Delivering Inclusive Benefits by Removing Barriers to Care

Delivering Inclusive Benefits by Removing Barriers to Care
June 23, 2025 11 mins

Delivering Inclusive Benefits by Removing Barriers to Care

Delivering Inclusive Benefits by Removing Barriers to Care

Providing inclusive benefits differentiates an employer’s talent strategy. Culturally competent care and supportive programs for specific groups can improve employee health outcomes and financial impact for the business.

Key Takeaways
  1. Finding and addressing inclusivity gaps in benefits allow employers to make better business decisions — from lower costs to better health and job performance.
  2. Vendor strategy is important, but managing the vendor ecosystem can’t just be an exercise in adding solutions.
  3. Continuous analysis of overall health benefit offerings and consultation with a trusted advisor will allow employers to improve inclusivity in all areas of their people strategy as expectations evolve.

Health is an important factor to an employee’s performance and sometimes overlooked when employers only focus on competencies such as skills, experience and training. Since not all employees have the same health needs, the benefits a company offers need to be inclusive, allowing individuals to show up as their whole, authentic selves.

From demographic groups to socioeconomic divisions, employers need to recognize the impact that their employees’ health and wellbeing has on productivity and talent optimization. Employees are increasingly asking their employers to provide personalized, inclusive benefits that demonstrate the company’s commitment to the values of inclusion and equity. In a recent survey, more than seven in 10 employees said they believe customization of benefits is important or extremely important.1

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Work itself affects employees’ wellbeing. If work structure and culture are not aligned with how employees bring their best selves to work everyday, it affects their productivity, which further hurts wellbeing. Inclusivity helps break that cycle. If someone feels like they belong and can show up at work as their whole self, their productivity and wellbeing will both be improved.

Rebecca Warnken
Senior Vice President, Health Solutions, North America

With employers facing a combination of rising costs, macroeconomic uncertainty and new regulatory pressures, inclusivity in the workplace, especially when it comes to benefits, is still a top priority. More than 70 percent of employers surveyed said they are focused on inclusive benefits as a way to advance their people strategy.3 Employers need to maximize their investment of budget, time and resources in order to remove barriers to care and deliver inclusive benefits to their employees. Here are some strategies to adopt.

Assess Gaps by Reviewing Current Policies and Programs

Employers regularly examine benefit claims data in aggregate to determine top cost drivers — what health conditions are most prevalent, where are members receiving care, who are the high-cost claimants, etc. — to inform plan design, premium costs and programs as part of their fiscal and fiduciary responsibilities. An inclusive benefit approach offers a deeper understanding of the data, where there are gaps and what could be driving those gaps for various segments of a population. This approach allows employers to prioritize and make better decisions about how to influence or work around those factors to lower costs, improve health outcomes and enable better job performance — and then course correct over time, like a good stock or bond market investment strategy.

An inclusive benefit review should start by assessing and benchmarking current offerings through the lens of diverse employee needs and talent and business objectives. From there, a health equity data analytics tool can show where the disparities in health care utilization and outcomes are for those various segments of the population. For example, Aon’s Health, Equity and Affordability Tool (HEAT) can help employers understand organizational relationships between affordability, demographics, physical and mental health conditions, health habits, work productivity and healthcare costs in order to optimize spend.

86%

of U.S.-based companies are planning to maintain or increase their inclusive benefit offerings.

Source: Aon’s 2025 Global Benefits Study

Lift Barriers to Care

One driver of health that employers can significantly influence is access to high-quality, culturally competent care. Barriers to this not only affect employees’ physical wellbeing, but can also negatively impact emotional and financial wellbeing, leading to poorer performance. Barriers to care show up in the social determinants of health (SDoH) factors that can impact overall health outcomes and quality of life. SDoH can be broken down into a few distinct categories:

  • Economic Stability: This affects people’s physical and emotional wellbeing in many ways. Workers with low healthcare affordability are more likely to skip preventive services and delay necessary care due to cost. The stress of economic instability can exacerbate health problems, and lack of affordable healthy food options can lead to higher rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Employers are addressing affordability barriers through health plan design, including nearly half who are offering or considering lower-cost primary care services and 62 percent who are either offering or considering benefits to improve prescription drug affordability.2
  • Education Access and Quality: Access to education can improve health outcomes.4 In the context of health benefits, improving health literacy is shown to improve patient understanding and advocacy, leading to better engagement, more efficient care and improved health outcomes.  
  • Healthcare Access and Quality: Doctor shortages are widespread, with a quarter of all workers living in areas with significant primary care shortages. These shortages are further exacerbated by wide variations in cost, quality and cultural sensitivity. Employers are increasingly viewing virtual care and digital solutions as a complement (but not necessarily a replacement) to brick and mortar care to address access disparities. Half of employers report virtual care as important or central to their benefits program.5
  • Neighborhood and Environment: Even the presence of reliable public transportation matters to an employee’s health if it helps that person get to an appointment with a high-quality care provider.

Factor in Work as a Social Determinant of Health

The CDC recognizes work as a social determinant of health, and for good reason. The structure and environment of work can have a significant impact, especially for jobs and industries with greater exposure to direct health and safety risks. Also, the timing and physical location of work shifts may discourage taking time for doctor appointments or healthy lifestyle behaviors. Empathetic managers, work-life flexibility, and a sense of belonging are all shown to positively correlate with health and wellbeing and should be considered part of the overall benefit strategy.

These factors affect populations in different ways. Using claims data, HR metrics and risk predictive modeling, companies can analyze current disparities and monitor how effectively benefits, work policies and culture are addressing diverse population needs.

Align the Design, Messaging and Values of Benefits with Business Objectives

Once the gaps are diagnosed, the question of how to address them becomes central. Employers and employees alike may be suffering from fatigue when it comes to adding new vendors or point solutions. Employers should address this by looking at the entire vendor ecosystem through an inclusive lens, strategically embedding high-value solutions and resources while simplifying and personalizing the member experience.

There are certain areas where a specific vendor or program can provide specialized services. For example, with more employees and their loved ones identifying as neurodivergent, a dedicated program to provide personalized navigation, coaching, community support groups and tailored resources, can improve the physical and mental health of neurodivergent employees and their families.

Another area where specialized vendors can play a role is in caregiver support. More than half of people in their forties and more than one third of people in their fifties have an elderly parent and are raising a child of their own.6 Given that the majority of caregiving work falls on women for both elderly parents and children, having caregiver support programs that can deliver respite care or adult day services can allow many women to remain in the workforce and maintain work-life balance.

These solutions can’t be standalone programs that exist in a vacuum — they should be embedded into overall wellbeing benefit strategies. It’s possible that a point solution navigator can deliver similar results. Examples of emerging benefit strategies and solutions include:

  • GLP-1 Coverage: Covering these medications has become more popular, with nearly half of employers covering them for weight loss, up from about one third a year ago.7 Providing coverage can have a host of positive effects. However, care should be taken to ensure that the cost of the medications isn't still so high after coverage that they are not affordable to some, exacerbating health disparities and affordability issues.
  • Menopause Support: Women’s health, and especially the symptoms and workplace challenges during menopause, has historically been overlooked. Addressing the full range of needs for menopause-related issues is essential for equitable benefits.
  • Neurodiversity Support: Nearly one in five Americans identify as neurodivergent, according to a 2024 YouGov survey. This includes autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia and more. Neurodivergent employees may need additional support in navigating the workplace, accessing appropriate care, and managing common comorbidities such as anxiety, depression, digestive issues and autoimmune conditions.

Monitor for Impact, then Widen the Lens

Once gaps have been addressed, employers will need to monitor to ensure programs are having the desired impact for the company and employees, and get ahead of the ever-evolving landscape. By taking a holistic and strategic approach, benefit programs will exist within a talent framework of inclusion and wellbeing where lessons learned can be applied to all areas of total rewards.

When devising an inclusivity initiative, employers should consider the culture and values they want to uphold. An often underutilized resource for this is business resource groups. Optimizing these groups gives employees a greater voice and the company a new channel for promoting relevant benefits and initiatives.

Consider the following stages when developing inclusive programs that are embedded into all areas of talent strategy. An organization can determine where it is on the spectrum and set goals for moving up the curve. Workforce analytics will help employers determine where they fall short and where they are making progress.

18%

of employees globally say that DEIB is the most important factor influencing the perception of employers, second only to compensation and benefits.

Source: Aon’s 2025 Employee Sentiment Study

Stages of Inclusivity

  • 01
    Foundational

    Early-stage inclusive activities that primarily “check-the-box,” with limited data and budget

  • 02
    Reactive

    Addressing inclusivity in response to employee issues or compliance mandates, such as Mental Health Parity. Leaders beginning to understand the business case for inclusive strategies

  • 03
    Proactive

    A maturing strategy with actions in place. Data used to identify opportunities and issues, strategic targets and supporting tactics with active leadership

  • 04
    Advanced

    A mature embedded strategy with connected tactics to key business objectives. Leadership involved in support, training and accountability

  • 05
    Leading

    Clear evidence throughout the organization that proves the value of inclusive benefits on business outcomes. Inclusivity embedded in leadership, total rewards and culture

Examining the Impact of Pay Inequities on Retirement

Examining the Impact of Pay Inequities on Retirement

Inclusive benefits are a connected part of a company’s total rewards strategy. Decades of pay inequity have led to a retirement savings gap, especially for women. Closing this gap involves executing on a few principles: 1) affordability, by providing minimum retirement benefits that are not contingent on savings; 2) accessibility, by providing faster eligibility, offering benefits for part-time employees, and offering benefits during caregiver leaves; 3) flexibility, by coordinating retirement savings vehicles with support for other financial priorities such as emergency savings, and providing different distribution options; and 4) consistency, by providing the same benefit structures for different populations, avoiding plan design bias.

“With all the discussion around pay transparency and equity, it’s important to remember the long-term consequences of inequitable pay,” says Grace Lattyak, a partner for Aon’s Wealth Solutions practice in North America. “Many retirement plan designs exacerbate the pay gap, leading to a retirement savings gap more than twice the pay gap. Closing the pay gap is only one lever that employers can utilize to close the retirement savings gap.”

It’s important to remember that these initiatives are an ongoing process — not a one-time event. Continuous improvement, even if incremental, is needed to show progress and continue to attract and retain talent while improving business outcomes.

For more on how Aon's advisors can help deliver an inclusive benefits strategy, talk to your broker or contact us.

Aon’s Thought Leaders
  • Audrietta Izlar
    Assistant Vice President, Health Transformation, North America
  • Grace Lattyak
    Partner, Wealth Solutions, North America
  • Rebecca Warnken
    Senior Vice President, Health Solutions, North America

1 Employee Sentiment Survey, Aon
2 Aon’s 2025 U.S. Health Survey
3 Aon's 2025 U.S. Health Survey
4 The Relationship Between Education and Health, National Institutes of Health
5 Aon’s 2025 U.S. Health Survey
6 More than half of Americans in their 40s are ‘sandwiched’ between an aging parent and their own children, Pew Research Center
7 Aon’s 2025 U.S. Health Survey

General Disclaimer

The information contained herein and the statements expressed are of a general nature and are not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although we endeavor to provide accurate and timely information and use sources we consider reliable, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No one should act on such information without appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of the particular situation.

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