The rapid expansion of part-time, seasonal, and gig-based labor in the United States has created a healthcare access crisis for millions of working Americans, according to healthcare executive John Theodore Zabasky. As CEO of WorXsiteHR Insurance Solutions, Inc., Zabasky points to labor data showing nearly 40% of U.S. workers now fall outside traditional full-time employment, leaving them without the benefits structures designed for that model.
"The workforce has changed faster than our healthcare systems," Zabasky explains. "Traditional benefits were built for full-time, long-term employment. That's no longer the reality for a huge portion of workers." This disconnect has resulted in over 30 million Americans delaying or avoiding medical care each year due to cost, according to studies cited by Zabasky. Even among those with insurance, high deductibles and confusing plan structures often prevent people from seeking necessary care.
"Coverage doesn't automatically mean access," says Zabasky. "If people are afraid to use their insurance, the system has already failed." This perspective comes from Zabasky's work with WorXsiteHR Insurance Solutions, which serves as the exclusive Third-Party Administrator for the HealthWorX Plan, a no-cost medical plan subsidized by a nonprofit to support lower-income, part-time, and seasonal workers. Through affiliated nonprofit efforts, Zabasky's organization helps facilitate over $100 million annually in healthcare services and premiums for families in need.
Zabasky emphasizes that the issue extends beyond any single company or solution. "This isn't about one plan or one provider," he says. "It's about recognizing that healthcare needs to be simple, usable, and designed around how people actually live and work today." With academic training spanning history, business, information systems, and health sciences, Zabasky approaches healthcare as a systems problem, noting that "history shows us that systems fail when they stop serving the people they were built for."
The healthcare executive warns against overcomplication in modern healthcare systems, stating that "complexity benefits administrators, not patients. Simplicity is what restores trust." Rather than waiting for comprehensive policy reform alone, Zabasky encourages practical action at multiple levels. Employers can explore alternative healthcare models for nontraditional workers, workers should ask direct questions about actual costs rather than just coverage details, communities can support nonprofits expanding healthcare access, and leaders can prioritize systems that emphasize usability over optics.
"You don't need to rebuild the entire system to make a difference," Zabasky says. "You just need to stop accepting that 'this is how it's always been.'" As economic uncertainty continues with inflation, workforce instability, and rising medical costs straining American households, Zabasky's message carries particular urgency for HR vendors and industry professionals. He frames healthcare access as "no longer just a benefits issue—it's a workforce, stability, and dignity issue," adding that "when working people can take care of their health, everything else becomes more stable—families, businesses, and communities."
