Posted by Corporate Wellness | Posted in Corporate Wellness | Posted on 01-11-2008
Companies are no longer able to trim extra savings out of their medical insurance programs, and most organizations have been cost shifting, asking employees to cover more of their health 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 employees engaged in Corporate Wellness Programs as a means of slowing health care costs and improving productivity.
For example, last year 53 percent of large companies provided 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 Corporate Wellness Programs a win-win solution for both companies and employees.
Here are other Corporate Wellness Program trends organizations are implementing:
More organizations are integrating Corporate Wellness Programs into their benefits plans. If they want the best plans or the lowest personal costs, they need to participate in the Corporate Wellness Program and meeting minimum objectives.
More organizations are providing workplace weight loss programs as part of the Corporate Wellness Program, especially after Duke University’s new research showing the high cost of overweight employees and increased cost for worker’s compensation for sedentary and overweight employees.
Companies are providing more Corporate Wellness Programs designed to assist employees with chronic health conditions: health coaches, nurse advice lines, telephone counseling, and self-study guides
Companies are providing more online Corporate Wellness Program interventions and health information resources
More organizations are providing regular workplace employee health screenings including cholesterol, glucose, A1c, blood pressure, weigh-ins, and other checks as a component of their Corporate Wellness Program. Some Corporate Wellness Programs even include bone-density checks and skin cancer screenings.
Many organizations are providing fitness programs, either in the community or workplace, as a component of their Corporate Wellness Program.
Corporations are providing more prizes, rewards, and incentives getting engaged in Corporate Wellness Program activities
Some organizations are adding emphasis to maintaining health. It’s one thing to lose weight or stop tobacco; it’s another to maintain these changes. Helping employees stay engaged and maintain their health changes is important for long-term success.
Companies 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 Corporate Wellness Program ROI.
Wellness organizations are providing great resources for corporations’ employees over the Internet – online wellness centers, monthly health and wellness newsetters, wellness challenges, online points tracking systems, virtual fitness programs, online wellness coaching or interventions, interactive health calculators, healthy recipes, even downloadable health tips for your iPod.
Companies who are becoming more proactive are making a big impact on their future health care expenses and productivity. Ohio State University announced that they expect to save $30 million dollars with their complete Corporate Wellness Program over the next 5 years!
Corporate Wellness 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.