Healthcare Confusion Is Costing Your Company More Than You Think
Introduction
Employers and HR professionals—this one is for you.
Healthcare confusion doesn’t stay at home when your employees come to work. It follows them into meetings, shows up as missed deadlines, increases absenteeism, and quietly drains productivity across your organization.
If you think healthcare and insurance stress doesn’t impact employee performance, the data—and your workforce—say otherwise.
Only about 35% of employees say healthcare is easy to navigate, even though roughly 14% of the U.S. workforce is employed in healthcare itself. When navigating care is confusing for professionals inside the system, imagine how overwhelming it feels for everyone else.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
Most employees struggle to understand healthcare and insurance
50–60% of employees deal with healthcare issues during work hours
Caregiving-related productivity loss costs U.S. businesses $33.6 billion annually
Healthcare confusion increases stress, absenteeism, and presenteeism
Independent healthcare advocacy services reduce burden for employees and employersThe healthcare system is fragmented, making coordination your responsibility
How Healthcare Confusion Shows Up at Work
Healthcare confusion doesn’t look like one big event—it looks like hundreds of small disruptions happening every day.
Research consistently shows that 50–60% of employees spend work time dealing with healthcare or insurance issues—for themselves or family members. That’s not misuse of time; it’s necessity.
When healthcare is confusing, employees are forced to choose between their job and their family’s wellbeing.
The Hidden Cost of Caregiving on Productivity
Caregiving is one of the most underestimated drivers of lost productivity.
The Area Agency on Aging estimates that U.S. businesses lose $33.6 billion annually due to caregiving-related productivity loss.
What caregiving really looks like for employees
Supporting aging parents
Coordinating doctor appointments
Managing medications
Ensuring home safety
Navigating transitions from hospital → rehab → home or assisted living
Each transition requires hours of phone calls, paperwork, decisions, and emotional labor—often done during the workday.
When a spouse receives a new diagnosis
Finding the right specialists
Understanding what the diagnosis means
Managing insurance approvals and denials
Decoding medical bills and explanations of benefits
Stress doesn’t pause just because the employee is at their desk.
A child’s health scare
Emotional stress and fear
Confusion about coverage and out-of-pocket costs
Insurance denials for necessary medications or tests
Unexpected medical bills arriving weeks or months later
Even when employees are physically present at work, their attention is divided.
How Healthcare Confusion Impacts Your Entire Organization
Healthcare confusion creates stress and anxiety, which leads to:
Increased absenteeism
Presenteeism (employees are present but not fully productive)
Burnout and disengagement
Higher turnover risk
The impact doesn’t stop with one employee. It affects teams, managers, deadlines, morale, and ultimately your bottom line.
Why Independent Healthcare Advocacy Makes Business Sense
Your employees don’t need more pamphlets or complicated benefit portals.
They need help.
Independent healthcare advocates can:
Explain insurance coverage in plain language
Help resolve denied claims and bills
Coordinate care transitions
Reduce time employees spend navigating healthcare chaos
Lower stress during medical crises
When employees are supported, productivity improves, loyalty increases, and HR teams spend less time managing crisis situations.
Everybody wins when you provide access to advocacy services.
Final Thoughts: Support the Whole Employee
Your employees aren’t just workers—they’re caregivers, parents, spouses, and adult children navigating one of the most complex systems in the country.
Healthcare confusion is not a personal failure. It’s a system problem—and it’s showing up at work every day.
Providing access to independent healthcare advocacy is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s a strategic investment in your people and your organization.
👉 Want to explore healthcare advocacy support for your employees?
Reach out to Haven Healthcare Advocates to learn how we help employees navigate care, reduce stress, and stay focused at work.
FAQ’s
What is healthcare advocacy?
Healthcare advocacy provides personalized support to help individuals navigate medical care, insurance, billing, and care coordination.
Is healthcare advocacy only for serious medical cases?
No. Advocacy helps with everyday issues like understanding benefits, resolving bills, finding providers, and handling insurance denials—before problems escalate.
How does advocacy benefit employers?
It reduces lost productivity, absenteeism, HR burden, and employee stress while improving retention and engagement.
Can advocacy support family caregiving needs?
Yes. Advocacy is especially valuable for employees caring for aging parents, spouses with new diagnoses, or children with complex medical needs.
