b'L E A D I N G T H E WAYHealth Care During COVID-19 2020 was a year none of us will soon forget. The destructivehard decisions between treatments and paying their rent, impact of COVID-19 was felt across the country and aroundmortgage, or utility bills; buying food; or saving for the the world, killing millions, sickening tens of millions, andfuture. Some are even forced to declare bankruptcy. Indeed, leaving everyone else in its tragic wake.an estimated four in ten Americans would struggle to come Even those who were spared from illness associated withup with $400 to cover an emergency.the virus could not escape COVIDs effects. As businessesThroughout 2020, many people felt alone, sad, and without closed, schools shuttered, travelling halted, and socialhope. But one thing we learned is that people carethey gatherings ceased, Americans had to adopt new routineswant to help those who are in need, they want to make a and face new realities.positive difference in someones life. During times like the For many, those new realities included overwhelming financialCOVID-19 pandemic, HealthWell realizes just how fortunate burdens brought on by job losses, furloughs, and exits fromwe are to be able to continue making a difference in the the workforce to take care of children and dependentslives of those so negatively impacted.whose schools and in-person social services were no longerI mpact on the ChronicallyI llavailable. Loss of employee-sponsored health insurance leftAs COVID-19 took its toll on every aspect of our lives, the many scrambling to afford needed health care.impact of the pandemic was overwhelming. For those living For others, the new realities included emotional burdenswith chronic illnesses or mental health conditions, COVID-19 associated with COVID. Fear, stress, and depression becameimpeded access to critical care, causing both interruptions constant companions for many, especially frontline workersin treatment schedules and an inability to see a health care in health care and other essential functions.provider. Staggering statics highlight the difficulties these Still others had to cope with the pandemic while also livingpatient communities endured during the pandemic.with another chronic illness, which often placed them atPeople with cancer are three times more likely to get sick greater risk for COVID complications. and die from COVID than the general population,1 and As hospitals and clinics nationwide closed their doors tosome cancer patients, including those with hematologic all but the most gravely ill patients, those with illnesses likemalignancies and lung cancer, are even more likely tocancer, hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis, and other diseasesget COVID.couldnt wait for things to return to normal. They neededThe first four months of the pandemic left 7.7 million workers and unfettered access to regular scans, testing, and treatment6.9 million dependents without employee-sponsored insurance.resources at a time when a visit to a providers office was fraught with uncertainty and potential increased risk for89%exposure to the coronavirus. Fortunately, evidence suggests that the short-lived decreaseof adults hospitalized in March 2020 had pre-existing in doctor office visits for diagnostic and treatment servicesmedical conditions.2early in the pandemic quickly rebounded to more normal levels as providers adopted telehealth capabilitiesBy mid-2020, 48 percent of adults said they or someone in and re-tooled their offices to operate within safe socialtheir household had postponed or skipped medical care due distancing guidelines. to the coronavirus outbreak. Eleven percent of adults said Until 2020, most people were likely unaware of just howtheir or their family members condition got worse as a result devastating a life-altering illness like cancer or COVID-19of postponing or skipping medical care due to coronavirus.3can be. At HealthWell, we know. We know how hard itFifteen million adults reported that they or a family member can be to afford needed medical treatments even duringhave been denied care due to heavy patient volume brought good times. We know that people are forced to makeon from the coronavirus outbreak.4PAGE 6|HEALTHWELL FOUNDATION 2020 ANNUAL REPORT'