National Report Reveals the Health and Productivity Impact of Chronic Conditions on U.S. Employers and Workers

WellTheory’s First-of-Its-Kind ‘Autoimmune Disease Impact’ Report Identifies Most Effective Strategies for Reducing Employers’ Healthcare and Disability Costs

ATHERTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WellTheory, a first-of-its-kind virtual solution for the 50 million Americans suffering with autoimmune disease, today released a groundbreaking Autoimmune Disease Impact Report in partnership with the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI), a national nonprofit organization that provides impartial research, data analytics, and practical tools aimed at improving the quality and effectiveness of employee health and productivity programs.

The report, which examines the health and productivity impacts of five of the most prevalent and costly autoimmune conditions: rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel diseases, psoriasis, and thyroid autoimmune disorders, includes data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ’s) Medical, Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), IBI’s Health and Productivity Benchmarking System, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program and National Compensation Survey.

Autoimmune diseases now affect roughly 50 million Americans, yet most benefits strategies fail to address their true impact on healthcare costs, absenteeism, and workforce productivity. With rising prevalence and skyrocketing treatment costs, these conditions are quietly becoming one of the most expensive and overlooked challenges for employers. For every 1,000 U.S. employees, the five autoimmune conditions examined in this report drive roughly $580,000 in excess and potentially avoidable healthcare costs and lost work time from sickness and disability. This does not include the value of lost productivity due to early exits from the labor force, excess turnover costs, and presenteeism and is comparable in magnitude to that of other chronic conditions, such as diabetes, which typically receive more attention from employers.

“Living with an autoimmune disease makes everyday feel unpredictable,” said Ellen Rudolph, CEO and Co-Founder of WellTheory. “I know from firsthand experience that these conditions don't always show visible symptoms, making them particularly challenging to recognize and understand in a workplace setting. With this data, we’re giving employers an opportunity to more accurately identify the underlying prevalence and impact of these conditions, to then be able to provide essential support to their employees.”

Key findings from WellTheory’s report include:

• Prevalence of Autoimmune Conditions: 7.2 percent of surveyed employed adults received treatment for one of five researched autoimmune conditions. This figure underrepresents the true prevalence of these conditions in society, as there are an estimated 100+ autoimmune conditions and they are significantly underdiagnosed and untreated.

• Disparities in Incidence and Outcomes: The incidence of autoimmune conditions among women is twice that of men overall.

• Excess Medical and Pharmacy Costs: Autoimmune patients with conditions like multiple sclerosis can cost employers up to 6X more in medical and prescription medication costs, and up to 16x more for prescription medications alone, compared to employees without autoimmune conditions

• Short-Term Disability Claims: The average lost work days due to short-term disability for patients with certain autoimmune diseases represent approximately 73 calendar days per year, costing employers as much as $27,000 per patient in economic value

• Long-Term Disability Claims: The average lost work days due to long-term disability for patients with certain autoimmune conditions represent approximately 287 calendar days per year, costing employers $82,000 per claimant

“Autoimmune diseases are one of the most overlooked drivers of employer healthcare and disability costs,” said Jim Huffman, President of IBI. “Despite affecting millions of employees, benefits programs often fail to address their true financial and productivity impact. Forward-thinking employers have an opportunity to intervene earlier, improve employee well-being, and reduce long-term costs.”

The findings of this report identify crucial trends and actionable insights for organizations looking to improve their employee health offerings. The analysis in this report also provides scalable cost benchmarks to assess potential savings from reducing the prevalence of symptoms, treatment costs, and illness-related absences and disability leaves. The full report is available for download here.

About Integrated Benefits Institute

The Integrated Benefit Institute’s independent research, industry-leading tools and data resources help companies link health-related programs to the outcomes that maximize the contributions of people to productivity and business performance. Founded in 1995, IBI is a national nonprofit research organization and business association serving more than 1,600 employer and supplier members. For additional information, please visit www.ibiweb.org and follow us on LinkedIn.

About WellTheory:

WellTheory is a virtual care platform reversing the autoimmune epidemic by filling the gaps left behind in traditional healthcare. WellTheory offers a research-backed proprietary program that addresses the root cause of autoimmunity and treats the whole person with the aim to reduce symptoms, improve quality of life, and lower costs. WellTheory’s platform centers around evidence-based, high-touch care led by an interdisciplinary team of autoimmune experts, including licensed registered dietitians and board-certified health coaches. It’s an anti-symptom-masking model that goes beyond the pill, built by autoimmune patients and validated by decades of clinical research.