Employers can (and should) support their employees through cancer 

For example: 

• If Sarah lives in China, she might receive a lump sum cash payment upon being diagnosed with cancer, which comes with an exclusion on any future private medical critical illness coverage.¹
• If Sarah lives in Panama, insurers typically cover 80% of cancer care after the deductible is met. Market practice in paid leave permits 12 months with partial pay through government programs.
  
• If Sarah lives in Spain, the public healthcare system covers medical expenses fully, but long wait times may result in delayed screening and treatment.²
  

In all scenarios, Sarah’s odds of positive medical outcomes will vary based on when her disease is diagnosed and how it is treated and managed. Likewise, her odds of maintaining her financial health will vary based on a number of factors, including: the cost of her care; the impact of her disease and treatment on her ability to work; and the supplemental benefits and leave policies provided by public provisions and her employer. Regardless of where she lives, Sarah’s cancer experience will be mediated by the practical supports her job may provide her, including medical benefits, access to paid leave, flexible working, and social support networks.

Cancer cases are on the rise globally; a 77% increase in cancer diagnosis is expected over the next three decades.³ At the same time, research advances have improved cancer treatment, making intervention options more effective than ever. This duality demands the world —including global employers — redefine strategic short- and long-term cancer care. How can companies support employees like Sarah medically, financially, professionally, and socially? What steps can and should employers take to protect their workforce health and holistic well-being from the ravages of cancer?

One in every five people — from all segments of the population — will be diagnosed at some point in their life.⁴

Cancer is an employer issue.

• Cancer is a top five condition by cost globally.⁵
• Being diagnosed with cancer is an emotionally charged, confusing and stressful time for employees, that impacts their productivity in life and at work.
• Explosive growth in new treatments have shown increased effectiveness at keeping people alive and productive while significantly impacting cancer spend.
• Over 70% of the employed population worldwide identifies as a family caregiver.⁶

There is an association between support at work and positive employee health and well-being.

• Working can benefit those with cancer both psychologically and financially.⁷
• Perceived social connectedness can increase cancer survival; the absence of it lowers quality of life and increases mortality risk.⁸
• Cancer survivors are more likely to not work. Research shows that those with accommodating employers are more likely to keep working after treatment.⁹
• Employed cancer caregivers struggle balancing work and caregiving; they report a wide variety of work-related and mental health impacts including presenteeism, and stress.¹⁰

Employers can support employees with cancer by balancing empathy and economics in total rewards, benefits and organizational culture.

• Almost half of all cancers are preventable.¹¹ Although early detection can increase survival rates, coverage for and access to clinical preventive services such as screenings and vaccinations varies globally.
• There are approximately 32 million cancer survivors worldwide; many live with it as a chronic disease.¹² This number will grow given improvements in cancer screening, increasingly effective cancer treatment and an aging population. Every workforce includes cancer survivors; organizational culture should embrace them.
• The global economic cost of cancers from 2020 to 2050 is estimated to be $25.2 trillion*; this ever-increasing cost of new data, treatments and technologies in cancer are transforming employer responsibilities and placing a strain on health benefits.¹³

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is a leading cause of death globally: in 2022, there were 20 million new cases and 9.7 million deaths due to cancer, which translates into approximately one death in every nine for men and one in every 12 for women.¹⁴ The disease does not respect age: although half of all cancer cases occur in people over the age of 70, cancer is affecting a wider range of age groups and demographics than ever before. Rates are rapidly increasing among younger cohorts in the workforce. Worldwide, the number of cancer cases in those under age 50 are up 80% in the past three decades.¹⁵

There is nothing universal about cancer apart from its prevalence. Cancer types and rates vary across regions and demographics including income, race, gender, and sexual orientation. Access to cancer treatment and support also varies widely across regions and demographic groups. There is no one-size-fits-all approach globally to prioritizing cancer action and providing adequate care. Employers need to understand the risk cancer poses to its workforce both globally and locally.

Cancer care itself is ever-more costly and complex. As noted above, the estimated global cost of cancer from 2020 to 2050 is projected to be a staggering $25.2 trillion.¹³ Mercer Marsh Benefit’s Health Trends 2024 report cites cancer as a global top cause of claims costs in 2022.⁵  New data and technologies in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, for example genomic testing, gene therapy, and CAR T-cell therapy will create even greater financial pressures. This confluence of factors means that employers should be strategic in their approach to cancer care, defining global guiding principles for action and locally addressing coverage and gaps where possible.

Setting the human costs aside, cancer impacts the corporate bottom line directly and indirectly.¹⁶ Beyond healthcare costs, it may impact both individual careers and wider organizational productivity, affect careers, and demand active management. 

Identifying or detecting cancer is the first line of defense. Strategy considerations should include:

• Reviewing employee access to clinical preventive services globally. How are employees and their families able to get their recommended services? Are there obstacles to doing so, such as wait times, or lack of cover?
• Ensuring employees and their families can access clinical preventive services when employer-sponsored medical benefits are the means for doing so. Across worldwide employee populations, benefits such as preventive cancer screening and access to recommended vaccinations are considered very helpful.¹⁷ To that end, they should be designed to encourage take-up, rather than deter it.
• Providing employee education about the importance of lifestyle modification. Globally, smoking, alcohol use, poor diet and limited physical activity are top contributors to cancer.¹¹
• Linking employees to available public screening options. Private medical coverage may not be the best answer in all geographies. 

Steering employees to high-quality care and removing barriers to access is critical as misdiagnosis and incorrect treatment can result in poorer health outcomes. Support employees seeking treatment locally or via a center of excellence by means of intentional and well-considered plan design. This can be accomplished with effective global benefit governance, improved benefit navigation and second medical opinions where appropriate.

Thanks to improved treatments, many now live with cancer as a chronic disease requiring long-term treatment. Cancer survivors may require years of rehabilitative care, lifelong screenings and follow-ups — including recurrence requiring additional treatments and care. This influences medical benefit plan coverage and design.

Cancer incidence and related spend has and will continue to increase steadily. As the earlier example of Sarah highlights, the supports available can vary dramatically depending on diagnosis, location, demographics and more. As the cancer care landscape rapidly advances, we see evolution in personalized and precision medical treatments, early detection methods and additional practical supports for employees with cancer and their caregivers. Companies globally are recognizing the value of pledging* to create a positive workplace environment that supports impacted employees, and of putting in place a consistent set of supports that help to drive Total Well-being. At the same time, however, companies will need to make tough choices in their approach to medical benefits globally, answering questions of coverage adequacy and sufficiency while constrained by budget limitations. Mercer Marsh Benefits’ global team of clinicians and content specialists can support companies pursuing balance in these potentially divergent goals.

This is part one of a series. Part two 'Practical steps every employer can take to support employees impacted by cancer' outlines actionable steps companies can take.