What to expect from your healthcare in 2024
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HEALTH AND WELLNESS: According to Mercer , healthcare benefit costs will jump by 5.4% in 2024, outdoing a decade-long average of annual increases that fell between 3% and 4%. Fueled by factors like the record inflation rates of 2022, provider shortages and deferred care due to the pandemic, health plans are finally feeling the full force of the last three years.
But rising healthcare costs isn't the only concern employers should have on their radars. Business Group on Health rounded up different trends that will shape the healthcare landscape in 2024, from the fight for prescription drug transparency to potential policy changes around ERISA. Ellen Kelsay , president and CEO of Business Group on Health shares what employers need to know:
JOB HUNT: Today, 97% of employers use applicant tracking systems in their recruitment processes, which weed out resumes that aren't closely aligned with keywords and skills listed in job descriptions. Employees should take advantage of AI to potentially outsmart these bots, while also leveraging their skills and experience in the most effective way.
Keith Spencer , career expert at FlexJobs , shares his best practices for using AI to write a resume, namely, using it as an "idea generator" rather than accepting any and all suggestions. Uploading a sample resume from a similar role can also give the AI guidelines to highlighting relevant metrics. Check out more tips:
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WOMEN'S HEALTH: New research from Maven Clinic found that virtual doula support can reduce C-sections by 20%. For Black mothers — an especially vulnerable population in the healthcare system — and members with a prior C-section who seek to deliver naturally, this number increases to 60%, comparable to in-person care during pregnancy. The study, which pulled data from almost 9,000 of Maven's members, found that in as few as two virtual doula appointments prior to labor, the birthing experience can be improved.
Supporting women during pregnancy, childbirth and beyond is an area for employers to focus on health in a more affordable way — and that means looking outside the box of what's typically available in the healthcare space. Maven's chief medical officer shares why doula care should be included in your healthcare plans: