In Canada, women spend 24% more time than men in poor health, according to a study conducted by the McKinsey Health Institute (MHI), a global organization dedicated to improving human health. Reducing these disparities could potentially boost the country’s economy by tens of billions of dollars per year by 2040.
The researchers found that Canadian women will live about 14 years with a disability, compared with 11 years for men. Their health and productivity are closely linked. Their health issues affect their ability to be present and productive at work, which in turn reduces their income.
Improving their health could allow them to live seven more days in good health each year and contribute significantly to the growth of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
“There are three root causes behind the disparity women face concerning their healthcare—efficacy, care delivery, and data—that must be addressed,” the authors of the study state.
Financial impacts of healthier women
The study quantified, in monetary terms, the effects of reducing these health inequalities between the two sexes. The researchers estimate this gain at $37 billion per year for Canada, but believe this estimate is likely conservative due to data gaps that undercount the prevalence and burden of many conditions among women.
More than half of the additional healthy life years women have gained from increased life expectancy over the past two centuries, and 75% of GDP gains, occur during their working years, the organization notes.
According to the research, the health gap between Canadian women and their male counterparts has a disproportionate impact in terms of loss, as a percentage of GDP, when measured against projected GDP for 2040. Among the ten largest economies in the world, Canada ranks fifth among the countries most affected by GDP loss due to disparities in women’s health.
Still according to the MHI study, focusing on certain health issues that affect only women or affect them disproportionately could improve health outcomes and generate significant economic gains. “For example, closing the gap for premenstrual syndrome, depressive disorders, and migraine alone leads to a GDP impact of more than $6 billion on the Canadian economy,” the authors state.
Women disproportionately or differently affected
The organization examined the main health issues affecting the Canadian population. It found that more than half of the ten most common conditions affect women disproportionately or differently. Some conditions may be more frequent in women than in men or result in greater morbidity.
For decades, the authors explain, research and clinical trials have focused primarily on male biology, “creating a “default male” model for diagnosis and treatment.” As a result, many conditions present differently or go unnoticed in women, leading to misdiagnosis and/or undertreatment.
Cancer, cardiovascular disease and mental and neurological health disorders (such as migraine) account for 75% of health disparities affecting women in Canada.
Examples of gender inequalities
Heart attacks illustrate these inequalities. Symptoms present differently and are more difficult to detect in women than in men. As a result, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, warning signs of a heart attack go unnoticed in 78% of women.
Also according to the MHI study, about 75% of women experience hot flashes during menopause, which affects their productivity, well-being and income. A 2023 study by Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit integrated medical group in the United States, estimated that menopause symptoms cost U.S. employers about $1.8 billion per year in lost work time.
Another example: reports from Alberta show that, on average, women visit emergency rooms at least 30% more often than men for asthma-related exacerbations.
Regional gains in Canada from reducing these disparities
The financial gains resulting from reducing health inequalities affecting women in Canada would vary by province.
Taking into account the size and age distribution of the female population, the research specifies, as well as labour market participation rates, employment rates and provincial GDP per capita, the potential GDP gain in Quebec and Ontario would amount to more than $20 billion.
Alberta ($6.1 billion) and Saskatchewan ($1.4 billion) would see very significant gains relative to their share of the national population. British Columbia is not mentioned.
In Atlantic and northern regions, although the economic values are lower, there are many arguments in favour of targeted action to improve women’s health.
“Now that we know, we have to take care of it”
A gynecologist-obstetrician, former president of the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec and current chief executive officer of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), Dr. Diane Francoeur is affected by these inequalities both as a woman and as a physician.
“Now that we know, we have to take care of it. Discrimination in Canada is prohibited!” she underlines.
However, less money is invested in women’s health issues, according to the physician. She cites the case of polycystic ovary syndrome, which can cause pain two weeks a month and lead to high absenteeism among those who suffer from it. Yet little research focuses on this purely female condition, she adds.
In an interview with the Insurance Portal, Dr. Francoeur laments that health issues force some women to retire early, affecting their retirement income for the rest of their lives.
What insurers could do
Currently, says the MHI study, improving women’s health is hampered by a lack of comprehensive, disaggregated and longitudinal data.
For Dr. Francoeur, insurance companies could play a concrete role in addressing this issue. The specialist physician recalls that during the COVID-19 pandemic, insurers were the ones who knew the most about what was happening in the population.
“We need to bring them into our work on women’s health,” she says. “In Quebec and across Canada, we have exceptional researchers (…) If we were able to obtain a certain level of profiling from insurance companies to identify emerging health issues, we could intervene so that women are healthier.”
Dr. Francoeur, who chaired Sogemec Assurances for seven years, hopes insurers will share with health researchers the data they collect on medications and absenteeism, which would reveal a great deal about the health of insured women.
She adds that insurers should even directly fund research to find solutions. “Women need to be healthy so they can remain in the workforce longer and maintain their financial autonomy.”
