healthcare economics, it has come to light that working women in the United States are shouldering a significantly higher financial burden when it comes to healthcare expenses compared to their male counterparts. This finding shines a glaring spotlight on a critical issue that goes beyond mere statistics, touching the lives of millions of women in the workforce.

The Eye-Opening Statistics

The research, conducted meticulously by Deloitte Consulting, has unveiled some staggering numbers that demand our attention and contemplation. On an annual basis, working women are spending an astonishing $15.4 billion more in out-of-pocket health expenses than men. This alarming discrepancy has emerged from an in-depth analysis of employer-sponsored health plans, reflecting a startling inequity in the financial aspects of healthcare.

Digging Deeper into the Data

When we delve into the data, it becomes even more concerning. On average, women are shelling out 18% more than men on copays and deductibles, even after excluding the costs associated with pregnancy and maternity. This data point, a clear indicator of gender-based financial disparity, underscores the urgency of addressing the issue. Remarkably, despite women’s total health expenditures being only 10% higher than those of men, this gender-based financial gap persists, highlighting systemic challenges that need immediate attention.

Identifying the Root Cause

To comprehend the ramifications of this financial imbalance, it is crucial to identify the root cause. Dr. Kulleni Gebreyes, the U.S. Chief Health Equity Officer at Deloitte Consulting, points out the underlying issue with utmost clarity. “This is a problem we’re identifying that business leaders can actually solve within their own organizations,” she emphasizes. The takeaway is stark – women not only get paid less than their male counterparts but also bear the brunt of higher healthcare costs. The result of this disparity is a disproportionate financial burden placed on women, affecting their financial security and overall well-being.

Factors Driving Higher Costs

Several factors contribute to this unsettling inequality in healthcare costs. One significant factor is that women tend to utilize more medical care than men, primarily due to the necessity of annual gynecological exams and the high costs associated with breast cancer imaging. While these annual check-ups are often fully covered by insurance, any follow-up procedures that stem from them lead to copays and trigger deductibles. Shockingly, many of these services are more expensive than the typical deductible, further exacerbating the financial strain on women. The gender-based financial gap in healthcare is not a result of frivolous spending but rather a consequence of necessary healthcare practices.

A Call for Action

In light of these stark realities, Deloitte analysts have proposed a solution that could bridge the $15.4 billion cost-sharing gender gap. By enhancing benefits design, companies could potentially achieve this equity at an estimated cost of just $133 per employee per year, equivalent to about $11 per month. Dr. Gebreyes underscores the importance of this approach, stating, “Our ask is that companies look at their data; examine if and where the gaps exist and step back to have more of an equitable design process to come up with what are the health benefits that would meet the needs of their workforce.” This proactive call for action holds the potential to bring about positive change in the lives of working women, ensuring that they are not burdened with unjust financial disparities in healthcare costs.

A Broader Societal Implication

The ramifications of this gender-based healthcare cost disparity extend beyond individual finances. It touches upon broader societal issues such as gender equality and financial security. Addressing this disparity is not just a matter of economic fairness; it is a step towards creating a more equitable and inclusive society.

Collaborative Solutions for a Healthier Future

In conclusion, the gender disparity in out-of-pocket health costs for working women is a pressing issue that demands immediate attention and collaborative solutions. It is a call to action for businesses, policymakers, and healthcare providers to work together to ensure that healthcare costs are distributed equitably among all members of society. As we navigate the complex landscape of healthcare economics, let us strive for a future where financial burdens are shared fairly, and the well-being of working women is safeguarded.

What Kind Of Support Do Hospitals Need?

Jeah Lorraine Adams on June 22, 2023

Healthcare is an ever-evolving sector and one that continuously strives to provide the best support for our communities. As cities become larger, so does the workload of hospitals; faced with dwindling resources and ever more patients turning up at their doors, hospital staff are feeling overwhelmed by the complexity of their roles.

With greater demand placed on these vital services, it is essential we focus on how we can improve hospital infrastructure. How can hospitals be better equipped to care for those in need? What kind of support do they require? Let’s find out.

Explore the potential for new technologies

The healthcare industry is constantly adapting and evolving, and with the emergence of new technologies, there is an opportunity to greatly improve patient outcomes while also reducing costs. Such technology that has the potential to revolutionize your hospital is cloud-based clinical decision support solutions. Thanks to these solutions, medical professionals can access real-time patient data and improve their decision-making abilities, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes, a reduction in healthcare costs, and time savings for medical staff.

With the ability to streamline workflows and improve communication between healthcare providers, cloud-based clinical decision support solutions show immense promise in transforming the healthcare industry for the better.

Identify current challenges

As the world continues to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals are facing a plethora of modern-day challenges that are putting a strain on already limited resources and staff, including shortages in nurses, physicians, and other medical professionals. This heightens the workload and stress for the existing medical personnel while threatening the quality of care provided to patients. Additionally, patients in dire need of medical attention may face long wait times due to a lack of medical staff. Hospitals must continually adapt to these challenges and employ innovative strategies to ensure that patients receive the best possible care.

Highlight current support needs for hospitals

In addition to dealing with an overwhelming influx of patients, healthcare workers are grappling with a dire shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE). This has not only put their own health and safety at risk but also that of their patients. To tackle this issue, hospitals urgently require increased access to PPE such as masks, gloves, and gowns. The community must come together and provide the necessary support to help these facilities better equip themselves to fight this pandemic.

How to extend hospital capacity and streamline operations

In the face of growing healthcare demands, hospitals are constantly seeking innovative ways to extend their capacity and streamline their internal operations. A practical approach is investing in financial resources that can support the expansion of their facilities and the implementation of advanced technologies. Indeed, financial resources can be utilized to purchase new medical equipment, build more patient rooms, improve data management systems, and enhance employee training programs.

Such investments increase the hospital’s capacity and automate and integrate multiple administrative processes, which leads to greater efficiency and cost savings in the long run. This way, hospitals can deliver higher-quality care and remain competitive in an ever-evolving healthcare landscape.

Identify best practices for providing emotional support

Hospitals are places where people expect healing and recovery. However, there are times when patients, family members, and staff may experience emotional upheavals during their stay. It is crucial to have best practices in place to provide effective emotional support during these difficult times. A compassionate and empathetic approach from healthcare providers can make a world of difference to the emotional well-being of those involved.

Effective communication, active listening, and creating a safe space are all crucial components of providing emotional support. With the right strategies in place, hospitals can ensure that emotional support is an integral part of their patient-centered care approach.

Discuss how digital platforms can facilitate communication

With the rise of technological advancements, various digital tools like telemedicine, messaging apps, and online consultation services have emerged, offering an accessible and convenient way for patients to connect with their healthcare providers from the comfort of their own homes. These platforms facilitate real-time communication and allow patients to receive medical advice, refill prescriptions, and even schedule appointments with their healthcare providers.

These digital platforms save patients time and money and empower them by providing them with more independence and control over their healthcare needs. Above all, digital communication between healthcare providers and patients gives people the opportunity to receive high-quality healthcare services without stepping out of their homes.

Hospitals face many challenges in the current climate. But with our tips in mind, we can help them overcome these issues and have a positive impact on their patients’ lives. By investing in new technologies, exploring best practices for providing emotional support, and utilizing digital platforms to facilitate communication, hospitals can become better equipped to take on an ever-growing demand for their vital services.

Dr. Eric Nepute: Leading the Battle Against Expensive Healthcare in America

Alice Blake on December 9, 2020

Most people desire to help other people worldwide, but after a while, they often lose sight of that goal and the others who continue in the path and gain popularity later become selective about who they help. Dr. Eric Nepute is a COVID-19 health expert, the owner of Nepute Wellness Centers in St. Louis, and founder of the Wellness Warrior brand who has been talking the talk and also backing his words by action.

After witnessing the disenfranchisement and the high cost of medical bills levied against the familiar people, a desire was sparked in Dr. Eric to help these people. Wanting to provide help to more than just a few people, Dr. Eric founded the Common Sense Health movement providing medical health aid to communities in America. The Common Sense Health movement has revolutionized health in the United States of America by exposing corrupt medical and pharmaceutical agendas, and revealing the elite’s hidden health secrets, and bridging the gap, and making better healthcare available and affordable to all.

As a COVID-19 health expert, Dr. Eric is helping to fulfill the mission of the Common Sense Health movement by providing aid to more people. The campaign works tirelessly to make people less susceptible to sickness by giving away one million bottles of Vitamin D and Zinc to help strengthen their immune system to fight against infections naturally. The reason for the Vitamin D and Zinc choice was that several pieces of research have shown that 9 out of 10 Covid related deaths were as a result of deficiency of Vitamin D. The movement also included a Flu and Cold prevention and a treatment protocol and a video masterclass on total health transformation.

Dr. Eric Nepute has gained widespread recognition and is a highly sought after speaker in the health and wellness community, known for vividly speaking on topics ranging from stress management to living a pain-free life. Dr. Eric’s mission is clear, as he seeks to help individuals and families most vulnerable to flu, cold, and viruses naturally to reach their body’s high-quality potential. He explains that the body has the natural, God-given ability to heal itself, and he’s just trying to help remove the roadblocks so the body can do its job. He plans to strengthen the body’s immune system by providing high-quality vitamins, building blocks for robust immune systems.

Dr. Eric believes that it is more blessed to give to people rather than to receive and that people have a responsibility to make a difference in the world. The movement’s goal is to revolutionize America’s healthcare system and protect the most vulnerable people health-wise by giving away vitamin D and Zinc to them.

To learn more about Dr. Eric Nepute and the Common Sense Health movement, you may visit the website and Facebook.

Priscilla Jankans: From Nurse to CEO and Entrepreneur

Jerry Cooper on September 30, 2020

Nurses are some of the most dedicated people one can encounter. They provide care for so many people, day in and day out. Their work is challenging but fulfilling. But sometimes, they feel the need to impact lives in a different way. Priscilla Jankans is one such nurse. After several years of working as an ICU nurse, she is now a successful entrepreneur with over 200 employees.

Priscilla Jankans became the youngest registered nurse in her graduating class at 20 years old. A year later, she was an open heart ICU Registered Nurse in one of the country’s biggest hospitals. Eventually, she worked as a Nurse Executive. After several years, she found herself feeling dissatisfied with how she earned a living. She decided to leave her job and start a business.

In 2016, Priscilla Jankans founded L.A. Nursing Services, a traveling medical staffing agency that works with hospitals to provide supplemental nurses and other healthcare professionals who are highly qualified and certified in different specializations. To date, L.A. Nursing Services employs over 240 doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and other medical staff. The company can provide placement in various hospitals or healthcare facilities in Los Angeles.

Priscilla Jankans did not stop at establishing one company. In 2019, she founded NursepreCEO, a business consulting and coaching agency. She wanted to provide training and resources to other nurses who want to transition into entrepreneurship. Still, one doesn’t have to be a nurse or work in the medical field to avail of NurseproCEO courses. Anyone looking to start a business can avail of her courses. Priscilla specializes in business development training and strategic coaching. She is currently looking to sponsor 100 aspiring entrepreneurs, where she will give them NurseproCEO webinars and courses free of charge. She also provides each student with one-on-one consultations to give them more personalized advice.

Recently, Priscilla Jankans established Nurses for George, a 501c Non-profit Organizational charity. Nurses for George seek to dismantle structural racism in the educational, economic, and healthcare system, perpetuating healthcare disparities within communities. This non-profit also provides free services and resources in various underserved communities in L.A. County. They provide food, clothing, and monetary donations. The non-profit also has patient care representatives available to assist anyone in need of healthcare navigate the system.

Priscilla may have left nursing to pursue entrepreneurship, but she is still helping a large number of people through her businesses and non-profit organization. With L.A. Nursing Services, she provides nurses and other healthcare professionals with an environment where they can control the assignments and work they take on. The health care facilities they work with can also be assured that they hire highly skilled and competent professionals in their fields. This CEO is also dedicated to helping people start their entrepreneurial journey by providing them with tools and courses at NurseproCEO. Through her expert coaching, she helps people achieve financial growth and independence. With all the success she has achieved, Priscilla Jankans does not forget to give back to the community. Her work with Nurses for George has had a positive impact on many underserved communities in Los Angeles.

This powerhouse of a woman is a CEO with a heart. Priscilla Jankans continues to serve and help even after leaving a healthcare profession.

To learn more about Priscilla Jankans, you may visit her website.

Sparking Innovative Solutions With Dr. Robert Abraham and Exodus Medical

Jerry Cooper on August 11, 2020

In a world that significantly hinges on evolution for survival, change is an inevitable phenomenon. However, change always generates new challenges, especially in the arena of health. And as the healthcare sector continues to face these unprecedented obstacles, innovation is key.

Known for his unique and brilliant ideas, Dr. Robert Abraham opens up a new medical practice, Exodus Medical, to relieve people’s suffering from chronic neuropathy symptoms. And pounding the pavement with his innovative flair, he ensures that the medical field maintains its momentum in the age of constant advancement.

Dr. Robert Abraham, BS, DC, CCIP, who is also the esteemed author of From Illness to Wellness, founded Exodus Medical to bring wellness and neuropathy treatment to those who cannot visit his on-site clinics. For a considerable number of years, he has been providing chiropractic care, laser therapy, weight loss aid, and neuropathy relief in his brick-and-mortar establishment, CryoNext Integrative Healthcare, located in Oviedo, Florida.

Exodus Medical launches as a national and virtual establishment designed to allow patients to book telemedicine appointments and discuss their symptoms and possible avenues of treatment with Dr. Abraham and his staff. With Exodus Medical’s mail-in tests and devices, patients can take advantage of innovative treatments like infrared light treatment and electrotherapy within the comfort of their own homes.

Making use of holistic approaches that are uniquely tailored to each patient’s nerve pain, Exodus Medical provides useful pieces of advice for meaningful lifestyle changes. It delivers efficient yet convenient tests that patients can perform in their own homes. Moreover, the company also sends anyone suffering from neuropathy down the road of recovery.

According to Dr. Abraham, most neuropathy sufferers are relying on medications or injections to manage their illness. However, he believes such remedies are not the ideal long-term solutions. Thus, he makes sure that Exodus Medical lives up to its duty of offering a better way for patients to treat neuropathy and improve their condition.

Even though Exodus Medical’s approach is not for everyone, it is more than enough for Dr. Abraham to see thousands of patients reclaiming their lives and making up for all the opportunities they missed out on because of their illness. And as a medical professional whose lifelong mission is to serve others, Dr. Abraham exclaims that nothing is more rewarding than seeing his patients happy.

Without a doubt, advances in healthcare over the past few decades have shown that the industry is doing its best to keep up. And proving to be a frontrunner in this race towards development, Exodus Medical, as led by Dr. Abraham, strives to become a vanguard of health.

True enough, an arsenal of innovative solutions, such as the discovery of new treatments and procedures, is essential to the fate of healthcare throughout the world. And through his revolutionary efforts, Dr. Abraham has transformed the health industry at a remarkable pace.

With people like Dr. Abraham, who work tirelessly to bring something new to the table, it comes as no surprise that the future of healthcare is looking bright.

To know more about Dr. Robert Abraham and Exodus Medical, you may head on to their website or visit their Facebook page.

Automating Healthcare and Protecting Travelers, Atilio Spaccarotella Is Making the World a Better Place One Idea at a Time

Jerry Cooper on July 28, 2020

There are places where technology hasn’t seemed to penetrate their daily operations, not due to the lack of innovation or initiative, but because of a lack of ideas and bright minds that aspire to make a difference. Fortunately for Argentina’s healthcare and technology industries, the brilliant mind of Atilio Spaccarotella sought to make a whirlwind of a difference.

Atilio Spaccarotella is an Argentinian entrepreneur who started ZDG Consulting when he was 17 years old. He partnered up with his high school friend Gustavo Lindenberg and began their foray into the world of software development. ZDG Consulting is a software company that helps businesses turn a marginal profit through automating their processes.

Spaccarotella and Lindenberg were natural-born problem solvers. Before leaping into the industry, they made sure to tackle one of the most important issues within their community. They soon found out that their healthcare industry was severely lacking in terms of innovation and technological advancements.

The team partnered up with a few doctors and requested their input on how they could improve their processes through automation. After doing their research and gathering testimonials from the doctors all over the country, they discovered that booking doctor’s appointments was such a tedious task for patients. The medical centers were always short on staff, so patients had to have the patience to wait over 30 minutes on the phone to schedule an appointment.

Utilizing technology as a springboard for their well-thought-out solution, the team over at ZDG Consulting created the first-ever appointment booking solution system in the entire world that worked over the telephone 24/7 without the intervention of any operators. Their system was a huge success and allowed their company to grow the system to a point where over 600,000 patients were using it.

The National Institute of Entrepreneurship in Mexico, contacted Spaccarotella’s team and invited them to pitch for the SWITCH event where the winners would get a government grant. Fortunately, their company GTN Medical was selected to participate in the program for six months. This was the moment when Spaccarotella’s success grew towards greater heights.

Traveling was a big part of Spaccarotella’s life as a CEO of ZDG and GTN Medical. One fateful day, when he was out vacationing in a foreign country, he got into a horrible scuba diving accident, which he still remembers to this very day. Without knowing what to do or whom to call, Atilio felt extremely helpless. Though he recovered physically from the incident, he never really got over the trauma that he felt.

Compelled by the emotions that he felt during that time, he founded Rene Health. Rene is a company that keeps travelers safe and healthy throughout their entire traveling experience. Atilio didn’t want anybody else to ever experience what he did. So he partnered up yet again with his friend Gustavo Lindenberg and Corporate Software Expert Hugo Martinez. The platform ensures that travelers from all over the world will have easy access to the perfect travel insurance for every trip.

If you want to see how the future of business travel looks like, check out Rene’s website

Tag: Healthcare