Corporate Wellness BlogCorporate wellness and employee wellness blog

Corporate Wellness Initiatives and Medical Care Costs

Corporate Wellness Initiatives are important now more than ever. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, with the troubles in the economy it seems that the costs of employer provided health care keep continuing to grow and it doesn’t seem like it is going to change. The article states that during the year 2008, American companies can expect to see an increase of 10% in health care costs.

This increase in health care costs is causing some small companies to reduce their staff member health benefits or get rid of them altogether.

Corporate Wellness Initiatives for Healthier Lifestyles

Corporate Wellness Initiatives do offer an option for small companies. The corporations can offer discounted co-pays and deductibles to those staff members that fully participate in the provided Corporate Wellness Program. Full participation means getting health screens, receiving a health risk assessment, and then working with their wellness coordinator to work towards a healthier lifestyle.

The healthier the staff members, the lower the overall health care costs for the corporation. Just one lengthy hospital stay can almost deplete a small business’ health care budget.

Corporate Wellness Initiatives and Your Bottom Line

Corporate Wellness Initiatives offer many advantages to a organization’s bottom-line. Health Promotion Statistics from Prudential Insurance show a benefit expense of $312 per individual enrolled in a Corporate Wellness Program compared to an expense of $574 per staff member that wasn’t enrolled. Coors Brewing Company showed a positive side-effect of participant absenteeism dropping by 18%, thus greater production and less health care costs overall.