Cardiovascular disease: Getting to the heart of the matter
Heart disease is the no. 1 cause of death in the U.S. Discover how employers can help reduce cardiovascular risks and costs among their workforces.
Cardiovascular disease has been the leading cause of death in the U.S. for well over a century, yet more than half of surveyed Americans are unaware of how common these risks are — and how quickly they’re growing.1 Defined as a group of conditions resulting from plaque building up in arteries, cardiovascular diseases include coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke and heart failure.2
While multiple factors contribute to heart disease, significant opportunities exist for employers and employees to help prevent and manage these risks. Proactive intervention may lead to healthier workforces and reduced health care costs for all stakeholders.
Leading causes
There are several factors taken into consideration when assessing risk for heart disease. Lifestyle, genetics, age and preexisting conditions can all increase the risk for cardiovascular disease.3
Conditions such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol; behaviors such as a diet high in saturated or trans fats, not getting enough exercise, smoking or drinking alcohol; and genetic factors such as family history, age, sex or ethnicity can all contribute to an increased risk of heart disease.3
While preventing heart disease involves managing multiple risk factors, advances in medical research and preventive care have significantly improved both prevention and management of cardiovascular conditions.4
The cost of a heart condition
Health care challenges across the board affect workplace productivity, but cardiovascular conditions pose a disproportionate threat. With obesity and high blood pressure rates continuing to rise, heart-related health issues are driving greater productivity losses than other conditions, directly impacting organizational profitability.4 By 2050, the projected annual productivity losses due to cardiovascular conditions will reach more than $361B.5
At UnitedHealthcare, the average cost per member, per month for employers is about $37, with the average out-of-pocket cost for members about $6 per month.6
The wide variety of conditions that can lead to cardiovascular disease places a unique responsibility on employers to provide comprehensive support for their workforce. A whole-person approach addresses this challenge by offering not only medical coverage, but also access to educational resources, rehabilitation programs, wellness incentives and preventive care.
Support strategies
Employers that take a whole-person approach to their benefits may be able to better support employees living with heart conditions and help control rising health care costs.
Cover cardiac rehabilitation programs: Virtual services may provide convenient recovery support for patients following cardiac events. These services assist individuals recovering from incidents such as heart attacks or coronary artery bypass surgery.
Address top cardiac conditions: Informed by claims data, benefits design may include access to cardiovascular health management programs and condition-specific resources. For example, UHC Hub offers access to vendors like Teladoc Health, which provides digital and virtual hypertension management support programs.
Create heart-healthy workplaces: Offer healthier snack and meal options, consider workplace wellness initiatives like walking programs, and promote screenings and preventive care like regular blood pressure checks to help identify risk factors sooner.
Reward healthy actions: Incentive-based programs like UnitedHealthcare Rewards can help drive engagement in their health plan by rewarding participants to earn rewards for tracking daily activity goals, sleep tracking and more.
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