An inside look at conditions driving employer health spend
Insights and recommendations to help employers get ahead of and better support employees diagnosed with the top conditions driving up employer spend.
Chronic and metabolic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity, are a significant health and financial burden in the U.S., affecting over 129M Americans and consuming a substantial portion of employer health care budgets.1
In fact, about 20% of employer health care spending goes towards managing these conditions, and 20% of UnitedHealthcare members with chronic or coexisting conditions accounted for 80% of total health care expenditures.2 The cost implications of these conditions were further reinforced in the UnitedHealthcare 2026 Health Trends Report, with the cost of managing these conditions increasing 9% on average from 2024 to 2025.
Download the full condition snapshot catalog or the individual condition snapshots below to understand the overall impact these conditions are having on employee health, productivity and costs across the country as well as within certain populations, and why a whole-person approach may be key to stunting or even reversing trends related to:
Cancer
Over the past couple years, cancer has continued to be a top cost driver for employers, with about 2M new cases diagnosed annually in the U.S.3 Employers can work to help prevent cancer diagnoses (or late-stage cancer diagnoses) by promoting early detection through screenings. For those employees with cancer, employers can provide access to specialized care, as well as offer resources for mental health and advocacy services to help employees navigate their treatment and recovery.
Musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders
Musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders are a common source of chronic pain and disability, affecting 40% of U.S. adults and leading to significant health care costs and productivity losses.4 Employers can support employees who are impacted by these types of ailments by providing access to physical therapy and ergonomic assessments, and by promoting early intervention and preventive measures to help reduce the need for more invasive and costly treatments.
Cardiovascular disease
As the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S. for more than a century, cardiovascular disease is a major health concern for employers and employees alike.5 Employers can help support the cardiovascular health of their workforces by covering cardiac rehabilitation programs, creating heart-healthy workplaces and providing resources for early detection and management, such as blood pressure monitoring and cholesterol screenings.
Digestive disorders
Between 60–70M Americans are affected by digestive diseases each year.6 These gut health issues are hitting employer budgets hard, with a 37% increase in related costs from 2019-2025.2 Employers looking to lessen the impact on employees and their bottom line can promote preventive screenings and care, provide behavioral health support to mitigate the affect these disorders have on mental health, and provide clinical programs and resources to help with condition management.
Behavioral health
Behavioral health is one of the fastest growing drivers of employer spend.7 Part of that is due to 12B working days lost annually due to depression and anxiety.8 Employers can help employees manage the impact of behavioral health by focusing on burnout prevention, offering access to a continuum of care options and considering whole-family behavioral health needs.
Diabetes
Diabetes, primarily type,2 affects more than 40.1M U.S. adults9 and has seen a 5% year-over-year increase in average cost per member, per month.2 Employers can help their employees manage diabetes diagnoses by promoting healthier living, covering at-home screenings and providing continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) to encourage regular monitoring.
Obesity
Obesity is a prevalent metabolic condition that is currently affecting around 172M Americans.10 To help manage the accompanying health care costs and productivity losses, employers may want to use claims data to understand their population and inform insights, offer weight-management programs that either work alongside or supplement the need for GLP-1s and ensure their health plans incorporate Centers of Excellence (COEs) for bariatric surgery that can deliver quality specialized care.
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