With 42% of men skipping preventative care, improving these 4 health categories is critical

• Key insight: Learn how employers can materially increase male preventive-care uptake through targeted benefits communication.
• Expert quote: Clear insurance communication and step-by-step access information drive preventive appointment participation. - Whitney Stidom
• Supporting data: 42% of men skipped recommended preventive care last year, per eHealth data.
  Source: Bullets generated by AI with editorial review

Halfway through Men's Health Month, new data from eHealth reveals it's the perfect opportunity for benefit leaders to advocate for better participation in preventive care.  

Forty-two percent of men skipped recommended preventive care last year, 60% said they delay care unless family encourages them to go, and 82% reported putting their family's needs ahead of their own health, according to eHealth's findings. Communicating critical health checks such as wellness exams and routine screenings, and the benefits that can help them do so, can have a big impact on participation, stressed Whitney Stidom, VP of consumer enablement at eHealth.

"It's important just to talk about what preventative care and screenings are available and covered by insurance, because a lot of times they're available at no or low cost," Stidom said. "Of the 42% of men who said that they skipped recommended medical care in the past year, 33% of them cited cost concerns as the top reason."

Employers can help by putting education and resources at employees' fingertips, Stidom continued. "If we find that men are putting off annual wellness exams and screenings, they may not even have a PCP that they see on a regular basis, so also informing them step-by-step how to do that can be helpful." 

She noted that health plan details should be reviewed each year, and employees should be reminded that qualifying circumstances can be grounds for changing to a different plan. She also recommended employees share information with their partner or spouse, since they are sometimes the ones who schedule health and wellness appointments for the family.

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4 big areas of impact

Cancer screenings
Education around which screenings are most critical, the ages at which they should begin, and the coverage available for them are all part of increasing participation, Stidom said. 

"We surveyed men to understand how much they understand about the screenings they should get as they age, which are prostate exams and colonoscopies, and 51% either didn't know or wrongly thought that colonoscopy screenings started later than they should. A few years ago, they moved the age for colonoscopies from 50 to 45 because they found earlier detection is key. The prostate exam is recommended at 50, but only 21% of the men that are 30 years and older were aware of that." 

Wellness exams
Annual wellness exams with labwork are a good way to stay on top of overall health, particularly preventive heart care. Keeping track of metrics like blood pressure and cholesterol levels can help catch issues before they become serious, and doctors are more likely to identify any other symptoms that are a cause for concern.  

"When you're talking to the doctor, they may get information that triggers them to recommend having a screening earlier than recommended because of these symptoms," Stidom says. "Early detection is key, so just making sure that those open conversations are being had [is important.]"

Vision, hearing and dental
Finally, when putting together a preventive care checklist, Stidom reminds benefit leaders to include vision and hearing checkups as well as biannual dental cleanings. 

"Gum disease is associated with a lot of other health risks, so it increases your risk of diabetes, dementia, certain types of cancer, and then you know with hearing loss and vision loss that can lead to isolation, cognitive decline, and other complications. So getting those annual exams is important," she said.

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Mental wellness
Data from the National Institute of Mental Health shows only about 41% of men with any mental health issue receive treatment, yet they account for nearly 80% of suicide deaths in the U.S., according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. 

Consistent reminders about available benefits and resources, along with opportunities to take part in things that help them feel balanced and fulfilled, are ways employers can support the mental wellness of employees, said Stidom, citing examples such as time to attend children's school events and offering paid volunteer days. She also recommends checking in with team members to ensure their workload isn't keeping them from self care and time with family.

"I've noticed some of my own employees generally don't take time off, so I check in with them and ask, 'Hey, do you have any family vacations coming up?' Just openly talking about it, making them feel it's actually encouraged to be a part of their family's lives — it's all about that balance. We can get so caught up in work and continue to push things off, but that time with family — even just one day to reset or go and volunteer at their kids' school — means so much."

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A great time to campaign for care

Stidom urges leaders to be proactive in saying to employees, "it's okay to care for yourself and get these appointments taken care of," all year long, and identify key communication opportunities throughout the year, such as Heart Health Month, Men's Health Month and Father's Day.

"It's a great reminder of just how important dads, granddads and brothers are in our lives, and the encouragement from employers to really see that value and find ways to connect them to their health and to their family is one of the best things that they can do," she said.