'The business case is there,' the high cost of ignoring women's health

Health experts at Dialogue are underscoring the real cost for employers who neglect women’s health. Particularly, as women’s health needs are deeply tied to biology and life stages, impacting not just physical and mental health, but financial well-being.

During a webinar on Wednesday, Dialogue’s Swati Matta underscored what’s currently missing when it comes to women’s health are the differences and inequalities in research, access to care, health-related experiences, and ultimately health outcomes between men and women. She emphasized the ultimate cost that employers face when they neglect women’s health. In today’s workplace, women are showing up while often quietly navigating health challenges that are still too often misunderstood, dismissed, or outright ignored.

“When close to 50 per cent of the workforce is impacted by the gender health gap and don’t have the support they need and deserve, we see an impact on workplaces,” said Matta, head of women’s health at Dialogue. “The gender health gap has real impact on women’s participation in the workplace as 60 per cent of working women believe that health issues impact their careers and only 37 per cent of women feel their employer provides adequate health support. It’s time to change that.”

Jennifer Buckley was quick to back up Matta’s arguments, emphasizing that when women are unwell or unsupported, it leads to missed workdays, lost productivity, and extended leaves of absence.

“Women’s health impacts everyone,” said Buckley, senior vice president of commercial at Dialogue. “Four in 10 working women said they’ve made career-limiting decisions for health-related concerns or to care for family,” adding these choices come at a cost to women, teams and employers. Women also take more health-related time off than men and account for 69 per cent of mental health leaves in North America.

From an economic standpoint, Buckley highlighted unmanaged menopause alone costs employers $237 million in lost productivity each year and leads to $3.3 billion in lost income for women who cut hours or leave work.

“The business case is there to get control of women’s health,” Buckley said. “In fact, study after study has shown that when women are healthy, families are more stable and experience less stress, employers benefit from fewer absences and see greater participation from women in the workforce and society as a whole sees stronger child development and less pressures on social services.”

Matta called out the systemic gaps in women’s healthcare, highlighting how the industry continues to overlook half the population.

“Despite making half the population, women’s health has been misunderstood, under-researched, and underserved,” she said, pointing to a stark funding disparity: less than 6 per cent of federal research funding in the past decade has gone to women’s health.

She emphasized that the consequences aren’t just clinical but also deeply professional. With conditions like endometriosis, menopause, and autoimmune diseases often going undiagnosed for years, women are left managing symptoms without real support.

“We live longer than men, but we also spend 25 per cent more of our lives in poor health,” she said.

Matta believes workplace health benefits have historically been designed around “a one-size-fits-all model that doesn’t reflect the realities of women’s health needs,” she told BPM, noting that critical life stages, such as menopause, fertility, and postpartum recovery, have been rarely addressed, and conditions that present differently in women were often overlooked due to gaps in research and medical training.

Women’s experiences with menstrual disorder, fertility challenges, breast cancer, and menopause often have the greatest day-to-day impact, whether through physical symptoms, emotional strain, or the need for schedule flexibility, noted Matta.

Additionally, while some employers have made strides with parental leave and wellness programs, she believes most support is still inconsistent and lacks integration with everyday workplace culture.

Yet, Matta noted that the benefits landscape is “at a turning point where women’s health is shifting from being a niche concern to a core part of workforce health strategy.” She underscored plan sponsors can adapt by prioritizing inclusive benefits that address the full spectrum of needs, everything from a physical, mental, and social standpoint and by choosing partners who integrate women’s health into the broader benefits offering, rather than treating it as a standalone add-on.

Dialogue expands digital offering

That's why Dialogue announced the expansion of its platform to include a dedicated Women’s and Family Health program aimed at delivering full-spectrum, personalized care from menstruation through menopause.

“Women’s health is complex and requires more than siloed programs,” she said, noting the new offering is designed to integrate clinical care, mental health support, and coaching in one place, enabling faster, more coordinated treatment.

Starting in January 2026, Dialogue will be focused on offering menopause care, aiming to reduce the current wait times “from months to minutes.”

“Throughout 2026 and beyond, we will be expanding to include care from family building, sexual and hormonal health, chronic health and more, with a strong focus on preventative care,” noted Matta, highlighting how the current system often leaves women waiting far too long for answers, let alone treatment.

 “By the time they receive a diagnosis and a treatment plan, they’ve been struggling with uncomfortable and confusing symptoms for far too long,” she said.

Instead of waiting months, through Dialogue’s new offering, women will be able to connect with a menopause-trained nurse for urgent support within a week and see a specialized physician or nurse practitioner shortly after. From there, they can receive a tailored care plan, whether it includes hormone therapy, mental health support, or dietary guidance.

“We will cut the time to care for months, ensuring women get the support they need quickly with the highest standard of care,” Matta emphasized.