Posted by admin | Posted in Workplace Health Promotion | Posted on 13-11-2008
Employers are no longer able to trim extra savings out of their health insurance programs, and most businesses have been cost shifting, asking workers to cover more of their medical care costs. Health insurance costs continue to climb (10 percent or more per year) at 2-3 times the general inflation rate. With nowhere else to turn, companies are – more than ever – looking to get workers engaged in Workplace Health Promotion Programs as a means of slowing medical care costs and improving productivity.
For example, last year 53 percent of large companies offered health risk assessments (HRAs) for their staff, up from 35 percent just two years earlier, according to a Mercer survey. Change is being driven by cost, but Workplace Health Promotion Programs a win-win solution for both companies and workers.
Here are other Workplace Health Promotion Program trends organizations are implementing:
More businesses are integrating Workplace Health Promotion Programs into their benefits plans. If they want the best plans or the lowest personal costs, they need to participate in the Workplace Health Promotion Program and meeting minimum goals.
More businesses are providing worksite weight loss programs as part of the Workplace Health Promotion Program, especially after Duke University’s new research showing the high cost of overweight workers and increased cost for worker’s compensation for sedentary and overweight workers.
Employers are providing more Workplace Health Promotion Programs designed to assist workers with chronic health conditions: health coaches, nurse advice lines, telephone counseling, and self-study guides
Employers are providing more internet-based Workplace Health Promotion Program interventions and health information resources
More businesses are providing regular worksite employee health screenings including cholesterol, glucose, A1c, blood pressure, weigh-ins, and other checks as a part of their Workplace Health Promotion Program. Some Workplace Health Promotion Programs even include bone-density checks and skin cancer screenings.
Many businesses are providing fitness programs, either in the community or worksite, as a part of their Workplace Health Promotion Program.
Corporations are providing more prizes, rewards, and incentives getting engaged in Workplace Health Promotion Program activities
Some businesses are adding emphasis to health maintenance. It’s one thing to lose weight or stop tobacco; it’s another to maintain these changes. Helping workers stay engaged and maintain their health changes is important for long-term success.
Employers are putting more emphasis on keeping healthy people healthy rather than just working primarily with high-risk individuals. Research shows this approach results in a greater Workplace Health Promotion Program return on investment.
Wellness businesses are providing great resources for companys’ workers over the Internet – online wellness centers, monthly health and wellness newsetters, wellness challenges, internet-based points tracking systems, virtual fitness programs, internet-based wellness coaching or interventions, interactive health calculators, healthy recipes, even downloadable health tips for your iPod.
Employers who are becoming more proactive are making a big impact on their future medical care expenses and productivity. Ohio State University announced that they expect to save $30 million dollars with their comprehensive Workplace Health Promotion Program over the next 5 years!
Workplace Health Promotion Programs and prevention are sound ideas whose time has come. Health promotion is more fun and less expensive than treating disease.
References: TIME in partnership with CNN, “Businesses Help Workers Lose Weight.” Website accessed July 2007.
