| Wellness and preventive health promotion programs have become more prevalent in the
past decade, with nine in ten U.S. worksites now sponsoring at least one health-promoting
activity. Rising health care costs and other pressures are likely to contribute to further
expansion of the programs over the next five years indicated respondents to the 1999
National Worksite Health Promotion Survey. Not surprisingly, the survey found that the
most common reason that employers sponsor health promotion programs is to keep workers
healthy – cited 84% of the 1544 survey participants. Other reasons cited frequently
included improving employee morale (77%), reducing health care costs (76%), and retaining
good employees (75%).
Employers continue to face business challenges that prompt them to promote and maintain
good health among their workers and their families. The one cited most often as a concern
of senior management was healthcare costs (cited by 94% of surveyed worksites). The chart
below indicates the other primary concerns.
Despite this recognition of the business consequences of poor health, only half of the
surveyed worksites regard health as a core business value and, as such, essential to
business objectives.
Modern declines in corporate productivity and profitability are directly
attributable to a high stressed, high intensity work place. Managing employees’
health is much less costly than managing their care once they need medical treatment.
Studies confirm fewer days absent (56%) and fewer medical claims (over 27% less) when
preventive health programs are effectively implemented. The U.S. Center for Disease
Control states more than half of all deaths of individuals younger than 65 result from
stressful lifestyles.
Managed health is not the same as managed care. Traditional managed care doesn’t
work. To date, nothing has been managed. Doctors are frustrated, patients are frustrated
and costs are higher than ever. Nobody is any healthier and individuals are more detached
than ever from their own health and wellness.
Managed health is the ability to measure, monitor and improve a person’s health
based on an understanding of how they handle stress and the ability to implement the right
program. The good news is it is never to late to start. A managed health program is a
win/win endeavor for any business.
Healthy, productive employees mean less recruiting and retraining costs and fewer
health care related expenses. For example, just reducing the medications people take for
anxiety could save more than $800 million dollars annually.
Reevaluate how your company is spending its "preventive maintenance" dollars.
Partnering with a company that can provide you a comprehensive managed health program is
something your human resources department and chief financial officer will appreciate. |
