While climate change drives up costs for employer-sponsored health plans, many businesses remain unprepared. In fact, 77% of employees report being affected by extreme weather, but only 4% of employers have assessed which parts of their workforce are most at risk. 

A new article in Fierce Healthcare highlights the Climate Health Cost Forecaster, a tool developed by Mercer in partnership with the National Commission on Climate and Workforce Health, which aims to close this gap. The Forecaster is designed to help employers understand how climate-related events like extreme heat, poor air quality, and flooding could impact employee health and healthcare costs.

Susan Potter, President of Mercer U.S. and Canada and Co-Chair of the Commission, emphasized the tool’s unique value: “The Forecaster connects the dots between extreme weather, people risk, and rising healthcare costs. It empowers business leaders to prioritize employee health and turn risk into readiness.”

The Commission believes that understanding climate-related health risks is not just a public health imperative; it’s a business imperative. The Climate Health Cost Forecaster gives employers the tools to act with foresight rather than react to crisis.

Tracy Watts, Mercer’s U.S. Leader for Healthcare Policy, summed it up: “You have to know the risk to address the risk.”

Read the full article in Fierce Healthcare to learn how this new tool is helping employers take action on climate and health.

Empowering Business Leaders To Take Action

The National Commission on Climate and Workforce Health is a group of business, health, and climate leaders who share a mission to protect workers from the health risks posed by extreme weather.

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