“I’ve stopped checking my mail,” said Travis, overwhelmed by the past-due medical bills and collections notices piling up in his mailbox. Unfortunately, Travis’ situation is all too familiar. It seems like every week another family is in the news, sharing their story about unexpected medical bills, unaffordable healthcare costs, or being so burdened by medical debt that they have to file for bankruptcy. These stories aren’t anomalies; they’re very much a reflection of reality.

Overwhelmed. Burned-out. Exhausted. No matter how you say it, American workers are stressed. In the last six months, 60% of WorkLife clients reported that their stress levels negatively impacted their work and home lives. According to the American Psychological Association, the high cost of living and healthcare expenses are to blame for American’s rising stress levels—with 72% of adults feeling stressed about money at least some of the time.

Janet* recently reached out to WorkLife Partnership’s Benefits Navigator because she needed help affording her husband’s prescriptions. The employee was used to paying a small co-pay for prescriptions (around $10) on her previous insurance plan, and was surprised to learn […]