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Healthy lives, healthy economy. Experts assess what we’re getting wrong—and right!
Health care costs continue to rise while employers face growing challenges related to chronic disease, mental health, workforce productivity, and access to care.
Marathon Health recently convened experts from across the state to explore how employers can successfully address these challenges and to discuss the connection between employee well-being, business performance, and economic growth.
The various discussions were led by Chris Pricco, CEO of Marathon Health, and Katie Vicars, Marathon’s senior vice president of client success.
A recurring theme was the growing recognition that mental health has an enormous impact on employee well-being, productivity, and retention.
“We’ve often experienced health systems as if the mind and body are separate. They are not, and the line between mental and physical health is rarely as clean as sometimes our benefits packages may suggest,” said Jasmine Park, vice president of people, culture, and inclusion for the Indianapolis Colts, which hosted the event.
Addressing mental health in the workplace is more than a benefits discussion. Panelists also shared practical advice based on their workplace experiences.
“I encourage every single employer to have a peer support team in their company,” said Carmel Mayor Sue Finkam. Peer support teams are one of many tools the city of Carmel uses to support its employees. “We want our 770 employees to feel healthy and good so they can show up better for their families. It’s not about the statistic. It’s not about the budget line. It’s about quality of life, and that’s where we started.”
The good news is that employers and employees alike are recognizing the importance of mental health services.
“Something that is really giving me optimism and hope is that within our book of business, from 2024 to 2025, we saw an 11% increase in the utilization of mental health services,” said Amy Davis, vice president of growth and development for MJ Companies.
“It’s the third most prevalent reason why people are getting care. I don’t usually like to see increased utilization. But mental health, along with preventive exams, are areas where I do like seeing an increase in the data, so that is absolutely a reason for optimism.”
Regardless of what kinds of services are being used, employers need to be mindful of providing access in a format that employees will embrace. They warned against overreliance on technology.
“Seventy-five percent of people still want to see someone in person and talk to them. So trying not to lose that human element in all of this and really investing in primary care is still going to be critical,” said Christan Royer, senior director of benefits for Indiana University.
Dr. Gloria Sachdev, Indiana Secretary of Health and Family Services was the keynote speaker at the event and focused on a subject on everyone’s mind: affordability.
“The call to action here is [for all of us to] work toward affordable care that’s accessible, high-quality, and focused on wellness and chronic disease management,” Dr. Sachdev said.
The event wrapped up with a reminder from award-winning manufacturing executive Kathy Miller, who recently released her new book “MORE is Better,” a leadership guide that reveals how to build thriving workplaces.
“Employers are not just purchasing health care, they’re creating conditions for all of their team members to work and live and lead and contribute at their very best. We have to remember that business gets results through people, and that’s why this discussion is not just about cost.”
Click here to learn more about this event and watch the on-demand discussion featuring Indiana business, health care, and civic leaders.