Preventive care can play an important role in identifying health risks earlier, when there may be a greater opportunity to improve outcomes and prevent more serious conditions from developing. Yet even when preventive screenings are available, employees and their families may face barriers that prevent them from accessing care or taking the appropriate next step.
Individuals may not know which screenings are recommended, when they are eligible, or what their health plan covers. Others may face scheduling challenges, difficulty taking time away from work, geographic barriers, or uncertainty around cost. And once a screening is completed, understanding the results and navigating follow-up care can present another challenge.
In our August Health Risk Management webinar, Mike Van Ham — SVP, Health Risk Management at Captive Resources — hosted a discussion exploring how employers can help employees and their families navigate preventive health testing. The session examined cancer and cardiometabolic prevention, approaches to making screenings more accessible, and strategies to help employees take action based on their results.
Representatives from several members of the group captives we support also participated: Kim Kohlhoff of Buist Electric, Joan Enoch of Lift-All Corporation, and Bob Julius of The Perryman Company provided insight into how their organizations are approaching preventive care.
The session reinforced that an effective prevention strategy requires more than making testing available — it requires helping the right people access appropriate screenings, understand their results, and connect with appropriate care.
Employees and their families may face awareness, access, and action gaps throughout the preventive care process. They may be unsure which screenings are appropriate, struggle to find convenient testing options, or need help understanding what to do after receiving a result.
Employers can help reduce these barriers through education, convenient access to testing, and resources that support employees through follow-up care. Bob Julius of The Perryman Company shared how the company helps address a practical barrier — time — by providing employees with dedicated wellness time for preventive appointments.
Detecting certain cancers earlier can significantly affect both survival rates and treatment costs. Data presented during the webinar showed that five-year survival rates were substantially higher for several types of cancers when detected at Stage I rather than Stage IV, while mean cancer-related costs increased with later-stage detection.
Todd Peterson of Captive Resources also discussed traditional and emerging approaches to cancer screening, while emphasizing that risk assessment, screening, and diagnostic testing are distinct steps that may require appropriate follow-up.
On-site, at-home, and health plan-supported options can help reduce barriers such as scheduling, time away from work, and geographic access. Kim Kohlhoff, HR Manager at Buist Electric, shared how the company used its data to identify a gap in breast cancer screening and brought BEXA screenings onsite. The company completed 37 screenings, and 80% of participants had either never had a mammogram or had not had one within the previous year.
Prediabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease can go undetected, making preventive screenings an important opportunity to identify potential risk earlier. The webinar highlighted that 115.2 million U.S. adults have prediabetes, with eight in 10 unaware they have it, while 87% of adults with chronic kidney disease do not know they have the condition. Claims, pharmacy, and screening data can help employers identify potential gaps and determine where additional prevention or condition-management support may be beneficial.
A test or screening provides value when employees understand the result and can take the appropriate next step. This may include additional testing, connecting with a provider or specialist, or accessing nutrition, lifestyle, or condition-management support. Joan Enoch, HR Manager at Lift-All Corporation, shared how employees whose biometric results indicate certain risks receive outreach from a health coach to review their results and help connect them with appropriate resources.
For employers participating in Medical Stop Loss (MSL) group captives, a proactive approach to preventive care can support both employee health and long-term plan performance.
Greater transparency into claims, pharmacy, screening, and engagement data can help captive members identify gaps in care and determine where targeted prevention strategies may be most valuable. Employers can then consider how existing resources, more convenient access to screenings, and appropriate follow-up support can help employees and their families take action earlier.
By combining these data-driven insights with shared strategies and best practices, captive members can help reduce barriers to preventive care, support earlier identification of health risks, and help manage long-term healthcare costs.
This presentation was part of Captive Resources’ Medical Stop Loss (MSL) Webinar Series — a regular series of webinars to educate MSL group captive members. The thoughts and opinions expressed in these webinars are those of the presenters and do not necessarily reflect Captive Resources’ positions on any of the above topics.
