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Hurricane season has started, extreme heat is here and wildfire smoke is already blanketing many parts of the country. These events are no longer challenges only for operations or safety teams. They’re driving real increases in healthcare claims and exposing gaps in benefits strategy—and should be an increased focus for HR and benefits leaders.
To help employers prepare, Mercer and the National Commission on Climate and Workforce Health have launched a new digital tool: the Climate Health Cost Forecaster. The tool gives employers their first clear line of sight into how climate-related health risks—such as extreme heat, poor air quality, flooding and hurricanes—could increase healthcare costs for their populations over the next decade.
For benefits leaders trying to manage plan design, anticipate cost drivers and align across regions, this kind of data is increasingly essential.
Why rising climate health costs matter for benefits teams
Employers today are already facing rising medical costs, and many are looking for new ways to contain costs without cutting coverage. What’s often overlooked is how climate-related health risks are quietly compounding the problem, especially in industries or geographies with higher exposure, and that these risks are growing.
The Forecaster, built by Mercer, offers customized, ZIP
