Press Release

Aon Launches Interactive Model to Quantify Impact of Social Determinants of Health for U.S. Employers

Issued by Aon Hewitt

Dec. 2, 2021

CHICAGO -- Aon plc (NYSE: AON) today unveiled an interactive model that quantifies the impact of social determinants of health on employer workforces. Aon, a leading global professional services firm, designed the Health Disparity Assessment to help employers identify employees at risk, measure health disparity within their workforce and recommend solutions to improve the health of employees who live in disadvantaged communities.

"Living in a disadvantaged area has been linked to higher rates of chronic disease like diabetes, hypertension and asthma and our data suggest employees in those areas often under-utilize high-value services such as preventative care, mental health care and vaccinations," said Todor Penev, senior vice president of health analytics for Aon. "We are helping employers rapidly map the health risks their employees face based on demographics and recommending high-impact prevention, risk reduction and vendor strategies to address the unmet health needs of specific populations."

The Health Disparity Assessment uses de-identified demographic and location data on employee populations and dependents covered by the employer's health plan, combined with an index* that rates potential health disparities driven by social determinants, including local income, education, employment and housing factors. The membership and area disparity profiles are combined with machine learning algorithms that estimate the prevalence of common chronic conditions such as diabetes or cardiovascular and musculoskeletal disorders. The tool quantifies the impact of social determinants on service utilization such as emergency room visits, pharmacy scripts, preventive care and mental health care. Employers can compare their member impact distributions against broad employer market data based on Aon's Health Value Initiative, a database of employer health care cost, plan design and demographic data.

Aon's Health Solutions developed the Health Disparity Assessment as part of a suite of solutions the firm is building to address diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workforce. These include:

• Health Disparity Assessment: census-based social determinants of health analytics.
• Health Equity Monitor: claims-based social determinants of health analytics.
• DEI Opportunity Analysis: review of benefits against emerging DEI trends.
• DEI Program Engagement Analysis: review of engagement by population segment to identify differences in value derived.
• Benefit Design and DEI Point Solution Evaluations: family-building benefits (infertility treatment, fertility treatment, fertility preservation, adoption, surrogacy/gestational carrier and fostering) strategy development and solution implementation for transgender equity.

"We will utilize these tools with employers to help them make better decisions that improve the health status and lower medical plan costs for a diverse U.S. workforce," said Shelly MacConnell, vice president of Health Solutions for Aon. "Certain groups of people have systematically experienced greater obstacles to healthy living, and it is our priority to address the needs of these underserved populations and create more resilient and inclusive workforces."

For more information about Aon's Health Solutions, please click here.

*The Area Deprivation Index (ADI) is based on a measure created by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) over three decades ago, and has since been refined, adapted and validated to the Census Block Group neighborhood level by Amy Kind, MD, PhD and her research team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It allows for rankings of neighborhoods by socioeconomic disadvantage. It can be used to inform health delivery and policy, especially for the most disadvantaged neighborhood groups. The higher the ADI value, the more deprived the area is. ADI includes factors for the theoretical domains of income, education, employment and housing quality.

About Aon
Aon plc (NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better - to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Our colleagues provide our clients in over 120 countries with advice and solutions that give them the clarity and confidence to make better decisions to protect and grow their business.

Follow Aon on Twitter and LinkedIn. Stay up-to-date by visiting the Aon Newsroom and sign up for News Alerts here. 

Editor's note: This press release has been issued by the company named above, not BenefitsLink. Reliance on information in this press release might be prudent only after an independent review of its accuracy, completeness, efficacy, and timeliness. Reference to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, service mark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by BenefitsLink.