New Study Reveals 40% of Workplace-Insured Americans Delay Care Due to Cost, Adversely Impacting Workplace Culture and Productivity

Columbia, Missouri – March 14, 2024— Paytient, the leading provider of healthcare affordability solutions, released today a study commissioned from independent research group Nonfiction on workplace-insured Americans. The Hidden Lives of Workplace-Insured Americans reveals stunning insights into the secret healthcare lives of Americans who have employer-sponsored insurance. 

The study found as many as 69 million workplace-insured Americans were primarily self-paying for care, having not exceeded their deductible in 2023. Forty percent of workplace-insured Americans reported delaying care due to cost, which negatively impacted their mental health, workplace culture, and productivity. One in six respondents reported their work was affected due to a health issue they couldn’t afford to treat, 69% of whom admitted to being distracted by pain at work. 

Other key insights include: 

• 17% of workplace-insured Americans have left their jobs to better afford healthcare.
• Of those whose work was impacted by delayed care:
  • 31% have lied to their boss about what they are doing while dealing with delayed care consequences.
  • 19% have spent time working double, two jobs at the same time, to make money intended for healthcare.

“The results of this study spotlight the invisible insecurity of insured Americans as health insurance alone no longer guarantees access to care. Bringing this narrative into the national dialogue on healthcare highlights an opportunity for employers to affordably ensure employees have the security and certainty that they will be able to access and pay for care when they need it,” said Brian Whorley, Founder and CEO of Paytient.

The study included a diverse cross-section of employed Americans with respect to gender, ethnicity/race, region, occupation, income level, seniority level, family type, and varying health conditions. Respondents were of above average income with 1 in 5 earning more than $100,000 per year and 46% in managerial or higher positions. A quantitative sample was collected in January 2024, totaling 1,516 survey responses, using a 95% confidence level and a 3% margin of error based on an estimated 153 million Americans with employer-sponsored healthcare in 2023. 

In a qualitative analysis, confessional interviews were also conducted to highlight the personal stories of those who have reported delaying care. To learn more visit https://www.paytient.com/report 

About Paytient:

Paytient ensures affordable, quality care by empowering members to smooth out of pocket healthcare costs over time. Paytient partners with 5,000+ employers, payers, and leading healthcare providers, including Hyatt, R.R. Donnelley, Cigna, Centene, and Dental Dental and will serve 25 million Americans by 2025. 

For more information, please visit https://www.paytient.com/.

About Nonfiction:

Nonfiction Research is an independent research company who studies the gaps between America’s public and private lives. Their work has been covered by MSNBC, CNBC, ABC News, Fox News, Axios, Fast Company.