Nearly a third (30 per cent) of insurers are making changes to ensure there’s diversity among the medical providers within their networks, according to a new report by Mercer.
The report found more than a quarter (27 per cent) of insurers said they’ve changed their eligibility access processes to make coverage more inclusive for LGBTQ2S+ employees by introducing measures such as allowing partners of the same gender to be named on medical plans.
Read: How employers are integrating DEI into their benefits plans
A quarter (24 per cent) of employers surveyed said they’re considering how to incorporate better social support mechanisms into their employee benefits or have already done so. These improvements would focus on top employee challenges such as food, housing and transportation.
The top strategic priorities cited by global insurers were data analytics (34 per cent), better management of health-care providers (21 per cent) and promoting high-quality health measures (20 per cent) such as encouraging employees to use facilities specializing in their condition rather than a local doctor.
Even though mental health was flagged by insurers as the second-biggest risk to employee health, just three per cent said they view mental-health provision as a key priority.
Read: U.S. employees having difficulty accessing mental-health benefits: survey