Wellness Program Incentives

25 percent Jump in Employer Interest in Employee Health and Wellness

Worksite wellness for their staff members, companies are discovering, is wonderful for the health of their companies as well. Workplace Health Promotion Programs help to cut the costs associated with poor employee health, which include absenteeism, loss of work rate and poor work quality.

A recent Hewitt Associates survey of over 500 American corporations indicated a important paradigm shift in how corporations view health benefits for their staff members. Of those surveyed this year, 88% are committed to instituting long-term health care assistance programs (over the next 3-5 years) for their staff members, with the goal of boosting the health and work rate of their workforce. This represents a 25% increase in interest in Company Health Promotion Programs over 2007.

A strong offering of Worksite Health Promotion Programs to meet the demand has resulted. Health assistance providers have broadened their programs with tools that address general lifestyle factors, physical, social and psychological health factors. Programs look to predict chronic disease in their employees and give them the tools and the information to prevent it. Employers also demand a way to measure the performance of their health care spending.

“Self-care is our motive,” says Vic Lebouthillier, president of progressive wellbeing and health provider Exan Wellness.”We really believe giving workers tools to help them manage their own health, and promoting the advantages, while giving people resources to reach out for help is the key to thriving lifestyle modification. Corporations are also telling us they need a cost-effective way to deliver Workplace Wellness Programs. The type of program we have developed over years delivers the highest health care return on investment.”

Combining worksite wellness promotions, online assessments and health trackers, online health information, phone conferences and self-help groups, and access to a wide variety of health professionals, is behind the success of the Exan program. “Having online statistics about employees’ health also makes it easier to track the bottom line – return on investment” says Vic Lebouthillier.

“Employers are moving beyond their traditional role as a provider of medical care benefits to foster holistic programs that pinpoint the specific health needs of their employee populations, drive employee behavior modification and eliminate barriers to healthcare,” says Jim Winkler, leader of Hewitt’s health management consulting practice.

Nevertheless, in a separate survey of 30,000 staff members, 74% said that, even though they felt their corporation had an obligation to help them be aware of how to use their health benefits program, only 12% felt the corporation had any right to tell them how to be healthy. Based on these results, corporations need to drive home the fact that improved health is better for their staff members as well as the corporation. It’s a win-win situation.

Employers and employees did find common ground when it came to future health care. Both surveys indicate that 95 percent of employees be aware of that their taking care of their health today will effect future health care payments. A similar percentage also be aware of the significant of early detection and prevention when it comes to saving on health care costs.

Cost is significant for most companies as well. Over 80% of those surveyed made cost mitigation a priority for 2008, but those reductions did not involve shifting responsibility for health care onto staff members. Although 64% of companies have transfered expenditures to their staff members, only 17% aim  to do so in the next 3-5 years. Similarly with health reimbursement accounts, 20% now offer these, but only about 5% aim  to use them in 2008.

These survey results indicate businesses are getting more proactive in assisting their workers to modify behaviors and take ownership of their own health futures. This is obviously great for the wellness of workers, but also for the wellness of the businesses they work for. Almost half the businesses surveyed were convinced that changing health behaviors was key to enhanced productiveness and cut absentee rates. Over 60% intend  to institute programs that help workers change and/or sustain a healthier lifestyle. Almost of these businesses will also use data and measurements to be sure their health care strategies meet their health care objectives?