Economic Impacts to Employers Providing Employee Health Programs and Health Insurance

This memo synthesizes evidence regarding the economic impacts of employer-funded health programs and insurance coverage on a company’s financial bottom line. Findings suggest that while interventions in chronic disease management, mental health, and occupational safety can generate positive returns on investment, the magnitude of these impacts remains highly sensitive to company size, program design, and methodological limitations like selection bias. Within the Colorado context, these health investments not only improve workforce productivity by reducing absenteeism and presenteeism but also contribute to regional fiscal stability by mitigating uncompensated care and commercial premium cost-shifting.